"Driving abroad" leaflets - they are useless...

CiniO

On many websites or leaflets you can find info about driving in EU. All the requirements, traffic laws, compulsory car equipment, etc.

They often come from kinda trustworthy sources like AA, etc. I've seen leaflets from halfords, RSA, and a lot UK source.

Generally though, they are mostly misleading. I they always made me laugh, as most info if often incorrect.


Anyway today I encountered one issued by large Polish internet motor service, outlining requirements for driving in Ireland.

Here it is, translated by google translator, so some thing might be gramatically incorrect.

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.autocentrum.pl%2Fza-granica%2Firlandia%2Fdla-kierowcow%2F

What do you think???

IMHO it's a pure nonsense, and doesn't really have anything to do with requirements to drive in Ireland.
And all the AA, Halfords, and other leaflets about driving in Poland, or other EU countries, have similar value.




PS - those are incorrectly translated.

mandates imposed by the police must be paid at the police station in the past day - should be "fines imposed by police must be paid at the police station by the end of next day"

European cars with no license plates should have a sticker with the designation of the country - should be "Cars with no EU licence plates, should have a sticke with the country mark".

Senecio

I hope there aren't too many people coming into this country with a BAC of 0.5%.That would be unconscious and near death!

fasttalkerchat

What I thought was incorrect:
warning triangle
BAC legal limit
Fines paid the following day
Surely that maximum drunk driving fine is misleading!
No mention of M50 toll.
Built up speed limit is now in km/h and can be lower than 50hm/h


Am I right about the warning triangle? I think taxi drivers need them.

Jhcx

They dont mention how to use a roundabout. nor mention of emergency services, some countries have no care for them.

Warning triangles are optional but very useful. I like the way most if not all german cars have them..
and what all the road markings mean. some countries are different.

I think there kinda the basics. prolly a load more.

fasttalkerchat

Jhcx wrote: »

They dont mention how to use a roundabout.

Can't have the foreign drivers teaching the Irish, can we!

keithclancy

http://www.anwb.nl/bestemmingen/landeninformatie/vakantie/bestemmingIndex.html?btiId=BTI_6&themaId=BEST_P_50

Not always... I've found the ANWB to be better ... AA not so much.
ADAC is pretty much the same, if they don't know they won't post it up.

Jhcx

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

Can't have the foreign drivers teaching the Irish, can we!

I don't know can we, Is that even realistic?

biko

Toll - All highway and other roads in Ireland are free. You only pay for the rides several bridges, but the charges on the bridges are small.

Most tolls I've used are not in proximity to a bridge. "Small" charge, well that's up for discussion.

CiniO

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

What I thought was incorrect:
warning triangle

Surely no requirement for it in Ireland.

BAC legal limit

That's actually correct. As website is from Poland, when BAC limits are measured in permille, then 0.5 matched 50mg per 100ml of blood.

Fines paid the following day

I actually started wondering what's the story with fines for foreign drivers?
Gards can't send a notice to foreign address I suppose. In most countries fines for non-residents must be paid on the spot.
But I never heard how it works in Ireland. I assume foreign residents don't get fined at all ;P

Surely that maximum drunk driving fine is misleading!

I really don't know where did they got those figures from.

No mention of M50 toll.

They mentioned about tolled bridges, but never said it was automatic camera system on M50.

Built up speed limit is now in km/h and can be lower than 50hm/h

Exactly. mph are not used for last 8 years.

Am I right about the warning triangle? I think taxi drivers need them.

But normal motorists don't.


Also I would add the that they say that fire extinguisher and first aid kits are recommended.
I can't think of any time anyone in Ireland (including RSA) was recommending me to carry those.

Next -
Permissable vehicle height. Surely it's not limited to 4m.
All highways and other roads in Ireland are free - again wrong. Most motorways (hiways) are tolled.
Speed limits for cars (hiways 120, express ways 100, other 80). That's again wrong. There isn't such thing as express way in Ireland. Instead of expressway is should be national road 100, regional and local roads 80.


In general, this info in incorrect in most aspects.
Bizzare.

CiniO

biko wrote: »

Most tolls I've used are not in proximity to a bridge. "Small" charge, well that's up for discussion.

Comparing f.e. with France - they are small.

CiniO

keithclancy wrote: »

http://www.anwb.nl/bestemmingen/landeninformatie/vakantie/bestemmingIndex.html?btiId=BTI_6&themaId=BEST_P_50

Not always... I've found the ANWB to be better ... AA not so much.
ADAC is pretty much the same, if they don't know they won't post it up.

LPG - good obtainable. <--- that made me laugh.

Car or motorcycle
The Dutch driving license is recognized even when renting a vehicle.
An IRB (international driving license) is required.
That doesn't sound right.


But besides, indeed it looks like very competitive guide with all the correct info.
I've never seen such good one yet.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Jhcx

CiniO wrote: »

Surely no requirement for it in Ireland.


Speed limits for cars (hiways 120, express ways 100, other 80). That's again wrong. There isn't such thing as express way in Ireland. Instead of expressway is should be national road 100, regional and local roads 80.

personally when they mentioned expressways i basically concluded they were talking about Dual Carriage ways. you cant really say (all) national roads as some spots on the road have their own limits. where as the DC is set in stone(sort of) each country has their own names for the different types, like freeways and highways in the states. possibly the express way is the DC for Poland. I havent done my homework on Poland and dont plan to.

keithclancy

CiniO wrote: »

LPG - good obtainable. <--- that made me laugh.

Car or motorcycle
The Dutch driving license is recognized even when renting a vehicle.
An IRB (international driving license) is required.
That doesn't sound right.


But besides, indeed it looks like very competitive guide with all the correct info.
I've never seen such good one yet.

I never fully trust Google Translate

Een IRB (internationaal rijbewijs) is niet vereist.

An IDL (International Driving License is not necessary.

Matt Simis

Cino, have you mailed the site?

Seems a lot of your countrymen left comments on the sites discussion forum about the many inaccuracies, some dated back 6years ago!
http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.autocentrum.pl%2Fza-granica%2Firlandia%2Fdla-kierowcow%2F

CiniO

Jhcx wrote: »

personally when they mentioned expressways i basically concluded they were talking about Dual Carriage ways. you cant really say (all) national roads as some spots on the road have their own limits. where as the DC is set in stone(sort of) each country has their own names for the different types, like freeways and highways in the states. possibly the express way is the DC for Poland. I havent done my homework on Poland and dont plan to.

Generally on the Continent you have

1. Motorways indicated with this sign:



And expressways (lower standard motorways) signed like that:


If they write "expressways" then everyone is going to understand they mean that kind of road.

Irish N roads, are considiered just normal national roads, no matter if it's double or single carriageway.

Expressways don't exist in Ireland. Generally most Irish motorways are of about the same standard as Expressways on the continent.

CiniO

Matt Simis wrote: »

Cino, have you mailed the site?

No, should I? It's just one example. There is plenty of sites like this in relation to all countries, and they are all about the same inaccurate.

Seems a lot of your countrymen left comments on the sites discussion forum about the many inaccuracies, some dated back 6years ago!
http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.autocentrum.pl%2Fza-granica%2Firlandia%2Fdla-kierowcow%2F

I didn't notice those. Kinda funny.

Matt Simis

CiniO wrote: »

No, should I? It's just one example. There is plenty of sites like this in relation to all countries, and they are all about the same inaccurate.

If it was an Irish info page about Poland and I lived there, I would be annoyed enough to do so!

ardmacha

Expressways don't exist in Ireland.

Not in a legal sense. It would useful if they did and roads like the N11 could be so designated.

CiniO

Matt Simis wrote: »

If it was an Irish info page about Poland and I lived there, I would be annoyed enough to do so!

Take a look at halfords.ie advice for compulsory equipment in Poland. (there is a table)

Spare bulb - according to them recommended - in fact no one is recommending them in Poland to be carried.

GB sticker or Euroflag - compulsory - indeed that's right but has very little to do with Irish registered cars, which have Euroflag on the numberplate.

High visibility jacket - recommended - no they are not recommended.

Headlamp converters - compulsory - no they are not compulsory. It's perfectly legal to drive without them.

First aid kit - recommended - they are not required in Poland. No need to carry them.

Warning triangle - compulsory - while they are compulsory on Polish registered cars, there is no need to have them on Irish registered car as they are not required in Ireland.

Fire extinguisher - recommended - similar as above they are compulsory on Polish registered car, but they are not required for Irish registered cars travelling there. (funny why this is indicated as recommended while triangle is compulsory, as requirements for both in Poland are the same).


So as you can see, most stuff is wrong.
Of course it's wise to have all above things, and it can be said they are recommended, but it's not good to be suggesting that something is recommended or compulsory in foreign country while in fact it isn't.