Are the Irish bad drivers?

dulpit

I've been noticing a whole heap of poor driving habits all over the place, which leads me to believe that the Irish as a whole are bad drivers. Things I am referring to are:

1. People not indicating - ever
2. People who do not know how to use a roundabout (wrong lanes/wrong indicators/etc)
3. Not using lights in fog/rain/dark
4. Using foglights when no fog (?)
5. Sitting at lights for ages before moving off when lights go green
6. Blocking up junctions/yellow boxes (this happens near my home all the time - grrrrrrr)

This is a random list off the top of my head, but I see people doing these things each and every day. Why is the standard of motoring by a (sizeable) minority so bad? Is it our licensing laws? Enforcement of rules? Something else?

People not indicating - ever
I indicate. Always.

People who do not know how to use a roundabout (wrong lanes/wrong indicators/etc)
I use roundabouts perfectly

Not using lights in fog/rain/dark
I use dipped beams all the time.

Using foglights when no fog (?)
Never do this.

Sitting at lights for ages before moving off when lights go green
Always gone in an instant

Blocking up junctions/yellow boxes (this happens near my home all the time - grrrrrrr)
Never do this

Guess what? I'm Irish

piston

Some are great drivers, some are bad drivers, most are somewhere in the middle.

Probably the same as everywhere else but laws don't seem to be enforced here very much.

Francie Barrett

Has anyone ever done this thread before?

Paddy@CIRL

Yes, there are some bad Irish drivers but nearly as bad as some make out. Personally, I spend more time worrying about my own driving that anyone else's. It makes for a more peaceful and safer journey.

ABajaninCork

I've found all of the above, plus the fact that people (especially females) don't like to give way for some reason....

Motorway driving? Some silly cow tried to kill us last night on the N25. Doing 120kph in the outside lane as I'm overtaking. This bint decides at the last minute to pull into my lane. And NO she didn't even bother to indicate...

When I passed her. She was chatting on the ******* phone! :eek:

Before you all start. I am female (but English for those who don't know! )

dulpit

Deleted User wrote: »

Guess what? I'm Irish

I didn't mean all Irish, but a decent proportion...

On a different note, why don't we have those Red - Red/Yellow - Green lights that they operate in the UK? Would mean that people take off on time...

spank_inferno

I think the Irish drive pretty well for the most part.

The fairer sex.... well thats a different matter.

Ronnie Beck

dulpit wrote: »

I've been noticing a whole heap of poor driving habits all over the place, which leads me to believe that the Irish as a whole are bad drivers. Things I am referring to are:

1. People not indicating - ever
2. People who do not know how to use a roundabout (wrong lanes/wrong indicators/etc)
3. Not using lights in fog/rain/dark
4. Using foglights when no fog (?)
5. Sitting at lights for ages before moving off when lights go green
6. Blocking up junctions/yellow boxes (this happens near my home all the time - grrrrrrr)

This is a random list off the top of my head, but I see people doing these things each and every day. Why is the standard of motoring by a (sizeable) minority so bad? Is it our licensing laws? Enforcement of rules? Something else?

I always thought the irish were bad until I discovered the youtube thread.

NFD100

Yes, fog lights on when no fog; wrong lane on motorway and indicators are for other people...

djimi

On the whole Id say the standard of driving in Ireland is quite poor. Dont know or care how it compares to other countries, but too many drivers over here seem lacking in the basic skills and knowledge of every day motoring. Lane discipline, roundabouts, when/how to use lights, general road etiquette; all things too many drivers in this country do not understand.

Unfortunately we can hardly expect any better when we have a pretty poor driver education system, badly enforced traffic laws and bumbling fools like the RSA confusing matters with silly law changes and half arsed efforts to put out easy to understand notices and adverts which really have no effect whatsoever.

djimi

dulpit wrote: »

On a different note, why don't we have those Red - Red/Yellow - Green lights that they operate in the UK? Would mean that people take off on time...

That and the ability to turn left on a red light at certain junctions would make so much sense and I have no idea why they are not implemented (okay, the latter would probably kill hundreds in the first couple of weeks...)

phoenix0250

Contrary to popular (Irish) belief, Irish drivers are among the best in the world. Now, no one is perfect, but when it comes to mutual respect on the road (including but not limited to letting someone pass at a junction) is simply unmatched.

I have traveled in most countries in the world, Is still in my top 3 safest places to drive.

djimi

Deleted User wrote: »

People who do not know how to use a roundabout (wrong lanes/wrong indicators/etc)
I use roundabouts perfectly

Im sure thats what the moron who nearly crashed into my taking the straight exit of a roundabout in the inside lane tells people as well... :rolleyes:

djimi

djimi wrote: »

Im sure thats what the moron who nearly crashed into my taking the straight exit of a roundabout in the inside lane tells people as well...

Do you use them perfectly?

13spanner

Ronnie Beck wrote: »

I always thought the irish were bad until I discovered the youtube thread.

Worst part is most of those accidents wouldn't have happened if people just checked mirrors :rolleyes:

FridaysWell

60% bad, 30% good 10% terrible!

Always helps to just concentrate on your own driving though.

thegreatiam

bad...maybe/maybe not

inconsiderate...yes

BrokenSpiral

I think boards have a ban on talking about the fog light thing? They used to anyway!!!

Additions to the list:
Sitting in the middle lane on the motorway
Sitting in the overtaking lane (there is no such thing as a fast lane!)
Not moving out from the left lane to allow merging traffic from a slip road
Not getting up to speed on the slip road to be able to merge with motorway traffic
Talking on their phones while driving

And generally being in front of me when I am driving home with a take away! :-)
(Just kidding)

djimi

Deleted User wrote: »

Do you use them perfectly?

Of course :cool:

djimi

djimi wrote: »

Of course :cool:

Exactly

Francie Barrett

Driving in Ireland really isn't that bad.

Where To

Everyone is a terrible driver except me.

walus

Yes - to answer the question. Luckily though people drive slow here.

djimi

Deleted User wrote: »

Exactly

I was being tongue in cheek with you obviously; I have no idea how you drive! But it is alarming the amount of people who, when pulled up on something they are doing wrong, will argue until they are blue in the face that they are right. I was informed by one genius before that all cars are supposed to be driving in the middle lane of the Naas dual carraigeway, and that the left hand lane was only for trucks and other slow moving vehicles, and they werent having any of it when I politely told them that they were wrong...

Anjobe

djimi wrote: »

I was informed by one genius before that all cars are supposed to be driving in the middle lane of the Naas dual carraigeway, and that the left hand lane was only for trucks and other slow moving vehicles, and they werent having any of it when I politely told them that they were wrong...

At least they didn't think it was some sort of express lane for white vans and 3-series BMWs, which a significant number of drivers on the N4 (Palmerstown-Leixlip) seem to!

Bpmull

Go to Kuwait or the Middle East if you want to see bad driving you have locals following one set of rules and then Indians etc who use completely different sets of rules. I don't consider Irish people in general too be bad drivers. You get the odd person who is a bad driver but the vast majourity are safe and competent. I also think the current driving test system is fair and most people who pass there test are very safe Drivers. Although they may lack experience that can only be got with time.

Bebo stunnah

If your thread heading was changed to Are Donegal people bad drivers? then yes. At least 50%+ of all crap drivers I've encountered are from there

A-Trak

I drove 3000 odd miles in the US over the summer. On highways, freeways, urban and dirt roads.

I see more bad habits/poor driving in 100 miles here over a week.

Where To

Bebo stunnah wrote: »

If your thread heading was changed to Are Donegal people bad drivers? then yes. At least 50%+ of all crap drivers I've encountered are from there

Merry Christmas to you too.:mad:

loveisdivine

The main problem for me is people not knowing how to use roundabouts.
On a daily basis, I encounter people putting themselves in the left hand lane even though they are going right at the roundabout.
Or it's people that pull up to a roundabout and then stop, even though they have right of way, and wait until there's no cars around at all to pull off.

It's alright saying concentrate on your own driving, but somebody else's mistake could kill you, so I feel ok about getting a little wound up sometimes.

dgt

I make mistakes, I'm not perfect. I keep them to a minimum

Others deem it appropiate to:

• Drive needlessly slow
• Drive up my arse
• Pull out of a side road when I'm very close
• Stop in the yellow box
• Drive on my side of the road
• Overtake in a dangerous manner
• Keep the same speed, everywhere
• Use HIDs in reflector lamps
• Bully out and go nowhere
• Hog motorway lanes
• Take an hour to park a fúcking micra

UGHHH!!!! :mad::mad::mad:

Cungi

Compared to the rest of the world, we're not that bad. More inconsiderate or lazy i'd say.

Enforcement is the biggest issue. People will learn to drive properly if they are fined for bad driving.

Example. today on the M50 heading northbound at around 13:30
Me in the left driving lane cruising along at 100kph. Everyone else decides to drive in the two overtaking lanes all doin 100kph So basically we have a rolling roadblock.
In the middle of this in OT lane 2. A big Garda van. Seemingly quite content to drive this way.

listenup

dulpit wrote: »

I've been noticing a whole heap of poor driving habits all over the place, which leads me to believe that the Irish as a whole are bad drivers. Things I am referring to are:

1. People not indicating - ever
2. People who do not know how to use a roundabout (wrong lanes/wrong indicators/etc)
3. Not using lights in fog/rain/dark
4. Using foglights when no fog (?)
5. Sitting at lights for ages before moving off when lights go green
6. Blocking up junctions/yellow boxes (this happens near my home all the time - grrrrrrr)

This is a random list off the top of my head, but I see people doing these things each and every day. Why is the standard of motoring by a (sizeable) minority so bad? Is it our licensing laws? Enforcement of rules? Something else?

I'm guessing your from galway
Galway city drivers WORST in Ireland I have to encounter all the examples you name every single day navigating galway city

NFD100

Cungi wrote: »

Compared to the rest of the world, we're not that bad. More inconsiderate or lazy i'd say.

Enforcement is the biggest issue. People will learn to drive properly if they are fined for bad driving.

Example. today on the M50 heading northbound at around 13:30
Me in the left driving lane cruising along at 100kph. Everyone else decides to drive in the two overtaking lanes all doin 100kph So basically we have a rolling roadblock.
In the middle of this in OT lane 2. A big Garda van. Seemingly quite content to drive this way.

I hear Ya +1

Holsten

Most common I see are; driving slow in the overtaking lane, and not speeding up when merging.

Does my head in, yes I think Irish people are bad drivers.

Samba

What irks me is the number of drivers who don't know how to use the motorway correctly, thankfully it's mostly just down to ignorance.

Our learner driver and licensing system needs a bit of an overhaul but look....

I won't rabble on about them, the general standard of driving in Ireland probably isn't as good as our continental counterparts, but I feel ten times safer driving on Irish roads.

I'm currently living in France, they may be technically better drivers, but they're far more aggressive, with their aggression levels you see some veritable acts of lunacy on the roads over here, people risk their lives to gain a meter on the road, tailgating is like a national past time and there's a near equal number of bad drivers over here too.

They may be better drivers, but that doesn't necessarily equate to safer drivers.

whomitconcerns

on a long straight with an 80 limit today car in front doing 50. No traffic coming other way, i indicate, pull out he moves to the right of his lane wheel over the line, country road so I have no longer got room to get past, make a polite beep, he doesnt move to the left (even the centre of his lane would have done!!), flash lights, nope...gave up and had to pull back in behind him....

Very annoying...

joe 77

I don't think that we are necessarily bad drivers as such, I think that people just don't care about other road users anymore, Its a 'I'll do what I like and feck you " attitude. You will experience something similar if you walk down a busy street in any town in Ireland, people will walk into you, push against you and never say excuse me or sorry ! When was the last time someone help a door open for you ?

dr.fuzzenstein

whomitconcerns wrote: »

on a long straight with an 80 limit today car in front doing 50. No traffic coming other way, i indicate, pull out he moves to the right of his lane wheel over the line, country road so I have no longer got room to get past, make a polite beep, he doesnt move to the left (even the centre of his lane would have done!!), flash lights, nope...gave up and had to pull back in behind him....

Very annoying...

Used to meet these fools all the time. In his mind he is a gallant warrior of the road, protecting the world from dangerous lunatics who want to go as fast as 80 km/h, the madness!
I always used to find an inch either side to get past, you will be amazed how capable they suddenly are to keep up with you at any speed, flashing, beeping, swerving, gesturing, etc...
I used to give them a polite 4 way flash as if to acknowledge his flashing lights as a "you're welcome" gesture, drives them really batsh*t crazy.

Yes, I think the Irish are bad drivers, but safe.
Sounds like a contradiction?
The plan is to slow everyone down to a speed where we can have all the accidents we want, but no one gets killed, due to progress in car safety.
So once we all trundle along at 60 km/h, lane discipline, overtaking, traffic lights or following any rules of the road whatsoever won't make a difference. Therefore attrocious and safe.
That is why we have thousand of speed cameras and the Gards can concentratre on their breakfast roll in peace. Because as long as you don't speed, it doesn't matter what you do.

GTE

Deleted User wrote: »

People not indicating - ever
I indicate. Always.

People who do not know how to use a roundabout (wrong lanes/wrong indicators/etc)
I use roundabouts perfectly

Not using lights in fog/rain/dark
I use dipped beams all the time.

Using foglights when no fog (?)
Never do this.

Sitting at lights for ages before moving off when lights go green
Always gone in an instant

Blocking up junctions/yellow boxes (this happens near my home all the time - grrrrrrr)
Never do this

Guess what? I'm Irish

So am I and I answer the same as you given those questions but the two of us or even the hundreds of Boardsies who say they are good drivers on this particular section don't outweigh the crap we see on the roads by at least a slim majority from indicating problems to much more serious examples. So wink or no wink, whether you wish to point out you are a member or not of whatever camp, the Irish as a whole like the OP was asking about are on the bad side of below average for me.

I thought living between Belfast and Dublin solidified that for me but after living in the North West of England for 8 months, it's concrete now.

MickFleetwood

people who block up the yellow boxes should be castrated.

dmc17

Sofiztikated

Regarding roundabouts.

It's not a bit of wonder noone can use a roundabout in Ireland. They're all designed differently.

I can think of numerous examples of where

Left lane for left turn only, meaning right lane for straight on or turn left.
Or
Left lane for left and straight on, and right lane for right turn only.
or
Both left and right for straight on, and left for left and right for right.

Or road markings on a roundabout are either non existant or confusing.

I can think of a RSA approved driving school that teaches people to drive with fog lights on.

My main annoyance is the complete LACK of enforcement of basics. I've never seen anyone pulled on the lack of lights. I've never seen anyone pulled for driving in the wrong lane. I've never seen anyone pulled tailgating.

These are all basics that people should be able to do, but don't. Yes, the Gardi should have better things to do, but policing is policing.

mhigh86

loveisdivine wrote: »

The main problem for me is people not knowing how to use roundabouts.
On a daily basis, I encounter people putting themselves in the left hand lane even though they are going right at the roundabout.
Or it's people that pull up to a roundabout and then stop, even though they have right of way, and wait until there's no cars around at all to pull off.

It's alright saying concentrate on your own driving, but somebody else's mistake could kill you, so I feel ok about getting a little wound up sometimes.

Ahhhhumm give way to the right on a roundabout You must of meant, otherwise You'll end up with a ford focus or the like on You're lap.....

Bruthal

Deleted User wrote: »

People who do not know how to use a roundabout (wrong lanes/wrong indicators/etc)
I use roundabouts perfectly

Just about everyone would say that, and they wouldn`t be lying, they would genuinely believe it.

ASVM

Think on the whole we are okay as drivers and not too rude on the roads.What does bug me is how people can move out in front of you very suddenly with no indicator or how people use the wrong lane on roundabouts or no indicators I find HGV drivers to be very courteous on the road and probably to be the best drivers. I also like when people put on their hazards to say thank you on the road.All in all I love driving.

Bruthal

ASVM wrote: »

Think on the whole we are okay as drivers

Some of the cluelessness seen at times absolutely defies belief.

Its either something about driving a car that baffles the normally intelligent, or its people who are stupid in general, and its on public display when they are driving.

Iwannahurl

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

The plan is to slow everyone down to a speed where we can have all the accidents we want, but no one gets killed, due to progress in car safety.

I see what you did there.

Hick1sfm wrote: »

just keep women and old people off the road and there will be no problem

The problem being...?

Lingua Franca

I used to think so but then I was a passenger in a car in Italy and Thailand and yeah, we're alright.

F*king Italy. :eek: I was in such a state of mild panic at all times that I wouldn't even look out of the window, let alone offer to take the wheel.

ASVM

Lingua Franca wrote: »

I used to think so but then I was a passenger in a car in Italy and Thailand and yeah, we're alright.

F*king Italy. :eek: I was in such a state of mild panic at all times that I wouldn't even look out of the window, let alone offer to take the wheel.

Yeah, totally agree a friend from Italy living here used to break red lights and thought it was just normal. I was shocked but amused - wrong I know but the Italians have a way of normalising these things!