Problem with local speeder

E39MSport

I live on a very narrow country lane - room for one car only. There are pull over spots every 100m or so. Lane has a few blind bends also. It's used by no more than 15 distinct cars on a daily basis.

Importantly is used by walkers some of which push buggies and/or have kids walking with them.

I noticed a new car/driver using the lane about 6 months ago. The guy was driving at roughly 80 km/h down the lane in my estimation. Certainly well over twice the responsible speed of other road users. The limit in the area is 80 km/h but this lane doesn't suit that limit.

I confronted the guy not long after he started to use the lane. I met him on the road while I was pulled over speaking to a neighbour. Sure enough he had to drop the anchors big time when he rounded the bend. He was less than friendly and denied he was speeding (technically true maybe). I informed him that the road is used by walkers and kids.

I subsequently found out he recently moved in close by and is a member of special branch. He stopped using the lane for months after that but has recently started again.

I've seen him driving in the vincinity and witnessed him flashing oncomming traffic to get out of his way as he belts it down the road at extreme speeds. He's an accident waiting to happen.

I'm at a loss about what to do. I'm contemplating knocking on his door but don't want to get mixed up with a looney copper. At the same time I'm pi55ed off with his antics on my own doorstep. He's likely trained to drive in such a manner but not for going to the shops etc.

While I don't allow my kids out on the lane I'd rather not have to worry about him hitting them should they run out after a ball etc. Insurance won't want to know either if he slams into my car on the lane.

Any advice on how to best approach the situation ?

kildare.17hmr

If he is not speeding there is not much you can do. get on to the council to change the speed limit:p

qz

Build your own speed ramp ala Hal from Malcolm in the Middle. Hilarity is sure to ensue.

legallyblonde86

get your neighbours to sign a petition and get onto a local politician. Don't mention the speeder as it will seem like you have a vendetta out against him. Just say its dangerous in general. Or get them to put speed bumps in the lane. that will stop any speed problems! He won't want to wreck his car

Cookie_Monster

Its next to impossible to get speed bumps put in. My GFs sister live in Rathmines and live along a narrow lane way, the locals inquired about getting ramps but in as its a narrow dangerous road and council said until someone was killed there is zero chance of it happening.

bizarre response from the council but there ya go...

corktina

Just report him to the gards everytime you see him driving inappropriately.Theres not muich more you can do about it....

Atomic Pineapple

If he's a Garda he is exempt from the rules of the roads and laws anyway.

cantdecide

You can always report his dangerous driving to the Gardaí. What have you got to worry about unless you have a crack den in your potting shed. They can't ignore reports of dangerous driving.

Cookie_Monster

draffodx wrote: »

If he's a Garda he is exempt from the rules of the roads and laws anyway.

only in the course of duty though, not on his way home

djimi

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

If he is not speeding there is not much you can do. get on to the council to change the speed limit:p

Dangerous driving is dangerous driving even if it is not exceeding the speed limit.

draffodx wrote: »

If he's a Garda he is exempt from the rules of the roads and laws anyway.

That may be true, but he is not allowed to endanger the lives of others while off-duty (and I know, a guard is never off duty, but you know what I mean).

OP maybe try and find out who his superior is in the special branch and have a word with them? I dont know what good it will do, but you have to report him to someone and there aint no point just going to your local garda station.

Tabnabs

Write up a log of times, dates, events (flashing to get past etc.) and anything else noteworthy and send it to the local Superintendent when it's sufficiently detailed. Even if you sign it 'the Residents of..." if you don't want to put the spotlight on yourself.

sealgaire

Garda Ombudsman. sorted. The first sign of contact from them will sort him. Even if it is just a quiet word

cnocbui

Videotape him being a dick and put it up on Youtube, then post us a link and we can all publicly discuss the merits of his driving behaviour. When his superiors find out....

kildare.17hmr

djimi wrote: »

Dangerous driving is dangerous driving even if it is not exceeding the speed limit.

Not gonna get into a discusion on what is dangerous driving but if he is driving on a lane @ 80kmh that has a speed limit of 80kmh that is not dangerous driving.

There are loads of lanes like this around that have ridiculous speed limits like this and should be 50 or less

Cuddlesworth

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

Not gonna get into a discusion on what is dangerous driving but if he is driving on a lane @ 80kmh that has a speed limit of 80kmh that is not dangerous driving.

There are loads of lanes like this around that have ridiculous speed limits like this and should be 50 or less

Inappropriate Speeding, breaking the designated limit or Dangerous Driving? I think you need to re-evaluate what you classify as dangerous.

djimi

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

Not gonna get into a discusion on what is dangerous driving but if he is driving on a lane @ 80kmh that has a speed limit of 80kmh that is not dangerous driving.

There are loads of lanes like this around that have ridiculous speed limits like this and should be 50 or less

Regardless of the speed limit, if a road is only wide enough for one car and has blind bends then someone driving that road at 80kmph is driving dangerously. I know the type of road; we used to have the same problem with a lunatic on a narrow road near where I lived, and if I drive that road at even half the speed limit (which I think is 80 as well) it feels like Im absolutely flying; if I was to go the speed limit there is no way I would be able to see anything in time to react to it. Just because someone is within the speed limit does not mean they are driving at a safe speed.

bladespin

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

Not gonna get into a discusion on what is dangerous driving but if he is driving on a lane @ 80kmh that has a speed limit of 80kmh that is not dangerous driving.

Actually it can be, same can be said if driving on ice and snow, drive to the surroundings and conditions.

kildare.17hmr

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Inappropriate Speeding, breaking the designated limit or Dangerous Driving? I think you need to re-evaluate what you classify as dangerous.

Lad im agreeing with you in a sense and i think something should be done but what im tryin to say is driving the speed limit is not gonna get someone in trouble

kildare.17hmr

bladespin wrote: »

Actually it can be, same can be said if driving on ice and snow, drive to the surroundings and conditions.

Fair point but no one has mentioned ice or snow.

Atomic Pineapple

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

only in the course of duty though, not on his way home

A Garda is technically always on duty, even on his/her way home.

E39MSport

Local super with dates/times etc sounds like a runner. I might also move one of the recording security cameras to get a good view of the road.

Thanks all.

senordingdong

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

only in the course of duty though, not on his way home

Even in the course of duty, that's not always the case.

Op, dress a manequin up as a person and throw it out infront of his car.

Scare a man straight, that's how we used to do it in my day.

legallyblonde86

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

only in the course of duty though, not on his way home

Guards still have to drive in a safe manner. I know its not always the case but they have to adhere to the rules of the road. On and Off duty

Tea 1000

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

Lad im agreeing with you in a sense and i think something should be done but what im tryin to say is driving the speed limit is not gonna get someone in trouble

Yes it can. Driving without due care and attention is regardless of any speed limit. This nut is driving without any care.

Tea 1000

senordingdong wrote: »

Even in the course of duty, that's not always the case.

Op, dress a manequin up as a person and throw it out infront of his car.

Scare a man straight, that's how we used to do it in my day.

Or a corpse, better again!
If that doesn't work, note is regular times for using the road and buy an old Hino and meet him in the opposite direction some evening!

djimi

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

Lad im agreeing with you in a sense and i think something should be done but what im tryin to say is driving the speed limit is not gonna get someone in trouble

True in so far as they wont be given a speeding ticket, but speeding and dangerous driving are two seperate things and you can be done for dangerous driving even if you are driving within the speed limit.

bladespin

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

Fair point but no one has mentioned ice or snow.

Point is not about ice or snow, just highlighting that you can be driving dangerously even at or below the speed limit.

stuckinarut

what about some scattered cones?

harry21

Tea 1000 wrote: »

Or a corpse, better again!
If that doesn't work, note is regular times for using the road and buy an old Hino and meet him in the opposite direction some evening!

Best idea by a mile, but what if he is seriously hurt. hitting a hino at 80kph is not exactly a tip. Same about the manequin, he could get seriously hurt.

Also, is he driving his own car? Damaging a police car may get you in trouble and him a few weeks of paid time off for being invloved in a crash.

Video tape the events, and keep a diary. Forwarding them to local guards is the most responsible thing to do. Make sure you keep copies.

If that fails throw it up on youtube, see how that fairs!

E39MSport

I'd love to put footage up on youtube but that might (will) give the game away. Don't want to get involved any further with the dude. Have a bad feeling about him.

ardmacha

If his time of travel was predictable, put a cardboard box (or something else harmless e.g. balloon) in the middle of the road just around a blind bend and write on it "This could be a child". Then video that.

alias no.9

Film him, put the worst of the footage up on youtube, showing his reg, let it go viral and let the Gardai pick up on it.

johnos1984

Maybe some of the Gardaí on here would like to contribute a rational point to help the OP

vetstu

A pig isn't going to tell you how to hang one of their own.

KamiKazi

vetstu wrote: »

A pig isn't going to tell you how to hang one of their own.

A Garda might though.

johnos1984

Actually I would imagine that Gardaí resent the actions of a few which give the whole force a bad image so its not beyond the bounds of possibility that someone could post anonymously here or even PM the OP with a reasonable and legal course of action.

largepants

OP, I would suggest that you write to the local Superintendent. Its not good enough that this lad is driving around like that. You've made a reasonable approach to the guy and he continues to act like this. Put it as nice as pie to the Supt saying you don't feel you have any other option but to write.

Don't be reluctant to do it. I don't care if it s guard, politician, judge or plumber. You'll kick yourself for not doing something about it if something does happen.

rebel.ranter

I think a letter to the Super will resolve your current issue. However, every good turn deserves another, he will wait for his time to return the favour. if I was genuinely worried about the safety of my children (if I had children) then I would have no hesitation in writing to the Super.

-Corkie-

I know how you feel op. I live on a similar road and there is a lunatic of a middle aged woman who does 60-70 Mph up and down the road. My wife do be terrified going to work because she could meet her. She wrote of her last car last year on our road..:eek::eek:

dr.fuzzenstein

Maybe you could get a "safety camera" van to park on your road?

sdanseo

cnocbui wrote: »

Videotape him being a dick and put it up on Youtube, then post us a link and we can all publicly discuss the merits of his driving behaviour. When his superiors find out....

...which would make the OP an even larger dick. His driving is a little fast, but not illegal unless it meets a Judge's definition of dangerous under the RTA.

Deal with the problem maturely, and not by having the guy be hated by every loonybin anti-Garda nut up and down the country through seing his car and/or face online.

galwaytt

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Inappropriate Speeding, breaking the designated limit or Dangerous Driving? I think you need to re-evaluate what you classify as dangerous.

''Speeding" as you say it, implies breaking some sort of rule. Which, it doesn't. Driving at in inappropriate speed is different. We have enough namby-pamby's as it is: Gaybo, RSA, 'Safety Cameras' without anymore sweeping statements. And if you think I'm being pedantic, remember in court it's called a Technicality.

djimi wrote: »

Regardless of the speed limit, if a road is only wide enough for one car and has blind bends then someone driving that road at 80kmph is driving dangerously.

Then get the limit changed. By default, you can assume, from a legal perspective, that the limit is 'sensible'. Otherwise we'll have people moaning getting pinched on motorways for +1kp/h next..........

Tea 1000 wrote: »

Yes it can. Driving without due care and attention is regardless of any speed limit. This nut is driving without any care.

Fine. That's a discrete, separate offence. Speed isn't necessarily linked.

sdonn wrote: »

Deal with the problem maturely, and not by having the guy be hated by every loonybin anti-Garda nut up and down the country through seing his car and/or face online.

+1

E39MSport

sdonn wrote: »

...which would make the OP an even larger dick. His driving is a little fast, but not illegal unless it meets a Judge's definition of dangerous under the RTA.

Deal with the problem maturely, and not by having the guy be hated by every loonybin anti-Garda nut up and down the country through seing his car and/or face online.

Explain. Perhaps you have something to add rather than criticise?

I am indeed looking for mature suggestions given the sensible one to one approach has run out of steam.

sdanseo

E39MSport wrote: »

Explain. Perhaps you have something to add rather than criticise?

I am indeed looking for mature suggestions given the sensible one to one approach has run out of steam.

My use of the word dick was in direct rebuttal to its use in the statement I quoted. You got me out of context.

It would be immature to video the man and put it on youtube.

-Corkie-

I dont think videoing him will fix it somehow. The lunatic woman on my road come up the road earlier bulldozing a young fella driving a souped up Peugeot. He is a boy racer and there he is being tailgated up the road by a old wowan in a old Corolla...:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Reesy

Maybe tell the Traffic Corps, they (as I understand it) will be more likely to nick a garda.

johnb25

This is a tricky situation when you are living beside it; have you spoken to your neighbours about it? Any of the others up for co-operating or acting collectively such as petitioning the council or writing to the super, as suggested above. See if any of them know any gardai who know anything about this character.
On a practical level, can you dig the grass margin and put out a few cones to narrow the road a bit. Maybe get neighbours to do the same. If you can't get speed bumps put in, a pick-axe is a good way to start a big pot-hole...same effect. Do it near your own gate where you will be going slowly anyway.

Mycroft H

I like the idea of creating a big pot hole in the road

opti76

well dangerous driving is defined as

Dangerous driving. 53.—(1) A person shall not drive a vehicle in a public place at a speed or in a manner which, having regard to all the circumstances of the case (including the nature, condition and use of the place and the amount of traffic which then actually is or might reasonably be expected then to be therein) is dangerous to the public.
[GA]
(2) A person who contravenes subsection (1) of this section shall be guilty of an offence and—
[GA]
( a ) in case the contravention causes death or serious bodily harm to another person, he shall be liable on conviction on indictment to penal servitude for any term not exceeding five years or, at the discretion of the court, to a fine not exceeding five hundred pounds or to both such penal servitude and such fine and
[GA]
( b ) in any other case, he shall be liable on such conviction to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds or, at the discretion of the court, to imprisonment for any term not exceeding six months or to both such fine and such imprisonment.
[GA]
(3) In a prosecution for an offence under this section, it shall not be a defence to prove that the speed at which the accused person was driving was not in excess of an ordinary, built-up area or special speed limit applying in relation to the vehicle.
[GA]
(4) Where, when a person is tried on indictment or summarily for an offence under this section, the jury, or, in the case of a summary trial the District Court, is of opinion that he was not guilty of an offence under this section but was guilty of an offence under section 52 of this Act, the jury or court may find him guilty of an offence under section 52 of this Act and he may be sentenced accordingly.
[GA]
(5) A person liable to be charged with an offence under this section shall not, by reference to the same occurrence, be liable to be charged with an offence under section 35 of the offences against the Person Act, 1861,
[GA]
(6) Where a member of the Garda Síochána is of opinion that a person has committed an offence under this section and that the contravention has caused death or serious bodily harm to another person, he may arrest the first-mentioned person without warrant.


also is he a copper???? has he said hes a copper or have you been told be neighbours hes a copper ..


make a report to your local cop shop stating what you have said about the dengerous driving and make a statement of complaint .. dont leave it at a report or i just want him spoken to ... gardai cannot just speak to someone about drivng ... they need a complaint before they can act. if you dont want to go to the local station report it over the phone to traffic watch and the investigating garda will contact you.

1890-205805 .

Boskowski

Regardless of speed limits and other rules in place on a particular stretch of road it is always the drivers responsibilty to adjust their driving to the situation as he sees it and use his fkn brain. Driving irresponsibly and dangerously is not on even if you seem to be within 'the rules'. Or would you mow down a jaywalker and say 'but I had the green light'? We all know how ridiculous a lot of the speed limits are. Some of them could easily adjusted upwards, a lot of them should go the other way though - especially many of the country roads.

CandleLight

E39MSport wrote: »

I live on a very narrow country lane - room for one car only. There are pull over spots every 100m or so. Lane has a few blind bends also. It's used by no more than 15 distinct cars on a daily basis.

Importantly is used by walkers some of which push buggies and/or have kids walking with them.

I noticed a new car/driver using the lane about 6 months ago. The guy was driving at roughly 80 km/h down the lane in my estimation. Certainly well over twice the responsible speed of other road users. The limit in the area is 80 km/h but this lane doesn't suit that limit.

I confronted the guy not long after he started to use the lane. I met him on the road while I was pulled over speaking to a neighbour. Sure enough he had to drop the anchors big time when he rounded the bend. He was less than friendly and denied he was speeding (technically true maybe). I informed him that the road is used by walkers and kids.

I subsequently found out he recently moved in close by and is a member of special branch. He stopped using the lane for months after that but has recently started again.

I've seen him driving in the vincinity and witnessed him flashing oncomming traffic to get out of his way as he belts it down the road at extreme speeds. He's an accident waiting to happen.

I'm at a loss about what to do. I'm contemplating knocking on his door but don't want to get mixed up with a looney copper. At the same time I'm pi55ed off with his antics on my own doorstep. He's likely trained to drive in such a manner but not for going to the shops etc.

While I don't allow my kids out on the lane I'd rather not have to worry about him hitting them should they run out after a ball etc. Insurance won't want to know either if he slams into my car on the lane.

Any advice on how to best approach the situation ?

report him to garda commissioner