Reporting Dangerous Driving

marialouise

So about 2 weeks ago I was overtaken in a ridiculous spot by a ridiculous driver, and further up the road saw them doing more ridiculous overtaking. Now I'm no angel behind the wheel and have seen a lot of crazy driving, but this actually kind of frightened me, so I pulled in and called the gardai and explained what I'd seen, giving the car reg and stuff. They said I'd need to call to my local garda station and make a statement if it was to be followed up. My mum talked me out of it, we're not sure it would be anonymous and she doesn't know WHOOO I could be reporting and how that could come back to haunt me and just to let it go, so I did...

Today, driving home from work on a dual carriageway, the car in front of me was in the right lane and crawling along in a 100kph zone. Now on the best of days, slow drivers in the fast lane really irks me, but this fella was swerving, randomly jamming on the brakes, and after I eventually overtook (on the inside :eek: ) and got in front of him, his full lights were on. It was on a busy dual carriageway, no need for lights (and he kept them on for about 2km until I turned off that road), no need to be driving that slow and jamming on brakes etc... After watching enough episodes of Road Wards I suspect he was under some influence or another, and got really nervous as he veered about the place but what was I to do? I can't call the guards on every crazy/****e driver out there, and I don't want to come across like some crazy vigilante who wants everyone off the road. I turn a blind eye to all sorts of malarky but in the space of two weeks I just saw a lot of near misses and it worries me! Is there any system in place for reporting loopers without coming across like a little rat myself? Do I just let the bonkers drivers get on with it?

Gongoozler

marialouise wrote: »

Today, driving home from work on a dual carriageway, the car in front of me was in the right lane and crawling along in a 100kph zone. Now on the best of days, slow drivers in the fast lane really irks me, but this fella was swerving, randomly jamming on the brakes, and after I eventually overtook (on the inside :eek: ) and got in front of him, his full lights were on.

I'm not a car driver, but is there a fast lane on dual carriageways? Is that not the over taking lane?

marialouise

Well usually if there are two lanes you should be in the left lane, and you move in to the right to overtake (then back into the left). You shouldn't just be motoring along in the right hand lane, ESPECIALLY if cars are piling up behind you trying to overtake someone else in the left lane. (Sometimes the left one is called the slow lane depending on the road, I'm not sure if the right is ever called the fast lane but that's what I call it anyway, overtaking lane, whatever. He wasn't supposed to be there either way!)

Gongoozler

Of course it matters. It's not a lane to go faster in

Anyway, sounds like you just want to be told you're right. You are right. He was obviously wrong, and shouldn't have been driving on a dual carriageway. (though you're wrong about the lights, especially in rain like we've had)

Vain

marialouise wrote: »

So about 2 weeks ago I was overtaken in a ridiculous spot by a ridiculous driver, and further up the road saw them doing more ridiculous overtaking. Now I'm no angel behind the wheel and have seen a lot of crazy driving, but this actually kind of frightened me, so I pulled in and called the gardai and explained what I'd seen, giving the car reg and stuff. They said I'd need to call to my local garda station and make a statement if it was to be followed up. My mum talked me out of it, we're not sure it would be anonymous and she doesn't know WHOOO I could be reporting and how that could come back to haunt me and just to let it go, so I did...

Today, driving home from work on a dual carriageway, the car in front of me was in the right lane and crawling along in a 100kph zone. Now on the best of days, slow drivers in the fast lane really irks me, but this fella was swerving, randomly jamming on the brakes, and after I eventually overtook (on the inside :eek: ) and got in front of him, his full lights were on. It was on a busy dual carriageway, no need for lights (and he kept them on for about 2km until I turned off that road), no need to be driving that slow and jamming on brakes etc... After watching enough episodes of Road Wards I suspect he was under some influence or another, and got really nervous as he veered about the place but what was I to do? I can't call the guards on every crazy/****e driver out there, and I don't want to come across like some crazy vigilante who wants everyone off the road. I turn a blind eye to all sorts of malarky but in the space of two weeks I just saw a lot of near misses and it worries me! Is there any system in place for reporting loopers without coming across like a little rat myself? Do I just let the bonkers drivers get on with it?

Whats your reg so I can report you for undertaking :P

Thatnastyboy

Gongoozler wrote: »

(though you're wrong about the lights, especially in rain like we've had)

x2


Dipped headlights should be on 24/7 365 imo :cool:

Mech1

Just drive around them! pass on the inside if you have to, but dont just sit there getting annoyed. move on keep the traffic flowing.

marialouise

Gongoozler wrote: »

Of course it matters. It's not a lane to go faster in

Anyway, sounds like you just want to be told you're right. You are right. He was obviously wrong, and shouldn't have been driving on a dual carriageway. (though you're wrong about the lights, especially in rain like we've had)

Yes sorry I shouldn't call it the fast lane, but it is for going faster than the cars in the left lane, that's what overtaking is. Overtaking lane = faster lane, and I didn't make that word up, certainly not the only one who uses it! Anyway either way, he was in the overtaking lane, wasn't overtaking, cars on the left were going faster than him (and I had to move in to the other lane to get in to the correct lane for my turn off, inadvertently undertaking him :P )

I'm not wrong about the lights. Just to clarify he had FULL lights on, not dips. I drive with my dipped lights most of the time! 3 instances you never drive with full headlights:
1. In a lit area
2. When there's oncoming traffic
3. When there's a car in front of you.

He was in a lit area with cars driving in front of him and coming at him. And it wasn't raining.


I don't want to be told I'm right, I wouldn't mind being told what to do when I come across other drivers like this... Do I just beep/flash and hope they'll cop on?

Voodoomelon

Traffic Watch.

shopaholic01

That driver is probably wondering if he should report the driver who tail- gated and then overtook in the wrong lane.

Gongoozler

By your description, yer man was drunk or something, either way he had no business being there, and was driving a little dangerously, so yeah you should've reported him. I don't know why this is questionable.

Thatnastyboy

marialouise wrote: »

I'm not wrong about the lights. Just to clarify he had FULL lights on, not dips. I drive with my dipped lights most of the time! 3 instances you never drive with full headlights:
1. In a lit area
2. When there's oncoming traffic
3. When there's a car in front of you.

He was in a lit area with cars driving in front of him and coming at him. And it wasn't raining.

Your op says "It was on a busy dual carriageway, no need for lights"

Think thats why he said you're wrong

marialouise

Aw god I don't know how to multiquote...

@mech1, I always do that, the lane thing wasn't what bothered me, but combined with the swerving/braking/full lights it was just a bit fishy, I wasn't annoyed I was worried.

@Voodoomelon: THANK YOU That is the answer I was looking for!

@shopaholic, I didn't tailgate, and I only undertook because I had a junction to get to and had to be in the left lane.

@gongoozler because I'm worried I'll come across as a crazy person reporting 2 drivers in 2 weeks...

@thatnastyboy I said in the previous sentence "his full lights" but I do see where I made a mistake, I meant full lights - people really do pick up on everything here!

HOW do I multiquote?! thanks for the replies everyone

Dwork

marialouise wrote: »

So about 2 weeks ago I was overtaken in a ridiculous spot by a ridiculous driver, and further up the road saw them doing more ridiculous overtaking. Now I'm no angel behind the wheel and have seen a lot of crazy driving, but this actually kind of frightened me, so I pulled in and called the gardai and explained what I'd seen, giving the car reg and stuff. They said I'd need to call to my local garda station and make a statement if it was to be followed up. My mum talked me out of it, we're not sure it would be anonymous and she doesn't know WHOOO I could be reporting and how that could come back to haunt me and just to let it go, so I did...

Today, driving home from work on a dual carriageway, the car in front of me was in the right lane and crawling along in a 100kph zone. Now on the best of days, slow drivers in the fast lane really irks me, but this fella was swerving, randomly jamming on the brakes, and after I eventually overtook (on the inside :eek: ) and got in front of him, his full lights were on. It was on a busy dual carriageway, no need for lights (and he kept them on for about 2km until I turned off that road), no need to be driving that slow and jamming on brakes etc... After watching enough episodes of Road Wards I suspect he was under some influence or another, and got really nervous as he veered about the place but what was I to do? I can't call the guards on every crazy/****e driver out there, and I don't want to come across like some crazy vigilante who wants everyone off the road. I turn a blind eye to all sorts of malarky but in the space of two weeks I just saw a lot of near misses and it worries me! Is there any system in place for reporting loopers without coming across like a little rat myself? Do I just let the bonkers drivers get on with it?

Learn "the pit remover" and get a dashcam. Youtube fame awaits. As does "Motors"

Thatnastyboy

marialouise wrote: »

Aw god I don't know how to multiquote...



@thatnastyboy I said in the previous sentence "his full lights" but I do see where I made a mistake - people really do pick up on everything here!

We do, because, this is After Hours,

We're here to nitpick & condescend :pac:

Mech1

Its like this, jf I reported every car I see behaving in a similar way to the op, I would get nothing else done. I would need a notebook in the car to write the reg numbers in, I would be too busy writing numbers locations and thinking about my upcoming police statements to be paying enough attention on the immediate situation which is me getting from A to B.

I repeat, drive around and carry on dont even think anymore about it. Someday a Garda car will come upon them.

marialouise

Thatnastyboy wrote: »

We do, because, this is After Hours,

We're here to nitpick & condescend :pac:

Thatnastyboy wrote: »

Your op says "It was on a busy dual carriageway, no need for lights"

Think thats why he said you're wrong

Nothing like a bitta fear to help me learn the ropes.

I think dashcam and youtube is the answer!

shopaholic01

marialouise wrote: »

@shopaholic, I didn't tailgate, and I only undertook because I had a junction to get to and had to be in the left lane.

Then you had to move into the left lane anyway? Then technically you didn't move into that lane to overtake:P

sfwcork

Why didnt you just gently ram him to get him to move over

keith16

In general I think we should report dangerous driving.

Was heading to work one morning and there was a school girl waiting at the pedestrian lights. They turn red and I stop, then on the other side, some absolute bitch in a white SUV casually sails through the lights, and only the girl had the cop on to know that green man doesn't mean you walk across blindly she would have been in a lot of trouble. Disgusting behaviour.

We all complain about cyclists breaking lights, but motorists do it to. I see it every single day. Parents dropping kids to school have particular disregard for the colours of traffic lights.

Joe Hart

It's the fast lane. Its where cars go if they are going faster. How else can you overtake.

Its motor tax not road tax.
Boards is a private company and you do not have a right to free speech.

Fr_Dougal

sfwcork wrote: »

Why didnt you just gently ram him to get him to move over

Because she wasn't in the ramming lane.

Fieldsman

Marielouise I understand how you had a problem with the car in front hogging the overtaking lane but whats wrong with having headlights on these dark days.It will soon be compulsory for all drivers to have them during the day like most other European countries

sfwcork

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

Because she wasn't in the ramming lane.

He wasnt in the passing out lane either so it was fair game

blade1

Fieldsman wrote: »

Marielouise I understand how you had a problem with the car in front hogging the overtaking lane but whats wrong with having headlights on these dark days.It will soon be compulsory for all drivers to have them during the day like most other European countries

:eek: Surely you mean dipped???

marialouise

Mech1 wrote: »

Its like this, jf I reported every car I see behaving in a similar way to the op, I would get nothing else done. I would need a notebook in the car to write the reg numbers in, I would be too busy writing numbers locations and thinking about my upcoming police statements to be paying enough attention on the immediate situation which is me getting from A to B.

I repeat, drive around and carry on dont even think anymore about it. Someday a Garda car will come upon them.

I'm not that pissed about what the overtaking lane is really called, or whether he was driving slowly in there, that happens a lot. I don't want to sound unnecessarily accusatory, maybe he wasn't drink driving, but I was quite worried he was and just don't know what to do...

A close friend of a close friend had to get both his legs amputated just before Christmas (he's 20..) because of an accident involving a drink driver. "Someday" might be too late when a garda car comes up to them. I just worry I should have taken some action here today, although I was put off by the fact I'd chickened out of reporting someone 2 weeks ago... What if they were just a crap driver?

@fieldsman, I meant he was driving with full lights on

blackbox

Guards shouldn't insist on you going to the station to make a report. There is a dedicated traffic squad now. If someone reports dangerous driving, the location and the reg they should go and check it out themselves. Then, if they deem it necessary, the guards can be the witnesses themselves.

If they don't do this what is the point of giving out trafficwatch numbers?

marialouise

blackbox wrote: »

Guards shouldn't insist on you going to the station to make a report. There is a dedicated traffic squad now. If someone reports dangerous driving, the location and the reg they should go and check it out themselves. Then, if they deem it necessary, the guards can be the witnesses themselves.

If they don't do this what is the point of giving out trafficwatch numbers?

Well for the first fella doing his wild overtaking, if they didn't find him, were they just supposed to take my word for it? It's slightly inconvenient, but I don't think I find it that weird that I should have to make a statement to follow it up.... And I didn't know there was a trafficwatch number, that's really helpful. Hopefully I won't need it though

wicklowstevo

some one said it already but traffic watch , isn't it what its there for ? signs on the side of the road and such ? if you want something done about it then nut up and make a statement . if not well then you negate your right to go on the internet and moan about it

lachica

marialouise wrote: »

So about 2 weeks ago I was overtaken in a ridiculous spot by a ridiculous driver, and further up the road saw them doing more ridiculous overtaking. Now I'm no angel behind the wheel and have seen a lot of crazy driving, but this actually kind of frightened me, so I pulled in and called the gardai and explained what I'd seen, giving the car reg and stuff. They said I'd need to call to my local garda station and make a statement if it was to be followed up. My mum talked me out of it, we're not sure it would be anonymous and she doesn't know WHOOO I could be reporting and how that could come back to haunt me and just to let it go, so I did...

Today, driving home from work on a dual carriageway, the car in front of me was in the right lane and crawling along in a 100kph zone. Now on the best of days, slow drivers in the fast lane really irks me, but this fella was swerving, randomly jamming on the brakes, and after I eventually overtook (on the inside :eek: ) and got in front of him, his full lights were on. It was on a busy dual carriageway, no need for lights (and he kept them on for about 2km until I turned off that road), no need to be driving that slow and jamming on brakes etc... After watching enough episodes of Road Wards I suspect he was under some influence or another, and got really nervous as he veered about the place but what was I to do? I can't call the guards on every crazy/****e driver out there, and I don't want to come across like some crazy vigilante who wants everyone off the road. I turn a blind eye to all sorts of malarky but in the space of two weeks I just saw a lot of near misses and it worries me! Is there any system in place for reporting loopers without coming across like a little rat myself? Do I just let the bonkers drivers get on with it?

Afraid of coming across like a little rat? :rolleyes:

That´s a very immature attitude.


If you see someone doing something wrong/ dangerous, report it, end of.

If more people did this the roads might be a safer place.
I honestly can´t understand why people say/ do nothing when they see possibly dangerous things happening, in relation to driving and life in general.

dirtyden

blackbox wrote: »

Guards shouldn't insist on you going to the station to make a report. There is a dedicated traffic squad now. If someone reports dangerous driving, the location and the reg they should go and check it out themselves. Then, if they deem it necessary, the guards can be the witnesses themselves.

If they don't do this what is the point of giving out trafficwatch numbers?

They dont do that because it is a silly idea. If someone reports dangerous driving it means it has happened already. Staking out the location is almost certainly pointless. What do you want a team of officers on 24 hr cover for weeks on end one piece of road. on the off chance that they will see that car again based on an anonymous phone call?

If the OP feels this strongly about it she should make a statement.

marialouise

I'd never heard of traffic watch, there's defo no sign on the side of the road for that here! So should I make a statement against the first guy? I didn't mean to moan, I came here to seek opinions on what I should do! How bad does someone's driving have to be before I report it, is 2 bad overtakes? I think I should report it but I guess I was frightened of the consequences, as I said I wasn't led to believe it would be anonymous, and I live in a small enough town and it would be weird if I found out someone got in trouble and it was me who had reported them.

I totally agree, the roads would be safer if people did speak up, which is why I made that first call. If I got a call telling me other drivers are reporting me it would make me think twice about my driving, I don't think the responsibility lies with just the traffic corps but other drivers too... So I guess I should go in Monday and make a statement agaisnt the first dude, and hope the other guy isn't so stupid again...

dirtyden

marialouise wrote: »

I'd never heard of traffic watch, there's defo no sign on the side of the road for that here! So should I make a statement against the first guy? I didn't mean to moan, I came here to seek opinions on what I should do! How bad does someone's driving have to be before I report it, is 2 bad overtakes? I think I should report it but I guess I was frightened of the consequences, as I said I wasn't led to believe it would be anonymous, and I live in a small enough town and it would be weird if I found out someone got in trouble and it was me who had reported them.

I totally agree, the roads would be safer if people did speak up, which is why I made that first call. If I got a call telling me other drivers are reporting me it would make me think twice about my driving, I don't think the responsibility lies with just the traffic corps but other drivers too... So I guess I should go in Monday and make a statement agaisnt the first dude, and hope the other guy isn't so stupid again...

If you feel this strongly about it, that would probably be the right thing to do. But, only you can make that choice.

But I would not really recommend following the advice off strangers on an internet on a matter of law like this. None of us can really make any rational judgement as we did not see either of the incidents.

marialouise

dirtyden wrote: »

If you feel this strongly about it, that would probably be the right thing to do. But, only you can make that choice.

But I would not really recommend following the advice off strangers on an internet on a matter of law like this. None of us can really make any rational judgement as we did not see either of the incidents.

Well the gardai didn't see them either, I'm certainly not considering reporting the second one (don't have a reg, and worried I've been brainwashed by Traffic Cops and Road Wars and stuff), but as for the first one, I'm not sure how I feel. What he did was pretty bad, but was it bad enough to be reported? And is it the done thing to call trafficwatch for things like dangerous overtaking ? I don't wanna waste their time either, or is this exactly the kind of thing I should be calling about?