Roadworks: M7 Ring road

Mc Love

Anyone know what these roadworks were about? There were two spots one just before the Newport roundabout exit and another after the tipperary slip lane (after the bridge) heading to the southside?

From what I can see it looks like they created spots for the speed camera vans, which leads to the question, why are they putting them there if there hasnt been any serious accidents there, and plus i believe they said they were never going to put them on motorways.

The second spot I mentioned is already close to a Garda space before you come to the bridge - hidden behind some bushes. I saw a squad car there recently but prior to that I hadnt seen one for ages parked up.

From http://www.garda.ie/Controller.aspx?Page=5590

Excessive or inappropriate speeding is a major factor in road traffic collisions. Safety cameras will be on the roads all across Ireland where fatal collisions are happening as a result of inappropriate speed.
The following sections of road, as set out on the map, were identified as having a significant proportion of collisions whereby, in the opinion of the investigating Garda, a safe speed was exceeded.

zuroph

Could be changing the layout of the garda spots. Current ones require them to reverse onto them, which isn't ideal on a motorway

Berty

I saw a round sign post on it last night passed the Tipperary flyover heading south. It clearly looks like something is to be parked there. Crazy!!! GTC say you have about 15mins average parked on a motorway before being hit.

Mc Love

zuroph wrote: »

Could be changing the layout of the garda spots. Current ones require them to reverse onto them, which isn't ideal on a motorway

That is true - but they are the same for all along the M7 - anyone see any further works along the road?

Another thing they could be used for is maintenance crews? The one that BB saw said "Authorized vehicles only" and looks quite like the specific camera van spots that have been made.

mossym

Mc Love wrote: »

From what I can see it looks like they created spots for the speed camera vans, which leads to the question, why are they putting them there if there hasnt been any serious accidents there,

you're right they said that, but it's a total lie, there is one regularily across the road from my parents house in killaloe, and there hasn't been a serious accident there in the 30 years i remember. it does happen to be looking right onto a bend in a very long 60km/h zone, on the main commuter road into limerick, so high volume traffic at peak hours, when it is usually there. Kachingg....money flows

other one is at mchales old yard on the birdhill to ballina road, again no accidents i can remember, but again on a very busy commuter road where it is hidden between two hills.

bit about accident zones is a load of *&^*^%, they're putting them in high return areas

Mc Love

Went to Cork the other day and saw a few more sites like the ones that are new to the ring road, and according to the OH there has been a few more installed along the motorway...fgs!!

JD Dublin

I spotted many little hard stand type of laybys on the side of the motorway ( M7 ) between Dublin and Limerick. They all looked like newly-laid tarmac. Obviously they are planning now to use the speed camera vans on the hard stands, on the mororways. To be fair, most people don't go over the speed limit on the motorway that I can see. The motorways are dead safe relative to the vast majority of roads throughout Ireland.

It's got to be a money-making scheme, if they put speed cameras on the motorway, cause in 18 years of driving from Dublin to Limerick I don't think I've seen a major crash. That said I've RARELY travelled without being gunned for speeding by a patrol car. Again on the other hand I tend to travel on weekend evenings when speeding is most likely.

Mc Love

Speeding is an epidemic on Irish Motorways so maybe its a good thing?! Literally when I am doing 130 on the motorways, some cars that would be passing me, must be doing 150+

phog

JD Dublin wrote: »

To be fair, most people don't go over the speed limit on the motorway that I can see. The motorways are dead safe relative to the vast majority of roads throughout Ireland.

I follow AA Roadwatch on twitter and hardly two days pass without a tweet of an accident on the M7, in most cases one lane will be closed and in some cases the road in one direction will be closed.

As for speeding itself on the motorway, I usually set my cruise control to 120 and I'm always overtaken, not just an overtaking manouver either, it's belting down the right lane and drving in the back windows of any car out there until there pressure them ot slip back into the the left lane.

What speed are these guys doing and more importantly what damage will they casue if they crash?

Berty

My problem would be, other than shooting fish in a barrell, that they are basically saying there is one rule for them and another rule for everybody else.

A Forensic Crash Investigator(Garda) told me recently that you have 15 minutes of being on the hard shoulder before you should be involved in some type of incident so putting a for transit(and they do have a dark blue one) just off the Hard Shoulder in the dark(space is barely big enough for a transit) is not common sense. They are also not reflective even if they claim to be. Cheapest crappiest reflective material they could find(on purpose I'm sure)

As the Go Safe operate as "Authorised Vehicles" by the Gardai they can do what they want as long as they can say "He said it was ok"(superintendant).

That location on the Limerick bypass will catch loads but it is also a long stretch and I'm always wary of ANYTHING parked in a hard shoulder I expect others are the same.

I also have cruise control so no problems for me.

I drive the M7 - Galway about 4 times return a week and I can tell you that people do speed and not just a few clicks over the limit either. The only time I normally speed is if the car in front is doing 119km/h and I am doing 120km/h. It would take forever to overtake so I foot it up to 130km/h or so and then back down.

Anyway the Go Safe boyos allow you to do up to 108km/h in a 100km/h zone before getting ticketed so maybe the Motorway ones will allow you to do 130km/h before you get flashed.

langdang

One of these camera parking spots has just appeared right near the flyover between where the motorway ends and the roundabout into Adare.

source

What people are forgetting is that AGS have their own camera vans, that are used on motorways. The gosafe vans are not allowed to operate on motorways at the moment, but the Garda ones are.

And in relation to AGS in this case yes there is one rule for AGS and another for everyone else.

Section 27 Road Traffic Act 2004

Irish Statute Book wrote:

27.—Requirements under the Road Traffic Acts 1961 to 2004 relating to vehicles and requirements, restrictions and prohibitions relating to the driving and use of vehicles, other than those provided under sections 49 and 50 (inserted by sections 10 and 11, respectively, of the Act of 1994), 51A and 52 (inserted by sections 49 and 50, respectively, of the Act of 1968) and 53 of the Principal Act and sections 12, 13, 14 and 15 of the Act of 1994, do not apply to a driver of a fire brigade vehicle, an ambulance or the use by a member of the Garda Síochána of a vehicle in the performance of the duties of that member or a person driving or using a vehicle under the direction of a member of the Garda Síochána, where such use does not endanger the safety of road users.

Basically Gardai are exempt from all Road Traffic legislation except, dangerous driving and drunk driving.

Delphi91

source wrote: »

...Basically Gardai are exempt from all Road Traffic legislation except, dangerous driving and drunk driving.

Hence the reason why it's not uncommon to see Gardai driving around in squad cars on their mobile phones :mad::mad:

source

Delphi91 wrote: »

Hence the reason why it's not uncommon to see Gardai driving around in squad cars on their mobile phones :mad::mad:

Actually that's covered under different legislation:

Section 3 Road Traffic Act 2006, relevant subsection bolded.

Irish Statute Book wrote:

3.— (1) A person shall not while driving a mechanically propelled vehicle in a public place hold a mobile phone.

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a member of the Garda Síochána, an ambulance service or a fire brigade of a fire authority (within the meaning of the Fire Services Act 1981 ) who is acting in the course of his or her duties and holding a mobile phone in relation to the performance of his or her duties.

(3) A person who contravenes subsection (1) is guilty of an offence.

(4) The Minister may, to avoid the impairment or interference with the driving capacity or capabilities of the driver of a mechanically propelled vehicle, make regulations in relation to the restriction or prohibition in mechanically propelled vehicles in public places of the use of—

(a) a mobile phone (other than in the circumstances referred to in subsection (1)),

(b) an in-vehicle communication device,

(c) information equipment, or

(d) entertainment equipment.

(5) Different regulations may be made under subsection (4) for different classes of cases coming within the same class of equipment or for different classes of vehicles in relation to such equipment or different classes of persons.

(6) A person who contravenes or fails to comply with regulations made under subsection (4) is guilty of an offence.

(7) It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under subsection (3), in relation to holding a mobile phone while driving a mechanically propelled vehicle, or under subsection (6), in relation to the use of a mobile phone or an in-vehicle communication device, to show that he or she was—

(a) using it to call the Garda Síochána, an ambulance, fire or other emergency service on numbers prescribed for such service, or

(b) involved in or acting in response to a genuine emergency.

(8) A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding €2,000.

(9) In this section—

“ hands-free device ” means a device designed so that when used in conjunction with a mobile phone there is no need for the user to hold the phone by hand;

“ hold ”, in relation to a mobile phone, means holding the phone by hand or supporting or cradling it with another part of the body;

“ interactive communication function ” includes—

(a) sending or receiving oral or written messages,

(b) sending or receiving facsimile documents,

(c) sending or receiving still or moving images, or

(d) providing access to the internet;

“ in-vehicle communication device ” means a communication device designed or adapted to be attached to or integrated into a mechanically propelled vehicle or which may be used in or on such a vehicle and with which a person is capable of making or receiving a call or performing an interactive communication function and includes a two-way radio;

“ mobile phone ” means a portable communication device, other than a two-way radio, with which a person is capable of making or receiving a call or performing an interactive communication function, but for the purposes of subsection (1) does not include a hands-free device;

“ portable ” in relation to a mobile phone, means the phone is designed or adapted to be carried by a person;

“ two-way radio ” means an apparatus for wireless telegraphy which is designed or adapted for the purpose of transmitting or receiving spoken words or messages between a person and another, using a frequency other than a frequency used by a mobile phone.

Berty

Let's not turn it into a Garda bashing thread.

Anyway, there is a similar law in place for us regular plebs. You can drive whilst talking on the phone so long as you are speaking to the Emergency operator(112) or the Garda Station reporting a crime/disturbance/dangerous driving etc etc

Garda Vans will park anywhere they like and normally like the confines of the D/C out the N18. Spot them a mile off. Any van with tinted rear windows is suspect to me. Even that red van by Ardrahan in Galway which by now I know he lives in the house but it still gives me a dart to check the speedo even though I'm on cruise. :rolleyes:

bazz26

Good to see imo. I drive a stretch of that road everyday, the amount of muppetry on it is unreal. If someone was doing 200kph on that road you would still be guaranteed that at least one other car would be up their arse trying to get past.

leakyboots

langdang wrote: »

One of these camera parking spots has just appeared right near the flyover between where the motorway ends and the roundabout into Adare.

No harm - plenty of accidents at that spot, not to mention how the traffic backs up at peak times, sometimes back to the motorway itself

Mc Love

langdang wrote: »

One of these camera parking spots has just appeared right near the flyover between where the motorway ends and the roundabout into Adare.

Have seen them park up there before to be honest. They will catch loads of people coming off the motorway that havent slowed down to 100kmh yet

JD Dublin

Mc Love wrote: »

Speeding is an epidemic on Irish Motorways so maybe its a good thing?! Literally when I am doing 130 on the motorways, some cars that would be passing me, must be doing 150+

You must be driving in a paralell universe then. On Friday evenings and Sunday evenings everyone drives at 120 on the button. So much so that I can pass out the same car a few times, and they me. This is because there is always a Guard clocking at some point between Limerick and Dublin, and rightly so.

JD Dublin

phog wrote: »

I follow AA Roadwatch on twitter and hardly two days pass without a tweet of an accident on the M7, in most cases one lane will be closed and in some cases the road in one direction will be closed.

As for speeding itself on the motorway, I usually set my cruise control to 120 and I'm always overtaken, not just an overtaking manouver either, it's belting down the right lane and drving in the back windows of any car out there until there pressure them ot slip back into the the left lane.

What speed are these guys doing and more importantly what damage will they casue if they crash?

Sorry I dont use Twitter so your probably right, I just never came across one. My point is that motorways are safe roads to use ( as opposed to roads where you pass within feet of oncoming traffic).

However I take issue with your point that people are speeding. Not in my experience - maybe the Guards are out in force on Fridays and Sundays.

source

JD Dublin wrote: »

phog wrote: »

I follow AA Roadwatch on twitter and hardly two days pass without a tweet of an accident on the M7, in most cases one lane will be closed and in some cases the road in one direction will be closed.

As for speeding itself on the motorway, I usually set my cruise control to 120 and I'm always overtaken, not just an overtaking manouver either, it's belting down the right lane and drving in the back windows of any car out there until there pressure them ot slip back into the the left lane.

What speed are these guys doing and more importantly what damage will they casue if they crash?

Sorry I dont use Twitter so your probably right, I just never came across one. My point is that motorways are safe roads to use ( as opposed to roads where you pass within feet of oncoming traffic).

However I take issue with your point that people are speeding. Not in my experience - maybe the Guards are out in force on Fridays and Sundays.

The motorways are full of idiots speeding along. I usually cruise along between 120 and 130 depending on traffic conditions and there's always people passing me as if I was standing still.

The reality is that people go way over the limit and treat the motorways as their own private race track. I travel between j27 m7 and j2 of n18 twice a day and every time I'm on that road I meet idiots going 160+ and I meet idiots who haven't a clue how to drive on a motorway.

Mc Love

JD Dublin wrote: »

You must be driving in a paralell universe then. On Friday evenings and Sunday evenings everyone drives at 120 on the button. So much so that I can pass out the same car a few times, and they me. This is because there is always a Guard clocking at some point between Limerick and Dublin, and rightly so.

You must be one of the people I pass out because whenever I have driven - multiple people pass me out all going way way over the limit

phog

JD Dublin wrote: »

Sorry I dont use Twitter so your probably right, I just never came across one. My point is that motorways are safe roads to use ( as opposed to roads where you pass within feet of oncoming traffic).

Motorways are safe to a point but when things go wrong they can go horribly wrong, there are usually more vehicles on motorways and higher speed involved.

However I take issue with your point that people are speeding. Not in my experience - maybe the Guards are out in force on Fridays and Sundays

Take issue all you but there hasn't been a day that I drive on a decent stretch of motorway that I haven't been passed by a vehilce that's clearly speeding.

nathan184

On the topic of the roadworks, anyone else get inconvenienced by the new layout at J29 this morning?

Coming from B&Q trying to get on the motorway towards Cork and no signs whatsoever to direct people like me. When I turned around and came back from the Tipperary side afterwards I saw people just driving through a gap in the cones to get on.

Sorry just had to moan about that a bit. I know it will be great when they are done but I wish they'd signpost their daily changes to the cone layout a bit better.

JD Dublin

Mc Love wrote: »

You must be one of the people I pass out because whenever I have driven - multiple people pass me out all going way way over the limit

We'll agree to differ then. I'm not saying that people don't pass me out, just that it's like a slow bicycle race most of the way to Dublin. You drive at 120 for a few miles, then at 130 for a few miles etc. I see very few ripping up the road on the motorway - but like I said lets agree to differ.

JD Dublin

phog wrote: »

Motorways are safe to a point but when things go wrong they can go horribly wrong, there are usually more vehicles on motorways and higher speed involved.



Take issue all you but there hasn't been a day that I drive on a decent stretch of motorway that I haven't been passed by a vehilce that's clearly speeding.

I have the same experience. Not saying that people don't speed, but I am saying that the vast majority of people take the speed limit as the target and go no further. For every idiot doing 140, there's ten people doing 118 to 125 in a 120 zone.

source

saw the sign at this point this morning, it simply reads "Authorised vehicles only". Chances are these spaces are for works vehicles. Not camera vans as is being claimed here.

Berty

source wrote: »

saw the sign at this point this morning, it simply reads "Authorised vehicles only". Chances are these spaces are for works vehicles. Not camera vans as is being claimed here.

Yes but road workers vehicles are allowed to stop on the motorway and so are Gardai. The only people not allowed to stop is everybody else along with Go Safe Cameras but they operate as "Authorised" by the Gardai so chancers are its for them.

langdang

There's one after appearing on the on the N20 now, 52.5701,-8.719929 ish on google maps. just slightly into that dip in the road between turn-off for Crecora and the first long straight stretch.

flutered

on a some what similar vein, on the limerick to fermoy road between hospital and garryspillane an unmarked blue mondeo, the driver seems to be pulling every truck that is traveling either way, this morning he was parked outside the ex pub in knocklong as a truck passed, from the inside of the car he put up his hand for the truck to stop, it did not, away he took off with the siren on, now how the hell can a driver of any vehicle see the driver of any car, putting up his hand inside the car, requesting them to stop, especially as this was parked well back and was not the only vehicle parked there.

Berty

Those areas are not for speed cameras. There is now a concrete walkway behind each crash barrier to the electrical box which controls something or other so it looks like a safe place to pull over a service vehicle instead of a speed camera van.

Mc Love

Maybe a place for the electric cars to "re-fuel". The one near the new "Mackey roundabout" has a green covering, almost looks like synthetic grass

Berty

Mc Love wrote: »

Maybe a place for the electric cars to "re-fuel". The one near the new "Mackey roundabout" has a green covering, almost looks like synthetic grass

Doubt it. The one near Bawnmore is nearby the overhead gantry alerting people about the tunnel.

the drifter

Beer Baron wrote: »

Those areas are not for speed cameras. There is now a concrete walkway behind each crash barrier to the electrical box which controls something or other so it looks like a safe place to pull over a service vehicle instead of a speed camera van.

I'm actually thinking ( well a friend put the idea into my head) that these are access points to the NRA ducting for fiber and the places are for splicers and the likes to pull in, although there would want to be a fair amount of coil there to pull a cable into a van from the end of those walkways.

JD Dublin

Mc Love wrote: »

Maybe a place for the electric cars to "re-fuel". The one near the new "Mackey roundabout" has a green covering, almost looks like synthetic grass

I think this is what it is - emergency power points for electric cars.

Poxyshamrock

Beer Baron wrote: »

Doubt it. The one near Bawnmore is nearby the overhead gantry alerting people about the tunnel.

Maybe it's because they can source the power from whatever the gantry gets its power from.

Berty

JD Dublin wrote: »

Mc Love wrote: »

Maybe a place for the electric cars to "re-fuel". The one near the new "Mackey roundabout" has a green covering, almost looks like synthetic grass

I think this is what it is - emergency power points for electric cars.

As its illegal to stop on a motorway I would doubt this. A friend, a Garda Forensic Crash Investigator would likely eat his hat if that ever happened. Claims you have on average 15mins on a motorway before being hit by something.

Having a family stopping and wandering around a hard shoulder is not helpful to road safety.

source

Beer Baron wrote: »

JD Dublin wrote: »

Mc Love wrote: »

Maybe a place for the electric cars to "re-fuel". The one near the new "Mackey roundabout" has a green covering, almost looks like synthetic grass

I think this is what it is - emergency power points for electric cars.

As its illegal to stop on a motorway I would doubt this. A friend, a Garda Forensic Crash Investigator would likely eat his hat if that ever happened. Claims you have on average 15mins on a motorway before being hit by something.

Having a family stopping and wandering around a hard shoulder is not helpful to road safety.

Also the sign would read 'electric car charge point' instead of 'authorised vehicles only'.