Is Traffic Watch any good?

johngalway

Hi folks,

I had the unpleasant experience of reporting someone for the first time last Wednesday afternoon. I got tailgated on my way to Galway. He had dipped headlights on (could see them as he was catching up to me first) and I couldn't see them in my rear view mirror he came so close and stayed there.

I had two kids to pick up from school and herself was going into University exams. Started thinking what happens if this jokers front bumper lands in my rear seat?

I initially put on my hazards, and he backed off a little. But, as soon as I turned them off he was up my ass again. What really annoyed me, and prompted the report tbh, was that he had ample opportunity to overtake me on a long straight stretch with broken white line. There was two cars ahead of me and we were traveling 70-90kph depending on what part of the road we were on.

If I was that much of an obstacle to him why the F didn't he go then instead of remaining hanging off my back bumper?

I seriously don't care if he wants to run himself and his car into the ditch at 100k/mph as long as he doesn't involve me or anyone else.

I indicated left and slowed very gently, he had to swerve out into the other lane to get around me :rolleyes: Then I watched as he caught up to the next car and drove an inch from their bumper so I pulled over, found the Traffic Watch number on the phone and reported the prick.

Was told they'd send in a report to the Gardai and when asked if I wanted to leave my details I did, I was that pissed about it.

If you're reading this you'll know who you are and I seriously hope the cops get on to you about it because you're going to put someone in hospital.

Silvera

What an idiot!!
Tailgating a major problem in Ireland (hence my signature;)

Tbh, imho you are better off phoning the nearest garda station (if you know it) as that way they could pull him over if they are in the area (and not at another call) and have a word with him. Traffic Watch is great in theory, but just slows the whole process.

scamalert

Doh the amount of threads about tailgaiting is just a joke,id myself tailgate someone driving 60-70km/h if driving in 100-120 zone,And if looking from different perspective either stop on the side of the road and let him pass or stick from 5th gear straight into 2nd and watch your back mirror as it gonna be priceless,after that go speak with the guy (just dont have any kids in the back.)

bigtimecharlie

scamalert wrote: »

Doh the amount of threads about tailgaiting is just a joke,id myself tailgate someone driving 60-70km/h if driving in 100-120 zone,And if looking from different perspective either stop on the side of the road and let him pass or stick from 5th gear straight into 2nd and watch your back mirror as it gonna be priceless,after that go speak with the guy (just dont have any kids in the back.)

Some-one doing 60/70 if the zone is greater does NOT deserve to be tailgated. End off...

And diving into the hard shoulder should not be the automatic choice for a car travelling with due care and attention, just because you want to drive closer to the speed limit for that section of road.

Remember speed limits are LIMITS not targets.

Jimbob 83

You should always be able to see a strip of road about as thick as your open palm atleast underneath the tyres of the car infront of you.

Also don't be worrying about whats behind you too much as if everyone just worried about the person infront of them there would be no problems really, if he rear ends you it's his fault, if you rear end the person infront of you worrying/getting distracted about him it's your fault

scamalert

bigtimecharlie wrote: »

Some-one doing 60/70 if the zone is greater does NOT deserve to be tailgated. End off...

And diving into the hard shoulder should not be the automatic choice for a car travelling with due care and attention, just because you want to drive closer to the speed limit for that section of road.

Remember speed limits are LIMITS not targets.

If theres hard shoulder and your doing 70-80km/h and one lane you should be rammed of the road in 120km/h zone ,i have happened to stumble into many situations where the day would be sunny and bright and some plank in front of you enjoys his ride with the D$ck in his hand,while there's a Que of 10 cars behind wanting to get back home after the days work,You could forgive some old 70y old driving at that speed as at that age your not able to react or maneuver fast enough,and yet most of them will gladly pull into the hard shoulder when they have a chance.I dont suggest that everyone should be flying on the road on the speed limits during night time on the country roads.

L-M

i reported a very clear drunk driver before, i was ridiculously pissed off at their driving at the time.

That was a Sunday, i got a called on the Wednesday saying they'd found him and wondering if i would stand up against it in court?

Against what? A drunk driver four days later?

Now what i do is ring my Local Garda station and report it, after that i don't care.

Psygnosis

This drives me crazy as well, I've been driving just under 10 years now and its rampant in Ireland.

I'm a bit paranoid about it as 5 year old kid we where in a bad smash up on the old Dublin Belfast road when 6 cars went into the back of my dads car, when a Garda car pulled across him (He had to hit the brakes hard) and the person behind was tailgating and didnt brake. This caused the remaining cars seeing no brakes to all smash into each other. No one was badly hurt just whip lash and that. I dont remember how it happened but the noise of it and impact has always stayed with me 30 years later. It just shows what idiots like this cause the outcome could of been an awfull lot worse.

Driving skills need to be instilled into the younger generation in secondary school. It starts here in my book.

CiniO

Psygnosis wrote: »

This drives me crazy as well, I've been driving just under 10 years now and its rampant in Ireland.

Maybe you haven't driven anywhere else, as Ireland seems to be country with the least number of tailgaters from my observation.

I'm a bit paranoid about it as 5 year old kid we where in a bad smash up on the old Dublin Belfast road when 6 cars went into the back of my dads car, when a Garda car pulled across him (He had to hit the brakes hard) and the person behind was tailgating and didnt brake. This caused the remaining cars seeing no brakes to all smash into each other. No one was badly hurt just whip lash and that. I dont remember how it happened but the noise of it and impact has always stayed with me 30 years later. It just shows what idiots like this cause the outcome could of been an awfull lot worse.

Who is a bigger idiot? Tailgater who hit your dads car, or garda who pulled across your dads car forcing him to brake hard.

Nonoperational

bigtimecharlie wrote: »

Some-one doing 60/70 if the zone is greater does NOT deserve to be tailgated. End off...

And diving into the hard shoulder should not be the automatic choice for a car travelling with due care and attention, just because you want to drive closer to the speed limit for that section of road.

Remember speed limits are LIMITS not targets.

Well to be honest if you are doing 60 in a 100kph zone it's an infuriating disgraceful attempt at driving. If there's a hard shoulder you should absolutely pull in and let people pass. Why someone wouldn't have the skill and/or confidence to drive close to the speed limit if it's safe to do so is beyond me.

dr.fuzzenstein

bigtimecharlie wrote: »

Some-one doing 60/70 if the zone is greater does NOT deserve to be tailgated. End off...

And diving into the hard shoulder should not be the automatic choice for a car travelling with due care and attention, just because you want to drive closer to the speed limit for that section of road.

Remember speed limits are LIMITS not targets.

OK, two things.
The thread is not about impatient drivers tailgating to bully their way past you, the OP states the person behind him had ample opportunity to overtake, but didn't.
Of course being an inch from someone's bumper is wrong, but this seems someone who does it out of habit/stupidity/incompetence rather than malice.
But well done for reporting their ass, OP.
As for the second, bold part:
Can we not do this now? Been done to death, just go back through many threads that have descended into slagging matches because of this phrase.
This is more about what happens when you report someone, who to report it to, is it any use, etc...

L-M

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

OK, two things.
The thread is not about impatient drivers tailgating to bully their way past you, the OP states the person behind him had ample opportunity to overtake, but didn't.
Of course being an inch from someone's bumper is wrong, but this seems someone who does it out of habit/stupidity/incompetence rather than malice.
But well done for reporting their ass, OP.
As for the second, bold part:
Can we not do this now? Been done to death, just go back through many threads that have descended into slagging matches because of this phrase.
This is more about what happens when you report someone, who to report it to, is it any use, etc...

We can most certainly stray away from that endless argument. Any posts in relation to it will be deleted without warning and dealt with appropriately.

whippet

i've called traffic watch once.

I was behind an obviously drunk driver (swerving all over the place about 10pm) heading in to a small town.

they took my details and said they would call the local station.

As it happened I was pulling in to the same car park as the drunk driver and I called Traffic watch a second time to tell them this and that the driver was going in to the chipper.

I then waited and I saw two guards from the local station walk across the road and they waited for the driver to come back and as soon as he turned the engine over they bagged him and escorted him back to the station.

I got a call a few days later to say they made an arrest.

johngalway

scamalert wrote: »

Doh the amount of threads about tailgaiting is just a joke,id myself tailgate someone driving 60-70km/h if driving in 100-120 zone,And if looking from different perspective either stop on the side of the road and let him pass or stick from 5th gear straight into 2nd and watch your back mirror as it gonna be priceless,after that go speak with the guy (just dont have any kids in the back.)

:rolleyes:

You're only out to wind people. You didn't read my post. If you had you would have read that he had ample opportunity to pass me on a long straight stretch and chose to continue tailgaiting me.