Dangerous drivers

newmug

There are some unbelievable drivers out there.

I was coming home from Cork a few hours ago, on the M8 and M7. This guy in a big green landcruiser was devouring the road out of it. I could see him coming a mile away. He stayed in the overtaking lane the whole time, coming riiiiight up behind people, bullying them out of his way, blowing the horn, flashing his lights, doing well over the speed limit. I kept meeting him because every few kilometers he'd get held up behind someone and I'd catch up naturally. Did anyone else see this fella?

Another lad in a corsa thought he was on a go-kart track, he was weaving in and out of traffic like there was nothing else on the road. The notion of using mirrors was alien to him, I dont know how he didnt cause an accident cutting out in front of people. When I eventually passed him he had one leg up on the dashboard

How do these people get their licences?

ronaneire

newmug wrote: »

How do these people get their licences?

Same as everyone else

ShaneMc2012

newmug wrote: »

bullying them out of his way, blowing the horn, flashing his lights, doing well over the speed limit

If I ever met an arse hole such as that id stay in the overtaking lane all the way to Cork

JerCotter7

newmug wrote: »

There are some unbelievable drivers out there.

I was coming home from Cork a few hours ago, on the M8 and M7. This guy in a big green landcruiser was devouring the road out of it. I could see him coming a mile away. He stayed in the overtaking lane the whole time, coming riiiiight up behind people, bullying them out of his way, blowing the horn, flashing his lights, doing well over the speed limit. I kept meeting him because every few kilometers he'd get held up behind someone and I'd catch up naturally. Did anyone else see this fella?

Another lad in a corsa thought he was on a go-kart track, he was weaving in and out of traffic like there was nothing else on the road. The notion of using mirrors was alien to him, I dont know how he didnt cause an accident cutting out in front of people. When I eventually passed him he had one leg up on the dashboard

How do these people get their licences?

Flashing the lights to let a slower car know you are behind isn't dangerous driving. If the slower car wasn't overtaking anything then they should just get out of the way without needing to be "bullied".

No comment on the Corsa.

johnos1984

ShaneMc2012 wrote: »

newmug wrote: »

bullying them out of his way, blowing the horn, flashing his lights, doing well over the speed limit

If I ever met an arse hole such as that id stay in the overtaking lane all the way to Cork

Why? What would that achieve other than pissing everyone behind you off

djimi

ShaneMc2012 wrote: »

If I ever met an arse hole such as that id stay in the overtaking lane all the way to Cork

Its worth bearing in mind that you have no idea why he is driving like that. Chances are he is most likely just a dickhead but you dont know that he isnt carrying a critically ill child, wife in labour etc and is genuinely in a panic to get to his destination in a hurry. Best thing to do with a driver like that is just get out of their way; regardless of why they are driving like that its simply the safest way for you to handle the situation.

K4t

newmug wrote: »

He stayed in the overtaking lane the whole time, coming riiiiight up behind people, bullying them out of his way, blowing the horn, flashing his lights, doing well over the speed limit.

The speed limit is somewhat irrelevant in the overtaking lane. What I mean is, if you are driving at 100mph and holding a car up behind you, you should move into the right hand lane when safe to do so. You can then take the car's reg and report them if you like.

There is nothing more infuriating as a driver than being stuck behind a line of 10 or 15 or more cars in the overtaking lane on a motorway doing the 'speed limit'.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

K4t wrote: »

The speed limit is somewhat irrelevant in the overtaking lane. What I mean is, if you are driving at 100mph and holding a car up behind you, you should move into the right hand lane when safe to do so. You can then take the car's reg and report them if you like.

There is nothing more infuriating as a driver than being stuck behind a line of 10 or 15 or more cars in the overtaking lane on a motorway doing the 'speed limit'.

None of this makes sense. Move to the right?? 100mph? Not legally on any Irish road. If stuck behind 10 or 15 cars already doing the speed limit then just accept it. I don't block people on the road but I can't grasp how you can feel aggrieved if they are at the limit and you are clearly speeding. I have been frustrated by lines of cars in the overtaking lane doing below the limit but that's as far as it goes.

djimi

Armando Howling Macrame wrote: »

None of this makes sense. Move to the right?? 100mph? Not legally on any Irish road. If stuck behind 10 or 15 cars already doing the speed limit then just accept it. I don't block people on the road but I can't grasp how you can feel aggrieved if they are at the limit and you are clearly speeding. I have been frustrated by lines of cars in the overtaking lane doing below the limit but that's as far as it goes.

I think he means thats it not your job to police the motorways, and just because you are doing the speed limit doesnt mean you can sit in the overtaking lane and not make way for a faster vehicle that is approaching.

Duiske

ShaneMc2012 wrote: »

If I ever met an arse hole such as that id stay in the overtaking lane all the way to Cork

Best thing to do is just let them on their way. I understand that some of these guys are knobheads and the temptation is there to slow them down or try to annoy them, but at the end of the day, speeding on a Motorway is relatively safe compared to other roads. Making drivers brake, or goading them into undertaking you to get past, is not safe and is just putting yourself at risk.

Feck'em I say. I believe in Karma.

Galwayguy35

Just console yourself OP with the fact that this driver will at some stage be getting €80 fine in the post. Everyone gets caught eventually if they don't keep to the limits. What pisses me off more is guys doing circles of 8 on the road every weekend and nothing seems to be done about it.

cadaliac

ShaneMc2012 wrote: »

If I ever met an arse hole such as that id stay in the overtaking lane all the way to Cork

What a dumb statement.

corktina

Armando Howling Macrame wrote: »

None of this makes sense. Move to the right?? 100mph? Not legally on any Irish road. If stuck behind 10 or 15 cars already doing the speed limit then just accept it. I don't block people on the road but I can't grasp how you can feel aggrieved if they are at the limit and you are clearly speeding. I have been frustrated by lines of cars in the overtaking lane doing below the limit but that's as far as it goes.

he means left , of course.

corktina

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

Just console yourself OP with the fact that this driver will at some stage be getting €80 in the post. Everyone gets caught eventually if they don't keep to the limits. What pisses me off more is guys doing circles of 8 on the road every weekend and nothing seems to be done about it.

eh, a bonus for speeding is it?

He means €80 fine, yes I know....

JerCotter7

Armando Howling Macrame wrote: »

None of this makes sense. Move to the right?? 100mph? Not legally on any Irish road. If stuck behind 10 or 15 cars already doing the speed limit then just accept it. I don't block people on the road but I can't grasp how you can feel aggrieved if they are at the limit and you are clearly speeding. I have been frustrated by lines of cars in the overtaking lane doing below the limit but that's as far as it goes.

Well unless the OP was speeding then the cars in the overtaking lane that the landcruiser was bullying weren't going the speed limit since the OP caught up every time the landcruiser was stuck behind a car.

bubbuz

I drove like that myself once, my baby daughter had been sick for sometime when she started convulsing and was burning up and vomiting and going a pale blue , I called the ambulance and after explaining what was happening the operator told me that if i had a car to get her to the hospital ASAP as every second counted and waiting for an ambulance was not an option, I drove like a mad man flashing and honking anything in my way, we could have lost our daughter if I hadn't. Maybe he had a good reason but if not then best just leave him off and get out of his way anyway, not worth getting caught up in any kinda road rage these days.

MarkR

As above. It can happen, you're not the police. I'd call traffic watch / local cops if I thought they were driving dangerously, but it's not my place to impede their progress. Could cause an accident.

joeperry

i think if it's a real emergency putting your hazards on will help.

CiniO

joeperry wrote: »

i think if it's a real emergency putting your hazards on will help.

Very stupid idea.
No car should have hazards on during driving.

How would you use your indicators then?

joeperry

Indicators over ride the hazards.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

JerCotter7 wrote: »

Well unless the OP was speeding then the cars in the overtaking lane that the landcruiser was bullying weren't going the speed limit since the OP caught up every time the landcruiser was stuck behind a car.

I was not replying to the OP but to the piece from K4t that did not make sense.

Stark

Armando Howling Macrame wrote: »

If stuck behind 10 or 15 cars already doing the speed limit then just accept it. I don't block people on the road but I can't grasp how you can feel aggrieved if they are at the limit and you are clearly speeding. I have been frustrated by lines of cars in the overtaking lane doing below the limit but that's as far as it goes.

It's frustrating when you're the one trying to drive legally and you keep getting trapped in the driving lane by the overtaking trains.

If you're so obsessed with keeping to the legal speed limit, how hard is it to keep to the legal lane as well? The traffic flows far more smoothly and with much less bunching and tailgating when people do that and that's good for road safety.

TrailerBob

Tbh there's as many drivers using motorways incorrectly in a slow manner as a fast one. I'm personally fed up of having to brake on motorways for a fool in the overtaking lane doing 90-100kph with nothing stopping them from being in the left hand lane. Happens constantly leaving the M7 onto the M9 motorway. Then having to sit behind for what seems like eternity till they finally figure out what those reflective yokes stuck to the car are for. I'm by no means an aggressive driver, but I can see where certain levels of impatience come from. No need for horn or flashing mind, unless it's a real emergency as stated.

john reilly

Armando Howling Macrame wrote: »

None of this makes sense. Move to the right?? 100mph? Not legally on any Irish road. If stuck behind 10 or 15 cars already doing the speed limit then just accept it. I don't block people on the road but I can't grasp how you can feel aggrieved if they are at the limit and you are clearly speeding. I have been frustrated by lines of cars in the overtaking lane doing below the limit but that's as far as it goes.

how would you know unless you had got your speedo callibrated

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Stark wrote: »

It's frustrating when you're the one trying to drive legally and you keep getting trapped in the driving lane by the overtaking trains.

If you're so obsessed with keeping to the legal speed limit, how hard is it to keep to the legal lane as well? The traffic flows far more smoothly and with much less bunching and tailgating when people do that and that's good for road safety.

I fully agree with you. Do you think I meant anything otherwise? I said I do not block lanes and was referring to the OP stuck in such a line of cars.

birchtree

I am always amazed at people who are beangered by someone driving faster than them. Leave it to cops. Everyone is driving the size of their pockets - both in relation to fuel cost and probability to get fined. Just make sure you're driving up to the standard, and be example to others. Staying in the overtaking lane just because you want to tell something to the guy behind you does no good to anyone. And this idea of 'bullying' if you're to flash lights to someone who dozed off in the overtaking lane - if you were crawling as a pedestrian blocking whole pathway and someone said 'hello, I'm stuck behind you, would you excuse me and let me through?', would that be bullying too? Or even tailgating - people get so agitated what's behind them. Why don't you worry about whats in front of you, those behind can take care of whats in front of them too!

K4t

Armando Howling Macrame wrote: »

None of this makes sense. Move to the right?

I meant the left hand lane sorry.

TrailerBob wrote: »

No need for horn or flashing mind, unless it's a real emergency as stated.

Why not? Is it really any harm to give a flash to a car in front of you to let them know you are there? I'll admit that I've forgotten to move out of the overtaking lane on occasion with a car behind me. It can happen to anybody. A flash or beep of the horn can act as a reminder to drivers to move into the driving lane when not overtaking and holding up approaching cars. Much in the same way that you would flash a car who forgets to dip coming towards you at night.
As drivers, we should try and hold ourselves and fellow drivers to a higher standard and not simply accept poor driving. How else will we all learn to become better drivers when we have such substandard requirements for gaining a lifelong driving licence in this country?

CiniO

K4t wrote: »

I meant the left hand lane sorry.

Why not? Is it really any harm to give a flash to a car in front of you to let them know you are there? I'll admit that I've forgotten to move out of the overtaking lane on occasion with a car behind me. It can happen to anybody. A flash or beep of the horn can act as a reminder to drivers to move into the driving lane when not overtaking and holding up approaching cars. Much in the same way that you would flash a car who forgets to dip coming towards you at night.

I actually never checks it in any regulations, but when I was doing CPC tests for truck recently, I recall a question about using flash, and correct answer was that only legal reason to flash the lights in Ireland, is to let other road users know about your presence.

If that's the case, flashing to someone driving on overtaking lane, is perfectly legal, while f.e. flashing to let someone know you give way to him on junction isn't.

TrailerBob

K4t wrote: »

Why not? Is it really any harm to give a flash to a car in front of you to let them know you are there?

I suppose i was referring to the clowns who start flashing lights from 50 yards behind you before you might have a chance to pull back over from an overtake. I have done it on occasion when stuck behind somebody oblivious to my presence, but once it provoked a ridiculous reaction of braking in front of me. He moved over pretty quickly as my front grille approached his back window

Mr Simpson

CiniO wrote: »

flashing to let someone know you give way to him on junction isn't.

You should never do this. If you are giving way to someone, slow down or stop to let them out. Do not flash your lights or wave them out, as by doing so, you could be liable if they pulled out and hit something because the road wasn't fully clear. This was told to me by my driving instructor, makes sense when you think about it. Anyway, sorry for going completely off topic.

paddyland

K4t wrote: »

Why not? Is it really any harm to give a flash to a car in front of you to let them know you are there? I'll admit that I've forgotten to move out of the overtaking lane on occasion with a car behind me. It can happen to anybody. A flash or beep of the horn can act as a reminder to drivers to move into the driving lane when not overtaking and holding up approaching cars. Much in the same way that you would flash a car who forgets to dip coming towards you at night.

How can you 'forget' to move out of the overtaking lane?

I know the overtaking lanes are full of slow vehicles who won't move over because they either don't know they should or are just bloody minded and won't. But if you know the score, how can you 'forget?'

That to me is just nonsense. It is a mark that you pay no attention when you are driving.

CiniO

paddyland wrote: »

How can you 'forget' to move out of the overtaking lane?

I know the overtaking lanes are full of slow vehicles who won't move over because they either don't know they should or are just bloody minded and won't. But if you know the score, how can you 'forget?'

That to me is just nonsense. It is a mark that you pay no attention when you are driving.

No one really forgets to move back to driving lane.
But anyone can miss someone coming quick from behind.
F.E If I'm driving on motorway with relatively small traffic, and there are gaps of few hundred metres between cars on driving lane, I'm overtaking them all, but I'm not going to change lanes left and right every 10 seconds, so I keep driving on overtaking lane. When someone comes behind quicker I'll always move back to driving lane into the gap, but even though it doesn't happen often, I might miss someone coming from behind and therefore if someone flashes a lights, it's a great signal for me that I missed someone and I'll move.

paddyland

CiniO wrote: »

No one really forgets to move back to driving lane.
But anyone can miss someone coming quick from behind.
F.E If I'm driving on motorway with relatively small traffic, and there are gaps of few hundred metres between cars on driving lane, I'm overtaking them all, but I'm not going to change lanes left and right every 10 seconds, so I keep driving on overtaking lane. When someone comes behind quicker I'll always move back to driving lane into the gap, but even though it doesn't happen often, I might miss someone coming from behind and therefore if someone flashes a lights, it's a great signal for me that I missed someone and I'll move.

That's different, you're in the overtaking lane for a purpose.

birchtree

To be honest, I've seen it all - everyone drives whatever way they want, or whatever way the feel like. So I stopped being angered, surprised, astonished, bewildered, and many other emotions that I experienced earlier. I just get on with my pace - if I'm in a hurry, I am not nice to other drivers.

But if I'm not in a hurry - I try to drive to the best of standard. And I'm making important point here - road users learn from each other. How many times you heard the phrase 'everyone is doing that'? Well, there should be someone who should show how it should be done. I've seen garda cars hogging middle lane or overtaking lane for miles, changing lanes and turning without indicating, etc. Who else should show the example if not the advanced drivers?

Ok, my second point contradicts the first one, but I guess that's just two sides of me.

2 stroke

There are several reasons that the driver behind might be driving like a dangerous asshole. He could be suicidal, high, drunk, a total prick or he could be driving in a medical emergency. 3 carloads of us were driving from bantry to cork, we were all in contact via handsfree mobile fone, when one such driver came up behind us flashing and blowing like hell. We were driving around the speed limit and determined not to give him room to overtake as he apperaed to be such an asshole. Getting close to cork a garda motorcycle joined us, at first we thought that he was there to stop the rogue driver, instead he waved us aside and escorted the other car away at speed. It didn't appear to be a politicians car so I presume it was somebody that couldn't wait for an ambulance.

haminka

Safe distance seems to be an almost unknown phenomena in Ireland. People seem to think safe means to drive within the hitting distance of someone's backside because they will obviously drive like that forever, no braking, slowing down turning with late indicating or not indicating at all.
On Friday I drove to work behind two cars, the second one tailgating the first one, quite obviously out of lack of knowledge what safedistance is. Suddenly the first car indicated a sudden left turn, braked to slow down and the second car almost rammed his boot with the driver very obviously shaken afterwards.
Oh and the idea that overtaking means you bully someone into driving in the hard shoulder. Ireland must be the only country in the world where cars actually drive in the hard shoulder which in terms of safe driving is very bad as the surface is rarely treated, it's full of potholes, ice or water, spilled oil or fuel or gravel.

wonski

I think the only people that have problems with people going to fast on motorways are the ones who are in wrong lane. It doesn't matter if you are doing 120, 140, or 80km/h. If left lane is clear enough, stay there, and let the others go whatever speed they want. In extreme situations where there is crazy guy on road, call Garda, and let them do their job.
I know some people on our roads are mad, but I am not going to stop them from being so, usually happy to see them going away in front of me.
I even let them pass, sometimes, when it is safe to do so of course...

carbon nanotube

newmug wrote: »

There are some unbelievable drivers out there.

I was coming home from Cork a few hours ago, on the M8 and M7. This guy in a big green landcruiser was devouring the road out of it. I could see him coming a mile away. He stayed in the overtaking lane the whole time, coming riiiiight up behind people, bullying them out of his way, blowing the horn, flashing his lights, doing well over the speed limit. I kept meeting him because every few kilometers he'd get held up behind someone and I'd catch up naturally. Did anyone else see this fella?

Another lad in a corsa thought he was on a go-kart track, he was weaving in and out of traffic like there was nothing else on the road. The notion of using mirrors was alien to him, I dont know how he didnt cause an accident cutting out in front of people. When I eventually passed him he had one leg up on the dashboard

How do these people get their licences?

one leg on dashboard, so cool bro

had he a Burberry hat on?