Garda lane correcting on m50 today....funny imo

pippip

Plenty of threads on incorrect lane driving, bad driving in this country and the mess the m50 is so no need for this to develop in that direction. Just observed the following which, with boards motors forum in the back of mind, I found hilarious.

Driving on the m50 northbound today. Busy enough from tallaght to Lucan. Could see a Garda bike ahead causing everybody to behave themselves

Anyway past Lucan it really thinned out and the remaining few vehicles did the usual and drove along in the middle lane. The Garda then proceeded to get the attention of each driver and one by one moved them into the left lane. Problem was each vehicle taught they were being told to pull in and each dropped their speed to about 40 or 50 kph before realising the Garda had gone on their way.

A few of them even went back into the middle lane obviously not having a clue what was happening.

Meanwhile I'm busy trying to overtake the middle lane drivers, in the outside lane, while getting back to the left lane only to have to dodge these drivers dropping speed suddenly. All while roughly staying in the speed limit with the Garda working away.

Fair play to the garda for trying to enforce the rules but it really was comical.

Ded_Zebra

Glad to hear that the gardai are at least trying to correct the problem...

Maybe soon people will start to catch on :rolleyes:

wandererz

They should be using the electronic signage (when not in use) to educate these errant drivers.

Reminds me of the "How to use a roundabout" type video from the RSA. Perhaps they should do up some vids on correct lane usage.

But hey, i guess most people will ignore them anyway. Just like the roundabout ones.

However, if it gets through to just a few people...

Bearcat

Tons of speed checks around Dublin today...hanging out at the usual fish in a barrel catch all sites.......if it was piddling rain they wouldn't be seen for dust.

I came in from the road from trim to batterstown today en route to Dub.....nearly taken out of it by some cock in a evo with intercoolers to sell.....desperate and constant dangerous driving on that road....and Gardai around that area ? Not a chance.....the cosyness of a radar gun sitting in the back of a station wagen beside the old Phoenix park race course is all too appealing.;)

Pottler

I am a CLOD. Sorry, but the lefts too slow, the rights too fast for my van, so center it is. Ducks and runs.

reverselogic

Pottler wrote: »

I am a CLOD. Sorry, but the lefts too slow, the rights too fast for my van, so center it is. Ducks and runs.

If the left is moving slowly, then the middle lane is the correct lane to use... The real problem is that some people seem to think that it's ok to drive at 70 kph in the middle lane when the left lane is clear... Ireland must be the only country in the world where you can see this kind of **** every day.

In my opinion, incorrect lane usage should be a penalty point offence..

wandererz wrote:

Reminds me of the "How to use a roundabout" type video from the RSA. Perhaps they should do up some vids on correct lane usage.

But hey, i guess most people will ignore them anyway. Just like the roundabout ones.

So far as I know, there's already one on motorways, which is pretty clear. It says something to the effect of "For normal driving, you should use the left lane".. Maybe it's confusing because there are only two lanes in the video

fasttalkerchat

They should set different speeds for each lane.
Left lane=100km/h or less
Middle lane=Exactly 110km/h
Right lane=Exactly 120 km/h

There's no way they can enforce existing rules at this stage.

Quazzie

reverselogic wrote: »

So far as I know, there's already one on motorways, which is pretty clear. It says something to the effect of "For normal driving, you should use the left lane".. Maybe it's confusing because there are only two lanes in the video

Three are the lanes in the video, and its crystal clear. The problem on the M50, is there are junctions that often that the left lane ifs nearly unusable as driving lane as its nearly constantly a merging lane.

kneemos

Just use the right lane for overtaking, what's the probkem.

Guy:Incognito

Quazzie wrote: »

reverselogic wrote: »

So far as I know, there's already one on motorways, which is pretty clear. It says something to the effect of "For normal driving, you should use the left lane".. Maybe it's confusing because there are only two lanes in the video

Three are the lanes in the video, and its crystal clear. The problem on the M50, is there are junctions that often that the left lane ifs nearly unusable as driving lane as its nearly constantly a merging lane.

I have no problem staying in the left lane. Leave a proper gap and traffic merges as its supposed to. If people used the slip road properly instead of all trying to cram in to the right hand slip lane that ends it would work fine

osheen

I drive the M50 every day from the M4 to M1 and usually find the left lane the handiest . Set the cc at 85kph and no need to change lanes .

Marcusm

reverselogic wrote: »

In my opinion, incorrect lane usage should be a penalty point offence..

FFS, it is already a penalty point offence, failure to use the left lane for driving. Same offence if you don't use a bus lane when it's available. What's needed is enforcement, use the cameras to issue penalty notices for it.

mfceiling

Snipers should be set up on each bridge.

Every day I see people bombing up the 3rd lane and then at the last minute cutting straight across the lanes to make the slip road...WTF

If I'm driving in France or Italy on a motorway and I'm not sure of my turn off I stay on the inside lane so my exit doesn't come up quickly and I don't miss it....why can't these pr/cks do the same on the m50?

Seweryn

pippip wrote: »

Fair play to the garda for trying to enforce the rules but it really was comical.

Grand job, but the drivers behavior clearly show that they have no clue ("What on Earth did I do wrong...?").

The Garda Officer should have a loud megaphone with recorded phrase ("...***...!!!") and play that at each middle lane hogger.

Anan1

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

They should set different speeds for each lane.
Left lane=100km/h or less
Middle lane=Exactly 110km/h
Right lane=Exactly 120 km/h

There's no way they can enforce existing rules at this stage.

?? So you want a single car doing 111km/h to block a motorway?

ted1

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

They should set different speeds for each lane.
Left lane=100km/h or less
Middle lane=Exactly 110km/h
Right lane=Exactly 120 km/h

There's no way they can enforce existing rules at this stage.

The limit us 100kmh

CR 7

mfceiling wrote: »

Snipers should be set up on each bridge.

Every day I see people bombing up the 3rd lane and then at the last minute cutting straight across the lanes to make the slip road...WTF

If I'm driving in France or Italy on a motorway and I'm not sure of my turn off I stay on the inside lane so my exit doesn't come up quickly and I don't miss it....why can't these pr/cks do the same on the m50?

I really can't understand how people do this. I was giving my friend directions on some motorway before, and the entire trip went like this:

1. Me: Get into the left lane, we'll be taking the next exit.
2. Him: Can I overtake this car?
3. Me: Yes, as long as you go back into the left lane for the next exit.
4. --He overtakes the car, and stays in the right lane, missing the exit---
5. Repeat steps 1 to 4 for each exit.

After a while, I just gave up and let him figure it out himself.:pac:

UDP

I trend to use the middle lane on the m50 unless the traffic is very light. I do drive 100kph and use the 3rd lane to overtake slower traffic in the 2nd lane. There are too many exits on the m50 and slow drivers on the first lane that it is safer for me to drive on the second lane.

Anan1

UDP wrote: »

I trend to use the middle lane on the m50 unless the traffic is very light. I do drive 100kph and use the 3rd lane to overtake slower traffic in the 2nd lane. There are too many exits on the m50 and slow drivers on the first lane that it is safer for me to drive on the second lane.

This is nonsense. The left lane of the M50 is relatively free, because all the clowns drive in the middle lane.

loobylou

reverselogic wrote: »

In my opinion, incorrect lane usage should be a penalty point offence..

It already is.

fasttalkerchat

ted1 wrote: »

The limit us 100kmh

120 on Motorways.

fasttalkerchat

Anan1 wrote: »

?? So you want a single car doing 111km/h to block a motorway?

A single car doing 111 in the right lane is already blocking the motorway since you cant legally overtake them in the middle lane. This way its fine to undertake a slower car as long as you don't brake the limit for that lane.
The car doing 111 would also be braking the law.

Guy:Incognito

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

120 on Motorways.

Not on the M50.

ScouseMouse

pippip wrote: »

Plenty of threads on incorrect lane driving, bad driving in this country and the mess the m50 is so no need for this to develop in that direction. Just observed the following which, with boards motors forum in the back of mind, I found hilarious.

Driving on the m50 northbound today. Busy enough from tallaght to Lucan. Could see a Garda bike ahead causing everybody to behave themselves

Anyway past Lucan it really thinned out and the remaining few vehicles did the usual and drove along in the middle name. The Garda then proceeded to get the attention of each driver and one by one moved them into the left lane. Problem was each vehicle taught they were being told to pull in and each dropped their speed to about 40 or 50 kph before realising the Garda had gone on their way.

A few of them even went back into the middle lane obviously not having a clue what was happening.

Meanwhile I'm busy trying to overtake the middle lane drivers, in the outside lane, while getting back to the left lane only to have to dodge these drivers dropping speed suddenly. All while roughly staying in the speed limit with the Garda working away.

Fair play to the garda for trying to enforce the rules but it really was comical.

I know I am gonna get bollicked here but its gotta be said.

This is not what I call enforcing the rules.

ENFORCING the rules is not about pulling up next to someone and pointing at the correct lane. Thats REMINDING of the rules. ENFORCING the rules is pulling them over and lashing them out of it, maybe even a point or two. Do you really think this is going to make any difference? They will only do the same again tomorrow. A good kicking is what they need - they won't do it again !

Now, some icecream to cool me down. Ta very much !

fasttalkerchat

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Not on the M50.

Given that I didn't actually know that and had to look it up I'll take back my suggestion...

Marcusm

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Not on most of the M50.

FYP

reverselogic

loobylou wrote: »

It already is.

I had a cursory read of the following penalty point offences list and I can't see which offence you could be referring to. Which one is it?

http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Licensed%20Drivers/Penalty%20Points%20Chart1.pdf

OldmanMondeo

wandererz wrote: »

Reminds me of the "How to use a roundabout" type video from the RSA. Perhaps they should do up some vids on correct lane usage.

There is, I just can't find a you tube link ;(

meathstevie

Failure to drive on the lefthand side of the road...rather self explanatory.

And if done persistently to such an extent that it causes legaly faster moving vehicles to have to slow down on a two lane road and overtake on a three lane road it should be careless driving.

Oranage2

I drive a lot in the middle lane only because the left lane is actually too dangerous.

You have people flying down the slip roads onto the M50, you have people pulling inches in front of you to turn off, also the left lane is relativity free and I dont undertake because side swiping is inevitable since most divers tend to maneuver then mirrors or check mirrors but dont actually look left.

ScouseMouse

Oranage2 wrote: »

I drive a lot in the middle lane only because the left lane is actually too dangerous.

You have people flying down the slip roads onto the M50, you have people pulling inches in front of you to turn off, also the left lane is relativity free and I dont undertake because side swiping is inevitable since most divers tend to maneuver then mirrors or check mirrors but dont actually look left.

So you are actually a candidate for stopping and maybe even points.

If you dont want to obey the rules of the road, why have you a licence?

sandin

20+ years ago at 3am on M6 (UK) after coming from Holyhead and with virtually no traffic on the road, i was stopped for driving in middle lane.

Fined £30 - never did it again.

But can we teach drivers how to use roundabouts first and teach them that an INDICATOR, indicates to the cars behind what you are going to do on the roundabout - NOT that you are going onto the roundabout.

Then once we get that simple manouver done, we can get onto lane discipline.

Oranage2

superscouse wrote: »

So you are actually a candidate for stopping and maybe even points.

If you dont want to obey the rules of the road, why have you a licence?

I drive regularly on motorways and I've seen many cops and never once has anything been said.

And I have a licence because I managed to drive properly for 35 minutes on a specific day.

Guy:Incognito

Oranage2 wrote: »

I drive regularly on motorways and I've seen many cops and never once has anything been said.

As a matter of interest, do you ignore all the rules that are not actively enforced or if theres no one there to catch you?

Oranage2

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

As a matter of interest, do you ignore all the rules that are not actively enforced or if theres no one there to catch you?

Do you?

ScouseMouse

Yes, I understand that. The whole system is flawed. You can pass your test without even going onto a motorway, with no restrictions whatsoever.

Then you have the guards who dont enforce the law and people just do whatever they want....

If they started pulling a few people, and let it be known, then it wouldn't be long before attitudes changed. Question is, can we get the guards to do it - or is this suggestion blasphemy in the motoring forum:D

Oranage2

superscouse wrote: »

Yes, I understand that. The whole system is flawed. You can pass your test without even going onto a motorway, with no restrictions whatsoever.

Then you have the guards who dont enforce the law and people just do whatever they want....

If they started pulling a few people, and let it be known, then it wouldn't be long before attitudes changed. Question is, can we get the guards to do it - or is this suggestion blasphemy in the motoring forum:D

Is it a big deal though? I can only think of the M50 that has three lanes and it's usually busy. I'd rather Gards stopping Audi/boy racer type drivers driving 180+ down the motor ways. Driving in the middle lane will not cause an accident.

Guy:Incognito

Oranage2 wrote: »

Do you?

No.

I believe I'm quite good at self policing.

If everyone did things properly , things would work properly, problem is theres too many people with the attitude that as long as they get what they want, the knock on effect to others is irrelevant.

Guy:Incognito

superscouse wrote: »

Yes, I understand that. The whole system is flawed. You can pass your test without even going onto a motorway, with no restrictions whatsoever.

We all (that got our licences in this country) went through the same system but some of us manage to do things properly. If every stopped learning at the point where the government wasnt forcing us we wouldnt know a huge amount. I cant understand people that dont want to educate themselves.

Even if you dont know your doing something wrong, if you see a lot of people doing something differenlty, make an effort to find out why . Theres a chance you might have been doing it wrongly this whole time.

ScouseMouse

Oranage2 wrote: »

Driving in the middle lane will not cause an accident.

Sorry, but I have to disagree with that. I dont know how many times I have seen people causing a rolling roadblock, with a knockon effect, of cars bunching up and struggling to get around them.

I see it every day.

genfoley

That numpty did the same to us 2 weeks ago and If I had his number I'd have reported him. he was behind us for ages in the fast lane and we couldnt get it the middle lane was that busy and we didnt want to break the speed limit either (bearing in mind he had no siren going or lights flashing) - then when we did get in he came up beside us pointing at the side view mirror and then left - how the F**k were we supposed to get in before that when there was no room - sidewind somebody ? eh no.........numpty :mad:

Guy:Incognito

Oranage2 wrote: »

Is it a big deal though? I can only think of the M50 that has three lanes and it's usually busy. I'd rather Gards stopping Audi/boy racer type drivers driving 180+ down the motor ways..

Theres no shortage of people sitting in the outside lane on 2 lanes motorways too. And yes, it is a big deal. The M50 is effectivly a 2 lane road again and the whole thing moves about 30km/h slower than it should. Cars are braking all over the place to make any sort of manouever. Outside of an emergncy situation there should be no need to brake on a motorway.

Oranage2 wrote: »

Driving in the middle lane will not cause an accident.

The people in the middle lane are forcing hundreds or thousands of extra unnecessary lane changes for all the traffic around them. If I'm in the left lane doing 100, as I regularly am, and come across some idiot sitting in the middle lane at 100 or less (as I do every time I'm on the M50 even though most of my trips are only between Tallaght and Clondalkin) to obey the law and get by I've to move from lane 1 to 2 to 3 then from 3 to 2 to 1. Thats changing lanes 4 times just because someone else isnt driving properly. The more lane movement the more chances there are of collisions.

ScouseMouse

genfoley wrote: »

That numpty did the same to us 2 weeks ago and If I had his number I'd have reported him. he was behind us for ages in the fast lane and we couldnt get it the middle lane was that busy and we didnt want to break the speed limit either (bearing in mind he had no siren going or lights flashing) - then when we did get in he came up beside us pointing at the side view mirror and then left - how the F**k were we supposed to get in before that when there was no room - sidewind somebody ? eh no.........numpty :mad:

Sorry? Maybe I am a bit green, but I never heard of a fast lane. I know the left lane, the middle lane and the overtaking lane. Which one is the fast lane?:rolleyes:

Oranage2

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Theres no shortage of people sitting in the outside lane on 2 lanes motorways too. And yes, it is a big deal. The M50 is effectivly a 2 lane road again and the whole thing moves about 30km/h slower than it should. Cars are braking all over the place to make any sort of manouever. Outside of an emergncy situation there should be no need to brake on a motorway.



The people in the middle lane are forcing hundreds or thousands of extra unnecessary lane changes for all the traffic around them. If I'm in the left lane doing 100, as I regularly am, and come across some idiot sitting in the middle lane at 100 or less (as I do every time I'm on the M50 even though most of my trips are only between Tallaght and Clondalkin) to obey the law and get by I've to move from lane 1 to 2 to 3 then from 3 to 2 to 1. Thats changing lanes 4 times just because someone else isnt driving properly. The more lane movement the more chances there are of collisions.

You do make a good point but if you drive in the middle lane you only have to move to lane 3 then back to lane 2 to overtake which is 2 movements.

If I was to drive in the left lane land I'd be constantly overtaking trucks moving into lane 2 and 3 to overtake, undertaking slower cars in the middle lane, watchiing out for drivers on the slip roads who come down at 160 and not planning on stopping, and people nearly missing their turns and cutting in front of you.

Middle lane driving is just hassle free and less dangerous.

rp

reverselogic wrote: »

Ireland must be the only country in the world where you can see this kind of **** every day.

You think?

Solair

There are a few problems in Ireland with motorway / dual carriage way driving.

1) Until very recently, we hardly had any motorways / dual carriage ways other than a few short by-passes.

2) Motorway driving was never formally taught to anyone! What people know about the rules of motorway driving are largely learnt by osmosis or because they decided to find out for themselves. There are a lot of myths about motorway driving.

If you asked drivers, I doubt that most of them would even know that you shouldn't drive in the middle lane because nobody ever told them that.

The probably thought the Garda was trying to pull them over for speeding. In fact, he's lucky he didn't cause an accident by causing drivers to swerve into the hard-shoulder!

There's not much point in telling people to pull over into the other lane if they didn't know that there's a rule requiring them to do that.

I know on Cork's South Ring, regularly see drivers slowly driving along in lane 2 (on the 2-lane bits) at about 80km/h while a queue of traffic is building up behind them and people are undertaking them.

Also, I think perhaps Irish drivers are too polite about lane blockers. They'd get flashed / beeped at in other countries and would soon get the message. Again, I think this is because nobody actually knows the rules of the road in this regard.

Part of the problem is also that people call them "the slow lane" and "the fast lane" rather than "the driving lane" and "the passing lane".

The only way this can be addressed is through proper public information campaigns.
Short of that, the Gardai would have to pull over about 90% of the country's drivers to educate them on lane discipline!

What I would suggest is this:

Everyone has to do an online driving course on motorway driving / dual carriage way driving.

If you don't do it, you would be unable to tax your car via the online system and would have to pay an extra €20 and turn up in person in the motor tax office.

People without computers could be facilitated in public libraries.

The other alternative is some kind of an add-on to the NCT sort of continuous drivers' ed.

genfoley

superscouse wrote: »

Sorry? Maybe I am a bit green, but I never heard of a fast lane. I know the left lane, the middle lane and the overtaking lane. Which one is the fast lane?:rolleyes:

Google it ....

fasttalkerchat

I don't think enforcement is the answer. Enforcement north and south of the border is broadly similar yet, roundabout behaviour is massively different! At the fiveways roundabout in Newry you can be sure that a southern reg car signalling for the Tandragee road wants to go into Newry Town 90% of the time.

ScouseMouse

genfoley wrote: »

Google it ....

Google.ie and Google.com both come up with youtube movies and imdb info.

Maybe you could google the rules of the road?

Dont bother, did it for you.

fasttalkerchat

superscouse wrote: »

Google.ie and Google.com both come up with youtube movies and imdb info.

Maybe you could google the rules of the road?

Dont bother, did it for you.

Its the overtaking lane... the one that the fastest cars are in.

ScouseMouse

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

Its the overtaking lane... the one that the fastest cars are in.

Not all the time, if I am in the centre lane/lane 2 /middle lane, and there is noone in that lane and I pass a car going slower in the left lane/lane 1, then the fastest car is in the middle lane.

Sorry, this is getting stupid now. People trying to justify bad driving. Going to bow out now before I get accused of trolling.