Did I do the right thing?

meoklmrk91

Tonight I was driving home on a main road about five minutes from my house a car in front of me was driving slowly so I had to slow down a van which was behind me then began driving very aggressively driving up to my bumper and backing off and repeating the process. He had he full heads on, and I drive a small car so the interior of the car was lit up, it was shining off the mirrors etc. I flashed my hazards a few times to try and get him to back off but no, he still continued.

Eventually he passed both me and the car in front of me out, scared the living daylights out of me by speeding up until our bumpers were nearly touching and then turned at the last minute to overtake at a cross no less. I waited until it was safe, passed out the other car and then sped up to take his number plate. The weird thing was he actually took the turn off for my house and parked up in the local community centre and I drove past to go over home.

When I got home I rang the local garda station and reported it, when my mother found out she got me to ring back and make sure that they wouldn't give my name to anyone, she is terrified that a brick is going to come through our window. The garda on the phone couldn't have been nicer and said that they would give the driver a caution and if he wouldn't accept it then I would have to make a statement and go to court. And they even sent out a patrol car to check and see if the driver was still around because he was in the locality of my house.

Did I do the right thing or should I have left it off?

CianRyan

Definitely did the right thing IMO.
If someone's driving like a dickhead, they deserve a call from the guards.

Fair play for calling, I'd say most people would have just left it.

-Corkie-

You done the right thing. What an asshole flashing lights and acting the clown..

Gophur

meoklmrk91 wrote: »

Tonight I was driving home on a main road about five minutes from my house a car in front of me was driving slowly so I had to slow down a van which was behind me then began driving very aggressively driving up to my bumper and backing off and repeating the process. He had he full heads on, and I drive a small car so the interior of the car was lit up, it was shining off the mirrors etc. I flashed my hazards a few times to try and get him to back off but no, he still continued.

Eventually he passed both me and the car in front of me out, scared the living daylights out of me by speeding up until our bumpers were nearly touching and then turned at the last minute to overtake at a cross no less. I waited until it was safe, passed out the other car and then sped up to take his number plate. The weird thing was he actually took the turn off for my house and parked up in the local community centre and I drove past to go over home.

When I got home I rang the local garda station and reported it, when my mother found out she got me to ring back and make sure that they wouldn't give my name to anyone, she is terrified that a brick is going to come through our window. The garda on the phone couldn't have been nicer and said that they would give the driver a caution and if he wouldn't accept it then I would have to make a statement and go to court. And they even sent out a patrol car to check and see if the driver was still around because he was in the locality of my house.

Did I do the right thing or should I have left it off?

You did the right thing. There's no need to worry, you will not face any repercussion.

By the way, I think you misunderstood the Garda. You do not 'have to' make a statement and go to Court. It's entirely your choice if you want to. The Gardai cannot , however, prosecute without your evidence.

MugMugs

You encountered a sh1thead OP. You did the best thing you could. Kudos.

650Ginge

You did the right thing. Don't worry about it. Problem these days is we are afraid to stand up for what's right? You did well.

Sunnyisland

Fairplay to you OP, Its a pity more people dont do the same.

Cicero

+1 OP...had similar experience a few years ago...a couple of young lads in a supped up car...Like you there was no way I could overtake...but that didn't stop them driving behind me in an aggressive manner...you're right, it is scary as you just don't know what someone acting that way is capable of doing...fair play to you for following it up..

OldmanMondeo

No you didn't, you need one of these.....:D

YOu did the right thing, the chap is more than likely quiet meek anyway, slim to no chance of brick through window or similar.

Buffman

Yes, you did the logical and right thing.

meoklmrk91 wrote: »

when my mother found out she got me to ring back and make sure that they wouldn't give my name to anyone, she is terrified that a brick is going to come through our window.

Tell your mother not to worry so much, the guards aren't initially going to say 'Mrs X from such an address has made an allegation against you'. However, if you did make a statement and go to court then that would be a different situation.

meoklmrk91 wrote: »

The weird thing was he actually took the turn off for my house and parked up in the local community centre

He must have been late for the bingo!:D

Fair play OP! I've had stuff like this happen and have just whinged about it but have not taken any action. Would love to see the look on your man's face when the Guards try to caution him!

The Quadratic Equation

You done the right thing.

I despise these tramps that think they own the patch of road in front of them.

meoklmrk91

Thanks everyone, I have heard nothing from the guards yet, but I'd say they are going to have a tough time finding him down here as the van is actually registered up the country. So they may have to contact the gardi closer to where he lives to deliver the caution.

The posts make me feel a lot better, I am not afraid but hate the fact that I made me mam afraid. I have decided that if he refuses to accept the caution then I will go and make a statement and go to court. This was dangerous driving with intent, his stupidity could have killed, me my passengers or someone else and I will not be leaving it off.

john reilly

dont know if you done the right thing. without speaking to the van driver for their version of the story. we dont know what speed you were doing or the manner in which you were driving. if he was driving a van its possible his lights will be a bit higher and it may seem like he was flashing them. how was you flashing your hazzards helping the situation. as to the gaurds giving him your name, did you not say he was driving up your hole do you think he might remember your reg

meoklmrk91

john reilly wrote: »

dont know if you done the right thing. without speaking to the van driver for their version of the story. we dont know what speed you were doing or the manner in which you were driving. if he was driving a van its possible his lights will be a bit higher and it may seem like he was flashing them. how was you flashing your hazzards helping the situation. as to the gaurds giving him your name, did you not say he was driving up your hole do you think he might remember your reg

Fair enough, all I can do is give my version of events.

I was driving the speed limit on the road, 60mph, came around a bend and a bit further up the road a car was driving at about 35mph so I proceeded to slow down, there was no dramatics as there didn't need to be.

I have been driving for three years I think I know the difference between heads and dims. He wasn't flashing his lights, he had them on all the time, except which I forgot to mention when another car was coming against us when he would dim until the passed and then turn on his fulls again. My flashing the hazards was me telling to back off and turn off his heads. I have used this before when tailgaters get a little too close, people seem to get in a trance or such and don't realise how close they are and generally back off. This fella was driving up nearly bumper to bumper with my car and then backing off and repeating the process all while keeping his headlights on. What was I supposed to do?

He was in my personal opinion trying to bully me into passing out the car in front of me so he could go too, but I wouldn't because it wasn't safe. If he does have my reg then by all means he can report me to the gardai but for what I am not sure.

The Quadratic Equation

Road thugs will always try to justify their thuggish behaviour.

john reilly

I didnt say you were right or wrong just that we only heard your side of the story. was stopped for dangerous driving by the gardai as some lady had reported me. they couldnt tell me what i was supposed to have done. they told me that if she made a statement, they would contact me and I might have to make a statement. she did and they contacted me to say they werent taking action, which i was a bit disappointed with as she would have admitted to dangerous driving in her statement. when i asked the gardai he told me to forget about it. so basically some oul bat that didnt know how to drive caused me to be held up at the side of the road for half an hour

wmpdd3

OP, I think you def did the right thin. I have done the same and action has been taken, though there was also cctv evidence of the driver asit happened in town.

Just to add I was told if I was stuck behind a slow car and there were cars behind me intending to overtake, I was to try move back from the car in front and leave room for the car behind to overtake me then the car in front (however dangerously this was).

john reilly

wmpdd3 wrote: »

OP, I think you def did the right thin. I have done the same and action has been taken, though there was also cctv evidence of the driver asit happened in town.

Just to add I was told if I was stuck behind a slow car and there were cars behind me intending to overtake, I was to try move back from the car in front and leave room for the car behind to overtake me then the car in front (however dangerously this was).

you do know you are supposed to leave room between you and the car in front regardless

hullaballoo

Nothing to suggest from his post that he doesn't. The ordinary 2-second rule applies for distance. If you think the guy behind you wants to overtake, you're supposed to allow enough space for him/her to pull back in infront of you and then overtake next car. You're never allowed to overtake more than one car at a time.

kildare.17hmr

Defo right thing, done it myself before on the naas road and seen the guards pull him in. Turned out he fell out of a pub in kildare and was on his way home before being stopped at rathcoole, who knows what could have happened if he kept going

john reilly

hullaballoo wrote: »

Nothing to suggest from his post that he doesn't. The ordinary 2-second rule applies for distance. If you think the guy behind you wants to overtake, you're supposed to allow enough space for him/her to pull back in infront of you and then overtake next car. You're never allowed to overtake more than one car at a time.[/QUOTE]
when was this rule introduced

corktina

the only time you arent allowed to overtake more than one car is if car A is passing out car B at the time. Why would you not be allowed to overtake any number of cars provided it was safe to do so?