Motorway Driving?

SillyMcCarthy

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0213/driving.html

Just reading this on the RTE website I was wondering what was
the ratio of male vs female? They never gave the statistics!

MrJoeSoap

SillyMcCarthy wrote: »

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0213/driving.html

Just reading this on the RTE website I was wondering what was
the ratio of male vs female? They never gave the statistics!

I'd be more interested in how many are people from countries that drive on the right.

SillyMcCarthy

MrJoeSoap wrote: »

I'd be more interested in how many are people from countries that drive on the right.

True Joe, my wifes cousin was killed in same!

Cookie_Monster

So now we need another book to teach us about the most basic type of road driving :rolleyes:

Is there any hope left for the irish motorist

MrJoeSoap

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

So now we need another book to teach us about the most basic type of road driving :rolleyes:

Is there any hope left for the irish motorist

Have you ever seen a car drive down the wrong side of the motorway? Personally, I haven't. And the same goes for the roundabout "stat", I don't recall every encountering that in my life.

Whatever you say about the "Irish motorist", road deaths are almost half what they were only a dozen or so years ago. Drink-driving is a fraction of the problem it was in years gone by also.

Voodoomelon

They aren't talking about people going the wrong way around a roundabout, they are referring to general roundabout usage and the lack of knowledge on how to use them.

Why the hell is motorway training still not part of the driving test? Seriously, what is the reason?

MadsL

MrJoeSoap wrote: »

Have you ever seen a car drive down the wrong side of the motorway? Personally, I haven't. And the same goes for the roundabout "stat", I don't recall every encountering that in my life.

.

Yes, Nissan Micra drove down the sliproad onto the M1 and then turned right!!! up the hard shoulder, phoned the Guards asap,

Davidth88

I personally would ask how many over 70 are involved driving the wrong way .

As for roundabouts , I have met 3 cars going the wrong way at my local motorway junction ( Celbridge West on M4 ) .... it shakes you up TBH

Edit , sorrry , should have added , 2 of those were grey import japs ( over 10 YO ) , one was blacked out 10 YO ( or thereabouts ) BMW , draw your own conclusions as to who was driving those cars.

Park Royal

I'd love to check my driving on a Motorway, but finding it hard to find one

in Mayo.....;)

There is a bit of one in Sligo....Collooney Bypass....

markpb

Voodoomelon wrote: »

Why the hell is motorway training still not part of the driving test? Seriously, what is the reason?

Because that would be a change and we do change reeeeeeeaaaallly slowly. Or preferably not at all.

Mint Sauce

MrJoeSoap wrote: »

Have you ever seen a car drive down the wrong side of the motorway? Personally, I haven't. And the same goes for the roundabout "stat", I don't recall every encountering that in my life.

Whatever you say about the "Irish motorist", road deaths are almost half what they were only a dozen or so years ago. Drink-driving is a fraction of the problem it was in years gone by also.

I have seen a driver infront of me start indicating right on the approach of a central reservation driving along a single carriage way national road, and then actually drive into the oncoming lane.

Queue me flashing him to warn him, then my horn when he didn't seem to react, he didn't realease he was in the wrong until he was already on the wrong side of the carriageway, beyond the start of the central reservation and the oncoming traffic flashing him.

:eek:

dahamsta

I'd say I've seen people going the wrong way on a dual carriageway in Ireland twice or three times in my driving career of around 20 years; roundabouts around half a dozen times. It's not exactly common, but not all that rare either. Hell, I've gone around a roundabout the wrong way myself in other countries by mistake. It happens.

On the subject in hand though, a leaflet is useless, very few people will actually learn something from it, and the people who should be reading it will likely never even see it. We need Drivers Ed. over here, like the US only obviously improved over the special way they do things. Drivers Ed for teenagers in secondary schools, and as punishment for crap driving mandated by the courts and/or points system.

It won't solve the problem, but it could definitely help a lot imho.

Blazer

MrJoeSoap wrote: »

Have you ever seen a car drive down the wrong side of the motorway? Personally, I haven't. And the same goes for the roundabout "stat", I don't recall every encountering that in my life.

Whatever you say about the "Irish motorist", road deaths are almost half what they were only a dozen or so years ago. Drink-driving is a fraction of the problem it was in years gone by also.

3 times and each timeit was an old gimp who didn't seem to realize what he was doing wrong despite numerous cars having to avoid him, blaring their horns and flashing their lights at them.. and each one was in broad daylight.
It seems to happen regularly in Limerick and it's not scumbags but old fellas who don't have a clue.

Anyone who's caught doing this should immediately be banned from driving for 6 months and their license revoked so they have to reapply and start at learner level again.
Let's see then if they do it again...

Cuddlesworth

MrJoeSoap wrote: »

Have you ever seen a car drive down the wrong side of the motorway? Personally, I haven't. And the same goes for the roundabout "stat", I don't recall every encountering that in my life.

Whatever you say about the "Irish motorist", road deaths are almost half what they were only a dozen or so years ago. Drink-driving is a fraction of the problem it was in years gone by also.

About four times. It happens late at night when there is nobody else around and they get confused. Really scary when it happens.

I've also seen a huge number of U-turns into hard-shoulders because they missed their exit and swerving across 2-5 lanes because they sat in the wrong lane till the last moment. Its a pretty big problem here.

I should also add, I don't do that much driving.

BronsonTB

Park Royal wrote: »

I'd love to check my driving on a Motorway, but finding it hard to find one

in Mayo.....;)

There is a bit of one in Sligo....Collooney Bypass....

Presume you're just takin the piss & know that's the N4 (Dual carrigeway-100km) not M4 (motorway-120km)

Mr. Presentable

MrJoeSoap wrote: »

Have you ever seen a car drive down the wrong side of the motorway? Personally, I haven't. And the same goes for the roundabout "stat", I don't recall every encountering that in my life.

Whatever you say about the "Irish motorist", road deaths are almost half what they were only a dozen or so years ago. Drink-driving is a fraction of the problem it was in years gone by also.

I have twice encountered a car on the wrong side of dual carriageway (not M-Way, but the same in principle), and several times seen wrong direction use of roundabouts - always by people taking a shortcut (first exit in the other direction.

bohsfan

There's a nun (believe it or not...) that's notorious for going the wrong way arounds roundabouts in Waterford... Met her about 3 times on the Tramore Road roundabout, totally oblivious she was. Altho, God is on her side I suppose.

I have also met a car coming the wrong way down motorway sliproads a couple of times.

Haven't met anyone going the wrong way on the motorway proper yet though, thankfully. I can't imagine a more terrifying sight out your windscreen

creedp

Voodoomelon wrote: »

They aren't talking about people going the wrong way around a roundabout, they are referring to general roundabout usage and the lack of knowledge on how to use them.

Why the hell is motorway training still not part of the driving test? Seriously, what is the reason?

Surely one of the reasons is that you can't get onto one legally until you pass your test. Ridiculous in my view. If you can't drive on a motorway before your test what make you qualified to drive on one after it? Having said that the last thing I would want is to have the MI/M50 junction blocked up even more by L drivers rear ending cars during rush hour. Luckily at the moment all drivers are qualified to drive on a motorway and therefore have the necessary skills to joint a motorway from a sliproad ... the Q is how come having done so many of them end up the ass of another poor sod trying to get to his destinaiton!

viewer

MrJoeSoap wrote: »

Have you ever seen a car drive down the wrong side of the motorway? Personally, I haven't. And the same goes for the roundabout "stat", I don't recall every encountering that in my life.

Whatever you say about the "Irish motorist", road deaths are almost half what they were only a dozen or so years ago. Drink-driving is a fraction of the problem it was in years gone by also.

I encountered a car coming the wrong way on the M1 at Monasterboice near Drogheda about 3 years ago at about 9 o clock in the evening. I was heading towards Dublin and luckily for me I was in the inside lane heading down hill and the other car was in the outside lane coming towards me. If anyone had have pulled out to overtake me they would have stood no chance.

**Timbuk2**

I saw a car going the wrong direction in the overtaking lane of the M50 northbound carraigeway between Junctions 10 and 11 just over a week ago - completely oblivious, caused a massive backlog of traffic as everyone was trying to move out of the way. It was a Sunday so thankfully there wasn't more traffic on the road!

challengemaster

MrJoeSoap wrote: »

Have you ever seen a car drive down the wrong side of the motorway? Personally, I haven't. And the same goes for the roundabout "stat", I don't recall every encountering that in my life.

So I count 19 reports of wrong side of a motorway so far on the thread, and I'll add my encounter to that too.

So in 21 (?) posts so far, there's 20 reports of it.

Also, funnily enough, it only carries the same penalty as speeding.

challengemaster

challengemaster wrote: »

So I count 19 reports of wrong side of a motorway so far on the thread, and I'll add my encounter to that too.

So in 21 (?) posts so far, there's 20 reports of it.

Also, funnily enough, it only carries the same penalty as speeding.

that's because speeding is the worst thing in the whole world ever EVER

-Corkie-

challengemaster wrote: »

So I count 19 reports of wrong side of a motorway so far on the thread, and I'll add my encounter to that too.

So in 21 (?) posts so far, there's 20 reports of it.

Also, funnily enough, it only carries the same penalty as speeding.

Its less actually you only get 1 point..

dgt

MrJoeSoap wrote: »

Have you ever seen a car drive down the wrong side of the motorway?

Coming off the M50 at the N3 exit I saw this Renault Clio had driven head on into an Audi A4 on the off ramp, no hope for either. Lucky for both parties that was a 30kmh zone, both cars looked quite badly damaged though...

Its common to see people driving the wrong way down the link road near the willows in Navan

langdang

bluewolf wrote: »

that's because speeding is the worst thing in the whole world ever EVER

No, failing an NCT on emissions and continuing to drive an otherwise roadworthy car is the worst thing ever! 5 points, therefore 5 times as LETHAL as driving the wrong way on a motorway!

I have seen a 2 or 3 Limerick roundabout fails, don't spend much time on motorways.

flyingsnail

I came across one just outside Shannon coming against me in the overtaking lane, seemed completely oblivious to what he was doing. Another muppet missed her exit on the motorway, stopped under the flyover bridge and then proceeded to reverse back in the driving lane. I reported both cases but never heard anything more.

Buffman

I had an encouter like this on the N4 around Mullingar, 2 women in a Micra driving the wrong way. It's not pleasant.

As said earlier, this should be an automatic ban, it's a joke that it's only a 1 point offence.

Also, the new Motorway junctions around Limerick seem to be a blackspot, I've only been down twice since the M7 was finished. Both times I saw people reversing on the hard shoulder at the M7-M20 interchange.

Shane Fitz

Buffman wrote: »

. Both times I saw people reversing on the hard shoulder at the M7-M20 interchange.

That's something equally as bad and dangerous. As someone who drives Kildare to Swords regularly ( motorway all the way) the amount of times I've seen muppets reversing back on hard shoulders or back up/down slips is ridiculous. drive to the next fuppin exit and come back opposite side safely. Rather be late than dead.

Fiona

Buffman wrote: »

I had an encouter like this on the N4 around Mullingar, 2 women in a Micra driving the wrong way. It's not pleasant.

As said earlier, this should be an automatic ban, it's a joke that it's only a 1 point offence.

It's only a 1 point offence :eek::eek::eek::eek:

Never knew that, god who makes up these rules Bosco?

creedp

mrs crilly wrote: »

It's only a 1 point offence :eek::eek::eek::eek:

Never knew that, god who makes up these rules Bosco?

Its only a dangerous offence if you are speeding up the wong way of a Motorway!!

Bigcheeze

After the M1 was upgraded to bypass the airport but before the M50/M1 junction upgrade to 5 lanes on the M1, it was a regular occurrence to see people reversing along the hard shoulder on the M1 as they had missed the exit for the airport. Sure they'd miss the flight if they had to drive all the way to Belfast.

R.O.R

If we are counting, I'll add my stories:

Saw someone turn right at the end of the slip coming from the M1 (southbound) on to the M50 Southbound. Thankfully they were behind me and nothing coming. They did see the error of their ways and pulled U-Turn across the 2 lanes, and thankfully nothing was coming from the N32 for a while so they were OK.

Heading up to Belfast, saw someone on the opposite side of the motorway come up the slip on to the M1 (southbound) on the far side of Newry, who then turned right (again, watching in the rear view) and proceeded down the wrong side of the motorway. ROI reg on the front of a Micra.....

Turning on to the M50 (northbound) at Cherrywood, had to go around 2 vehicles that had met head on when a car drove back up that slip and collided with a LWB Transit.

All from last year, can't remember any before that in Ireland.

Atomic Pineapple

Is anyone else pretty shocked that the measures introduced to prevent this amount to a down-loadable booklet and a suggestion for people to get lessons on how to drive?

No proposals to introduce motorway driving as part of the test, to force people to get lessons on how to drive properly on motorways and dual carriageways, no proposal to increase the penalties or ways to catch this kind of driving, no proposal to have to take a test at every license renewal?

Next to no one will download the booklet let alone read it and no one who has a full license will go paying for driving lessons when they don't have to.

Why are we dumbing down drivers rather than educating them and having a high level of educated and responsible drivers on our roads?

Indricotherium

Is the much more common, diving across three lanes of traffic because you decided to pass someone 500m before an exit not a bigger problem than driving the wrong way given the frequency of the two.

Leonard Hofstadter

draffodx wrote: »

Is anyone else pretty shocked that the measures introduced to prevent this amount to a down-loadable booklet and a suggestion for people to get lessons on how to drive?

No proposals to introduce motorway driving as part of the test, to force people to get lessons on how to drive properly on motorways and dual carriageways, no proposal to increase the penalties or ways to catch this kind of driving, no proposal to have to take a test at every license renewal?

Next to no one will download the booklet let alone read it and no one who has a full license will go paying for driving lessons when they don't have to.

Why are we dumbing down drivers rather than educating them and having a high level of educated and responsible drivers on our roads?

All of those measures would require time and effort, plus the fact that young people have some clue of how to drive on a motorway, whereas it's the more grey haired generation that do that kind of stuff.

It is absolutely shocking that you can get five points for not having a valid NCT yet you can get only one point for driving down a motorway the wrong way:(!

MadsL

In fairness it is not just Ireland that this happens. I've just moved to the US and having driven on the right many times through Europe and also renting cars in the US, I'm pretty good about switching sides..I only set off on the wrong side once on a deserted road, before the oncoming lights woke me up...

My wife works by the airport however, cue a guy coming towards me in my overtaking lane of a three lane airport connection road to the interstate. Clearly just picked up the car - crazy thing was that despite everyone flashing and blasting him out of it, he was just smiling and shrugging and kept going!!

I don't think the US has adopted the 'Drive on the Right' signage yet

HeidiHeidi

Indricotherium wrote: »

Is the much more common, diving across three lanes of traffic because you decided to pass someone 500m before an exit not a bigger problem than driving the wrong way given the frequency of the two.

+1 - my motorway driving is mostly the M50 and it's scary how much of this goes on at high speeds.

I'm also very surprised at the sheer numbers of wrong-way driving incidents on motorways and roundabouts - you'd have to work pretty hard to make it onto the wrong side of the road/roundabout surely, with all the shaped islands/medians guiding you in the right direction

dudara

draffodx wrote: »

Is anyone else pretty shocked that the measures introduced to prevent this amount to a down-loadable booklet and a suggestion for people to get lessons on how to drive?

No proposals to introduce motorway driving as part of the test, to force people to get lessons on how to drive properly on motorways and dual carriageways, no proposal to increase the penalties or ways to catch this kind of driving, no proposal to have to take a test at every license renewal?

Next to no one will download the booklet let alone read it and no one who has a full license will go paying for driving lessons when they don't have to.

Why are we dumbing down drivers rather than educating them and having a high level of educated and responsible drivers on our roads?

Ah shure, that would involve actual work from the Gardaí and the RSA. Much easier to push it onto the drivers.

The level of education, enforcement & punishment is the main problem here.

stoneill

I was driving along the M4 quite happily one day and EVERY OTHER car was driving on the wrong side of the road towards me- and the cheek of them flashing their lights at me to get out of their way!
Chungella's and chungun's, there is no accounting for them.

blackwhite

Park Royal wrote: »

I'd love to check my driving on a Motorway, but finding it hard to find one

in Mayo.....;)

There is a bit of one in Sligo....Collooney Bypass....

And that's not even a motorway!

Sure it's built to motorway standard, and is generally fairly quiet. But let's keep the limit at 100km/h and stick as many speed traps as possible on it :rolleyes:

RandomAccess

I've had someone driving the wrong way on a dual carriageway, it seemed like they had missed their turn and were doing a U turn, at night.

They high beamed me on the way past so I couldn't get a reg or anything.

--

Have also seen people reversing back to an off-ramp, and once saw someone reversing on a roundabout at night, perhaps he missed his exit as well, but didn't understand the concept of a circle.

Once I heard a loud blast from a car horn and looked out the office window to see some cars stopped head to head just feet apart at a very busy roundabout. It seems the driver thought the roundabout was a fork in the road or sliproad, not an easy mistake to make on this roundabout as it was clearly signed and the middle of the day.

So yeah, I think if anything its a more serious problem than the feature stated. The amount of unreported incidents must be staggering.

superstoner90

Park Royal wrote: »

I'd love to check my driving on a Motorway, but finding it hard to find one

in Mayo.....;)

There is a bit of one in Sligo....Collooney Bypass....

Thats only a micky mouse motorway!

Buffman

This issue was in the news again today, inquest into the death of two on the N25 in Cork.

randy hickey

One would have to question if these people are in full posession of all their mental faculties.I can tell you that it's such an unnatural manoeuvre to turn your vehicle and drive the wrong way down an off ramp, that anybody with reasonable brain activity would know straight away that they had gone wrong.
Also, the WRONG WAY,TURN BACK signs are a dead giveaway!

robclay26

I have had an old stupid ballocks drive towards me on the M7 at Portlaoise and its pretty scary when your driving at 120km and you see are car closing in on you fast!
I know may would disagree to this idea, but i personally think it would be the right job:
In aviation every 2 years a private pilot does a check ride with an instructor, or commercial every 6 months with an airline.
So take this concept to the roads.
Our licences are for 10 years and I believe (open to correction) that after a certain age that are for shorter periods of time?

Well for all drivers under 50 the should have to take a skills test to get a licence renewal after their 10 year licence expires. This test is just to show they know the basic rules and proper way to drive and to be safe. (NOT A FULL BULL****E DRIVING TEST)
Drivers over 50, Licence valid for 5 years and a skills test again to renew it
Drivers over 70, licence valid for 2 years and a skill test to renew it.

The validation period is shorter for older generations because they in general have a substandard of driving. Example: driving at 80km or 60km in fast lane on motorway when the left lane is clear, or driving the wrong way up the Dual carriage way or motorway.

I would like to mention that also pensioners should have this renewal test done free of charge if the meet criteria similar to medical card approvals. Low income pensions are free and the rich pay the normal fee.

But before something like this can be done, the delays and backlogs in driving test would have to be a thing of the past. Also the driving test itself needs to be changed, its a load of ballocks!!
Its time to remove from the road dangerous drivers! Go safe Vans are Ballocks the make money for the government.
Saving lives on the roads is done by:
(1)improving driving skills in all conditions, Rain, ice, Snow etc
(2)fixing the Dangerous roads them selves. better signage and markings at dangerous junctions, straightening out the bad bends on back roads etc. But this costs money, Go- Safe Vans make money!:mad:

MadsL

^ Good post, but my god ...





Where are my reading glasses...?

superstoner90

MadsL wrote: »

^ Good post, but my god ...
Where are my reading glasses...?

You should have a "zoom" tab on the bottom right hand side. Unless your still using the pre-historic windows98?

Mr. Presentable

What about huge signage on the other side of overpasses "You are going the wrong direction"?

You only see it if you are on the wrong carriageway.

Buffman

The only real solution is a one way spike strip at each exit, with an override for emergency vehicles.

-Corkie-

superstoner90 wrote: »

You should have a "zoom" tab on the bottom right hand side. Unless your still using the pre-historic windows98?

Sisshhh the baby is asleep he was whispering...

superstoner90

-Corkie- wrote: »

Sisshhh the baby is asleep he was whispering...

Oh sorry corkie :rolleyes: *farts uncontrollably* Oooooo dear.