Why do Irish drivers have no problem stopping on the hard shoulder of motorways?

Tombo2001

I've been driving up and down to Cork quite a bit recently.

Each journey I see at least 10 or 12 different cars pulled up on the hard shoulder.

Many of these seem to have stopped to take a phone call. Some have stopped to take a snooze.

Often, they park in middle of the hard shoulder rather than as far off the road as they possily can.

What the hell are these people thinking? Do they have no idea how dangerous it is?

NIMAN

Did you never hear about the awful standard of driving all over Ireland?

Its up to the Gardai to be stopping this, hitting casual hard shoulder users with penalty points and/or a fine

Tombo2001

I have heard about that alright....

The thing is, I'd actually think a lot of these people are doing it because they think its the 'safe' thing to do.......

"I better not drive and take a phone call.....I'll just pull over into the hard shoulder and take it"

ballooba

The most vocal excuse you'll hear is that the children need a nappy changed or to go to the toilet and risking their lives is favourable to listening to/smellin the screaming/crying/poo/piss. Try and counter that argument and you'll be greeted by the full crazy demeanour of a deranged parent of young children.

pete4130

You can't really argue against a tired driver pulling over to catch a snooze. The other option is they micro sleep at the wheel and cause a big crash. I know which one is more dangerous.

Anan1

pete4130 wrote: »

You can't really argue against a tired driver pulling over to catch a snooze. The other option is they micro sleep at the wheel and cause a big crash. I know which one is more dangerous.

Are driving and sleeping on the hard shoulder really the only two options?

af_thefragile

I sometimes have to stop to take a piss... Long journeys + lack of motorway service stations means I have to go...

Although many motorways like the M9 have parking areas where you can pull over to catch a snooze, make that phone call, eat some lunch or whatever...

SCOOP 64

Lack of service stations dont help.

Peregrinus

pete4130 wrote: »

You can't really argue against a tired driver pulling over to catch a snooze. The other option is they micro sleep at the wheel and cause a big crash. I know which one is more dangerous.

You're ignoring the third (and correct) option; leave the motorway for your snooze.

(If you find the urgent need for snooze is coming over you without warning, such that yoy go from feeling fine to feeling that you cannot safely proceed to the next exit, see your doctor. Seriously - you may have a significant neurological problem. And, until that possibility is ruled out, stay off the motorways. Or, better still, don't drive.)

Del2005

pete4130 wrote: »

You can't really argue against a tired driver pulling over to catch a snooze. The other option is they micro sleep at the wheel and cause a big crash. I know which one is more dangerous.

You can if they create a danger with the place they choose to stop. But since the RSA never run ads telling people it's highly dangerous to stop on a motorway hard shoulder, it has to safe!

scamalert

isn't that whats hard shoulder for ? until they take a call or sit in a car,not going into the road side,its safe,rather then having someone cruise and txt going 120km/h.

Victor

People do it on motorways because they do it on other roads. While I wouldn't call stopping on a motorway 'safe', realise that on stopping on other roads is probably more dangerous.

Assuming there is a proper median barrier, the greatest factor affecting stopping on a road is likely the traffic level and sight lines. Admittedly, on motorways, one hopes there is nobody stopping on the hard shoulder.

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

Lack of service stations dont help.

There are service stations in pretty much every town and village in Ireland. They didn't disappear when the motorways were built.

Peregrinus

scamalert wrote: »

isn't that whats hard shoulder for ?

No. The hard shoulder is for stopping your car in the event of breakdown or emergency, or for using if you need to run off the road to avoid an impact. Plus, the emergency services drive along it to get past the traffic congestion that builds up behind an accident.

scamalert wrote: »

until they take a call or sit in a car,not going into the road side,its safe,rather then having someone cruise and txt going 120km/h.

Again, you're ignoring the third option; don't use your phone while you're in charge of a car. If you want to use your phone, leave the motorway and find a safe place to stop.

Mindfulness

ballooba wrote: »

The most vocal excuse you'll hear is that the children need a nappy changed or to go to the toilet and risking their lives is favourable to listening to/smellin the screaming/crying/poo/piss. Try and counter that argument and you'll be greeted by the full crazy demeanour of a deranged parent of young children.

Never heard that excuse yet to be honest. Nor have I seen it. Strange example you chose there.

As a parent myself there's no way I'd stop on a hard shoulder to change a nappy, not in a million years. These places are dangerous to stop in even in countries where the standard of driving is far superior to that in Ireland.

Going from Dublin to Tipp and back again though I do see more cars stopped in hard shoulders than I have on any other Motorway road. I rarely see it on the M4 for example. Most of these idiots are on the phone...or eating lunch!!

In January I had to slam on my brakes on the M7 near Newbridge because some moron in a Transit pulled directly out of the hard shoulder and into lane 1 from a stopped position. No attempt to pickup speed in the hard shoulder and merge or anything. From stopped straight into lane 1. I looked into Lane 2 and could see the driver just behind me practically sh!tting himself at the thought of me swerving into Lane 2 to avoid the van

af_thefragile

Victor wrote: »

There are service stations in pretty much every town and village in Ireland. They didn't disappear when the motorways were built.

But on most motorways that means a 15-30min detour off the motorway into the town just to take a piss...

pippip

The phone one I wouldn't take for granted they have just stopped to talk.

If you break down the first thing you are going to do is ring breakdown assist or ring someone to come and get you.

creedp

Tombo2001 wrote: »

I've been driving up and down to Cork quite a bit recently.

Each journey I see at least 10 or 12 different cars pulled up on the hard shoulder.

Many of these seem to have stopped to take a phone call. Some have stopped to take a snooze.

Often, they park in middle of the hard shoulder rather than as far off the road as they possily can.

What the hell are these people thinking? Do they have no idea how dangerous it is?

How many of them have had a breakdown or run out of fuel? The latter one is getting more popular with people not putting enough fuel in their cars to complete journeys. Seen a few cases recently with a folorn looking person person standing beside car with a petrol can.

Viper_JB

af_thefragile wrote: »

But on most motorways that means a 15-30min detour off the motorway into the town just to take a piss...

Slightly less inconvenient then being killed at the side of the road though.

SCOOP 64

.

There are service stations in pretty much every town and village in Ireland. They didn't disappear when the motorways were built.[/QUOTE]

This is the problem , people cant be bothered to take next turn off and head into town, more likely to pull of slip ,to a motorway service with good facility's and toilets that you dont have to go ask for the key .

Tombo2001

pippip wrote: »

The phone one I wouldn't take for granted they have just stopped to talk.

If you break down the first thing you are going to do is ring breakdown assist or ring someone to come and get you.

Fair point.

The only thing would be.......you should also then see a decent number of cars being towed off or whatever.....which I am not seeing....

but nonetheless, fair point.

The other point is......when you pull over, you dont pull over to a foot inside the line, you pull over as far off the road as you possibly can without the car collapsing into a ditch......people dont do this.

ABajaninCork

af_thefragile wrote: »

But on most motorways that means a 15-30min detour off the motorway into the town just to take a piss...

Then that is what you do. The hard shoulder is for emergencies only. It is not for taking a call, changing children's nappies or eating your lunch!

If I'm driving long distance, then I set the phone to silent as I don't like hands-free either. That way, I can still get calls which will be answered when I stop. Nothing is ever that important that it can't wait until then.

af_thefragile

Viper_JB wrote: »

Slightly less inconvenient then being killed at the side of the road though.

Three empty lanes of motorway, why would anyone want to slam into you stopped to the side in the hard shoulder?? Can't people control their cars that much???

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Then that is what you do. The hard shoulder is for emergencies only. It is not for taking a call, changing children's nappies or eating your lunch!

If I'm driving long distance, then I set the phone to silent as I don't like hands-free either. That way, I can still get calls which will be answered when I stop. Nothing is ever that important that it can't wait until then.

Sometimes when you gotta go, you've gotta go.
I don't get it why people try to make driving so much more complex than it actually is. Its not like you're in a F1 car doing 200+mph down the main straight of a racetrack when you're driving on the motorway and its not like every motorway is busy with traffic like the M50. Most motorways are absolutely deserted and you've got plenty of time to look ahead and around you to seek out any potential hazards and act accordingly and if you can't do that then frankly you shouldn't be driving in the first place!!

scamalert

if it was on a busy motorway where traffic occurs like m50 or smth.Then id say yeah treat it like an airplane landing strip for emergencies only,but if its going from one side country to another where any station is 50km away between and you need to take piss,nap or lunch dont see harm in it.And out of curiosity are there any stats about such accidents occurring on hard shoulder,compared to people on the phones causing an accident while driving.

dilallio

The worst I've seen was on the M4 outside Reading in the UK.
A lady had a puncture, and rather than pulling over into the hard shoulder, she just stopped in the fast lane.

As a result, the traffic had slowed down to a crawl, and by the time I reached the scene, she was sitting on the bonnet of the car while her young kids were playing in the central reservation, just feet away from fast-moving traffic on the other carriageway.

ABajaninCork

scamalert wrote: »

if it was on a busy motorway where traffic occurs like m50 or smth.Then id say yeah treat it like an airplane landing strip for emergencies only,but if its going from one side country to another where any station is 50km away between and you need to take piss,nap or lunch dont see harm in it.And out of curiosity are there any stats about such accidents occurring on hard shoulder,compared to people on the phones causing an accident while driving.

Not sure about here, as motorways are still fairly new. But plenty for the UK (where this is taken far more seriously). I'll try to scout around for some.

ABajaninCork

dilallio wrote: »

The worst I've seen was on the M4 outside Reading in the UK.
A lady had a puncture, and rather than pulling over into the hard shoulder, she just stopped in the fast lane.

As a result, the traffic had slowed down to a crawl, and by the time I reached the scene, she was sitting on the bonnet of the car while her young kids were playing in the central reservation, just feet away from fast-moving traffic on the other carriageway.

:eek: WTF???? I'm surprised the police didn't nick her...

Victor

af_thefragile wrote: »

But on most motorways that means a 15-30min detour off the motorway into the town just to take a piss...

Bull, how many bypassed towns does it take 30 minutes to get through? If it takes that long, you'd just go back out the way you came in?

Dublin to Limerick City via M7 - 2 hours 10 mins
http://maps.google.ie/maps?q=Dublin+to+Limerick+City&saddr=Dublin&daddr=Limerick+City&hl=en&sll=53.258641,-6.528625&sspn=0.209073,0.676346&geocode=Fa0NLgMdqnmg_ykvrCfqgA5nSDGgcTGXqccACg%3BFXSmIwMdH098_ykTUVQfYVxbSDEwczGXqccACg&oq=dublin+to+limerick&t=m&z=9

Dublin to Limerick City via M7 and Mountrath - 2 hours 21 mins
http://maps.google.ie/maps?saddr=Dublin&daddr=53.006283,-7.4528828+to:Limerick+City&hl=en&sll=52.977589,-7.534561&sspn=0.210444,0.676346&geocode=Fa0NLgMdqnmg_ykvrCfqgA5nSDGgcTGXqccACg%3BFcvPKAMdLkeO_ym9kgT5aQVdSDGne8BzBLeweg%3BFXSmIwMdH098_ykTUVQfYVxbSDEwczGXqccACg&mra=dpe&mrsp=1&sz=11&via=1&t=m&z=11

Dublin to Cork via M8 - 2 hours 38 mins
http://maps.google.ie/maps?q=Dublin+to+Cork&saddr=Dublin&daddr=Cork&hl=en&ll=52.626395,-7.377319&spn=1.697192,5.410767&sll=53.087426,-6.421509&sspn=1.67926,5.410767&geocode=Fa0NLgMdqnmg_ykvrCfqgA5nSDGgcTGXqccACg%3BFTziFwMdVIJ-_ylhub6RCJBESDHQxTGXqccACg&t=m&z=8

Dublin to Cork via M8 and Urlingford - 2 hours 51 mins
http://maps.google.ie/maps?saddr=Dublin&daddr=52.7174096,-7.5883675+to:Cork&hl=en&ll=52.700522,-7.520142&spn=0.211791,0.676346&sll=52.715551,-7.585373&sspn=0.026465,0.084543&geocode=Fa0NLgMdqnmg_ykvrCfqgA5nSDGgcTGXqccACg%3BFWFnJAMd8TWM_yl9J8FVTd9cSDF0ykRyY--a1g%3BFTziFwMdVIJ-_ylhub6RCJBESDHQxTGXqccACg&mra=dpe&mrsp=1&sz=14&via=1&t=m&z=11

Dublin to Galway via M4-6 - 2 hours 10 mins
http://maps.google.ie/maps?q=Dublin+to+Galway&saddr=Dublin&daddr=Galway&hl=en&ll=53.291489,-7.278442&spn=1.671288,5.410767&sll=52.779509,-7.088928&sspn=0.845623,2.705383&geocode=Fa0NLgMdqnmg_ykvrCfqgA5nSDGgcTGXqccACg%3BFR_YLAMdZM51_yn_Wy1alZNbSDGBUkkKRBsrAw&oq=Dublin+to+Galway&t=m&z=8

Dublin to Galway via M4-6 and Moate - 2 hours 17 mins
http://maps.google.ie/maps?saddr=Dublin&daddr=53.3951445,-7.7151118+to:Galway&hl=en&ll=53.393975,-7.511902&spn=0.41682,1.352692&sll=53.392031,-7.7318&sspn=0.026053,0.084543&geocode=Fa0NLgMdqnmg_ykvrCfqgA5nSDGgcTGXqccACg%3BFci-LgMd2UaK_ykB3K_xe7NdSDHA7Mxqdcyg9w%3BFR_YLAMdZM51_yn_Wy1alZNbSDGBUkkKRBsrAw&mra=dpe&mrsp=1&sz=14&via=1&t=m&z=10

challengemaster

Viper_JB wrote: »

Slightly less inconvenient then being killed at the side of the road though.

For all the talk about being killed/causing accidents by stopping on the hard shoulder of a motorway, off the top of my head I can't think of any accidents that have actually been caused by this, particularly considering the large incidence of people parking on the hard shoulder...

While I'm not saying "it's grand" - On a grand scale compared to most of the other things Irish drivers do, I'd actually say it's one of the less dangerous things because of the greatly increased visibility on motorways, and the amount of space available both to pull in, and for passing vehicles.

Viper_JB

af_thefragile wrote: »

Three empty lanes of motorway, why would anyone want to slam into you stopped to the side in the hard shoulder?? Can't people control their cars that much???

I doubt anyone would want to but it does happen, you're simply putting yourself into a situation where it could happen - and at the end of the day you would just be a very small statistic and a needless waste of life if any thing were to happen. There's no need to put yourself in mortal danger (if you think it's anything else then you have poor risk harassment) anywhere where you're going at 0 and everything else is going at 120 you're in danger.

Tombo2001

I remember a stat recently from the UK saying that if you pulled over to the hard shoulder, just inside the line, that on average a collision would take place within 23 minutes......dont have link......

Tombo2001

Sorry

Just found the correct stat....

As many people know, the hard shoulder is the most dangerous place to be on the motorway, but few know just how dangerous it really is. You are more likely to be killed on the hard shoulder than anywhere else on the motorway, and for those who were killed here, they had been there on average for less than 26 minutes.


http://www.hsmc.co.uk/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=18&cntnt01origid=56&cntnt01returnid=99

coolisin

All I can say is wow, wow and wow.

Only if I've an emergency would I pull into the hard shoulder of a motorway.

People have a tendency to look at cars on the side of the road and drive towards them.

From a motorway exit your never more then around 10mins max from some sort of civilisation to pull off the motorway get your petrol get a sandwich.

I'm just shocked that anybody is defending stopping on the side of a motorway.

And as above I've had the heart stopping moment of a person stopping to let tommy out to empty his bladder and then pull from zero straight out into the driving and then wonder as to why I'm going nuts with them.

sweetie

On the m50 the other day, two transits stopped near the filter lane for the red cow and out jumps the driver of the second van, door clearly into the fast lane, to go back and talk to his mate. He got a good fright when I blasted the horn at him doing about 100km whilst moving into the filter lane.

pwurple

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Sorry

Just found the correct stat....

As many people know, the hard shoulder is the most dangerous place to be on the motorway, but few know just how dangerous it really is. You are more likely to be killed on the hard shoulder than anywhere else on the motorway, and for those who were killed here, they had been there on average for less than 26 minutes.


http://www.hsmc.co.uk/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=18&cntnt01origid=56&cntnt01returnid=99

You know, I've been given that stat a few times on motorbike training courses and driving training courses, and I have yet to find the source of that statistic. Internet, anywere.

Not saying the hard shoulder is safe by any stretch, and I wouldn't stop there myself unless I broke down. Even then, I would be leaving the car and climbing up the embankment away from the motorway if possible.

But I do wonder where that statistic came from. I can't find any study on it anywhere.

keithclancy

af_thefragile wrote: »

Three empty lanes of motorway, why would anyone want to slam into you stopped to the side in the hard shoulder?? Can't people control their cars that much???

Sometimes when you gotta go, you've gotta go.
I don't get it why people try to make driving so much more complex than it actually is. Its not like you're in a F1 car doing 200+mph down the main straight of a racetrack when you're driving on the motorway and its not like every motorway is busy with traffic like the M50. Most motorways are absolutely deserted and you've got plenty of time to look ahead and around you to seek out any potential hazards and act accordingly and if you can't do that then frankly you shouldn't be driving in the first place!!

Regardless of what you think other people should do, there's a high volume of high speed traffic and the chances of something going wrong are real.

Over here you have to have a Warning triangle and luminous jacket. You place the Warning triangle further down the road to warn oncoming traffic that you're there.

Right or wrong, vehicles use the Hard shoulder in an emergency.

Personally if I broke down on the hard shoulder, I'd stick on the jacket, get the triangle out, put that up and then get behind the barrier and call roadside assistance.

I would not sit in the car at all, you're a sitting duck.

An excuse like .. "I needed to pee" or "needed to take a call" is just crazy.

Peregrinus

scamalert wrote: »

if it was on a busy motorway where traffic occurs like m50 or smth.Then id say yeah treat it like an airplane landing strip for emergencies only,but if its going from one side country to another where any station is 50km away between and you need to take piss,nap or lunch dont see harm in it.And out of curiosity are there any stats about such accidents occurring on hard shoulder,compared to people on the phones causing an accident while driving.

From memory, in the UK there are about 35,000 road deaths and injuries a year, of which about 1,500 happen to people on motorway hard shoulders. There are about 50 fatalaties a year on the hard shoulder.

Not all of those are people who stopped there when they didn't have to, of course. Some are people who broke down, etc; some are road workers.

But, still, the hard shoulder is not a safe place to be. In terms of accidents per km , the motorway is considerably safer than other roads, whereas the hard shoulder is considerably more dangerous. Not only are there more accidents on the hard shoulder, but accidents on the hard shoulder are much more likely to be fatal than accidents on the motorway carriageway.

Bottom line: being stationary on the hard shoulder presents signifcant dangers which you should not run if you can avoid them - and they are not all dangers to you. Stopping in the hard shoulder creates dangers for others as well as for yourself.

ABajaninCork

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Sorry

Just found the correct stat....

As many people know, the hard shoulder is the most dangerous place to be on the motorway, but few know just how dangerous it really is. You are more likely to be killed on the hard shoulder than anywhere else on the motorway, and for those who were killed here, they had been there on average for less than 26 minutes.


http://www.hsmc.co.uk/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=18&cntnt01origid=56&cntnt01returnid=99

Thanks Tombo! You beat me to it...

af_thefragile

keithclancy wrote: »

Regardless of what you think other people should do, there's a high volume of high speed traffic and the chances of something going wrong are real.

Over here you have to have a Warning triangle and luminous jacket. You place the Warning triangle further down the road to warn oncoming traffic that you're there.

Right or wrong, vehicles use the Hard shoulder in an emergency.

Personally if I broke down on the hard shoulder, I'd stick on the jacket, get the triangle out, put that up and then get behind the barrier and call roadside assistance.

I would not sit in the car at all, you're a sitting duck.

An excuse like .. "I needed to pee" or "needed to take a call" is just crazy.

Firstly on most motorways the exists are 30-50km apart. Then you don't know how far down the exist and in which direction you need to travel before you find a petrol station. And finally it would be more dangerous to continue driving on while you're bursting for a pee than pull over on a safe stretch of the motorway where there's plenty of distance for oncoming vehicles to spot you, put on the hazards, do your thing, check to see if there's any oncoming and pull away quickly getting upto normal motorway speed. Its no more dangerous really than changing lanes to overtake a slow driver. Of course I wouldn't have my lunch or take a nap on the hard shoulder, that would be stupid.

Again, why is driving so difficult? Do you really have so little control over your car that everything you see on the road acts as a point of distraction and you can't help but swerve your car into it?
If I spot someone on the hard shoulder, I simply switch lanes to keep my distance from them. On a deserted motorway with three empty lanes there is plenty of time and space to do this comfortably without setting off any major warning alarm bells or causing much distress.

You often see maintenance people doing some work on the side of the motorway. They've usually got a big SUV or a van and take up most of the hard shoulder. They're a much bigger target to hit on the motorway yet you don't see people swerving out of control into them the moment they see them!

I like how some people like to make a big issue out of every little thing...

Mindfulness

From the UK Highways Agency

English drivers appear to be just as stupid

R.O.R

af_thefragile wrote: »

Firstly on most motorways the exists are 30-50km apart.

Which Motorways would these be?

Mindfulness

af_thefragile wrote: »

Its no more dangerous really than changing lanes to overtake a slow driver.

Lol

Again, why is driving so difficult? Do you really have so little control over your car that everything you see on the road acts as a point of distraction and you can't help but swerve your car into it?

Some people drive when they are tired, drunk or under the influence of sedatives or other drugs. They shouldn't but they do, so when someone stops for a pee (as you shouldn't) then two idiots doing the wrong thing can cause an accident.

Is it really that difficult to see that people sometimes cross the median into the hard shoulder unintentionally?

I like how some people like to make a big issue out of every little thing...

I like the way some people think that it will never happen to them and have so much faith in every other driver out there. You would swear accidents never happened anywhere and that motorways were safe. Sure why not let your kids out for a spot of football on it? :rolleyes:

Viper_JB

af_thefragile wrote: »

Again, why is driving so difficult? Do you really have so little control over your car that everything you see on the road acts as a point of distraction and you can't help but swerve your car into it?
If I spot someone on the hard shoulder, I simply switch lanes to keep my distance from them. On a deserted motorway with three empty lanes there is plenty of time and space to do this comfortably without setting off any major warning alarm bells or causing much distress.

Do you really trust every other driver on the motorway, just because you wouldn't crash into a car parked in the hard shoulder it doesn't mean that no body else on the road could. Ever since I started driving it's been drilled into me to always expect the worst in other drivers, and with the speeds involved here no one would be walking away from an impact.

keithclancy

af_thefragile wrote: »

Firstly on most motorways the exists are 30-50km apart. Then you don't know how far down the exist and in which direction you need to travel before you find a petrol station. And finally it would be more dangerous to continue driving on while you're bursting for a pee than pull over on a safe stretch of the motorway where there's plenty of distance for oncoming vehicles to spot you, put on the hazards, do your thing, check to see if there's any oncoming and pull away quickly getting upto normal motorway speed. Its no more dangerous really than changing lanes to overtake a slow driver. Of course I wouldn't have my lunch or take a nap on the hard shoulder, that would be stupid.

What motorways are you driving on ? I can't think of any in Ireland with a 30km stretch without exits or a lay by.

Again, why is driving so difficult? Do you really have so little control over your car that everything you see on the road acts as a point of distraction and you can't help but swerve your car into it?
If I spot someone on the hard shoulder, I simply switch lanes to keep my distance from them. On a deserted motorway with three empty lanes there is plenty of time and space to do this comfortably without setting off any major warning alarm bells or causing much distress.

This is not logical.
Are you going to wave your hand in the air as your taken away by an ambulance saying "That guy should not have hit me"
If you were correct then no traffic accidents would happen.

You often see maintenance people doing some work on the side of the motorway. They've usually got a big SUV or a van and take up most of the hard shoulder. They're a much bigger target to hit on the motorway yet you don't see people swerving out of control into them the moment they see them!

Same here, they'll have a well light heavy vehicle blocking the hard shoulder to stop something running into them .

I like how some people like to make a big issue out of every little thing...

Its not 'people' its a well known fact in almost every country that the hard shoulder is a dangerous place to stop your car.

Zcott

Sometimes Mother Nature just can't wait.

af_thefragile

Mindfulness wrote: »

Lol


Some people drive when they are tired, drunk or under the influence of sedatives or other drugs. They shouldn't but they do, so when someone stops for a pee (as you shouldn't) then two idiots doing the wrong thing can cause an accident.

Is it really that difficult to see that people sometimes cross the median into the hard shoulder unintentionally?



I like the way some people think that it will never happen to them and have so much faith in every other driver out there. You would swear accidents never happened anywhere and that motorways were safe. Sure why not let your kids out for a spot of football on it? :rolleyes:

Exists on the M9 are pretty far spaced. You'll be driving for miles before you come across a service station.

You don't assume other people drive responsibly, you do assume everyone is an idiot when you drive which is why you should always be looking out for potential hazards when you are driving.

A drunk or drowsy driver is just as likely to slam into the back of you on a motorway than he is into a car parked on the hard shoulder. The only difference is if he slams into the back of you there is a chance you may get away with it as the force of the impact isn't much but at high speed can still send you dangerously out of control. The only way to be 100% safe while driving on a motorway is to be in some sort of automated car where the driver error is taken out of the equation.

Parking on a bend on the hard shoulder when its foggy or during the night time, with no hazards on to take a quick nap in your car is obviously a stupid thing to do. But so is driving when you're drowsy or while drunk or simply driving in an absent state of mind without any awareness of what's on the road ahead and someone who drives like this is only lucky to not get into an accident.

And yes parking on the hardshoulder is more dangerous than driving on the motorway. You simply have to weigh the risks with the benefit when you decide to pull over and if there's a service station nearby or one of those slip roads where you can park your car and take a nap, then you'ld obviously pull over there rather than in the middle of the motorway unless its absolutely necessary.

Bottom line is stupid drivers cause accidents most of the times, not the hard shoulder.

donegal.

is it really that dangerous ? really ?
i can't think of a single accident i've heard of.

Solair

It's pretty obvious what the problems are:

Motorways are new to most drivers here and motorway rules were never explained to most drivers on the road here.

There's no signs warning you to stay out of the EMERGENCY lane.

There's almost no enforcement due to lack of traffic corps resources.

There's a perception that there are no services (in many cases there aren't any for long sections of motorway.

That being said, the way some people go on in Ireland you'd swear Cork to Dublin by motorway was an epic journey on the transiberian highway !

It's less than a three hour drive!

I also can only conclude some people need to consult nurologists (if falling asleep) or urologist (if they can't hold it for an hour!)

They could do a better job of signing off line services though.

Maybe let businesses buy space on big electronic signs (maybe 4 along each major route !)

af_thefragile

^Red Bull helps you stay focused on long boring motorway journeys but also as a side effect makes you pee. That's all i've got to say...

somefeen

R.O.R wrote: »

Which Motorways would these be?

Not exactly 30km but J15 and J16 on the M6 are pretty far apart. Probably 25km or so. 50km is probably stretching it, don't think I seen any that far apart.

There's a serious lack of rest stops on the motorways in Ireland. France have them right on the motorway and there is usually toilets there to. In the UK they are at least evenly spaced, and you'll find rest stops on A and B roads there aswell, not just motorways.
The only proper motorway services we have are on the M1.

By the way, if I'm bursting for a piss I'm gonna take my chances on the hard shoulder. Would rather risk that than drive without my full concentration.
Sleeping there is a no no ever since I did my first ever long drive when I was 17. Fell asleep on the hard shoulder and by time I woke up some serious thick fog had rolled in. Wasn't safe to begin with, but the fog made it 100 times worse.

ballooba

af_thefragile wrote: »

But on most motorways that means a 15-30min detour off the motorway into the town just to take a piss...

Couldn't piss on the side of the road after exiting the motorway? It's either the motorway or a proper bathroom? I don't follow the logic.

keithclancy

somefeen wrote: »

By the way, if I'm bursting for a piss I'm gonna take my chances on the hard shoulder. Would rather risk that than drive without my full concentration.
Sleeping there is a no no ever since I did my first ever long drive when I was 17. Fell asleep on the hard shoulder and by time I woke up some serious thick fog had rolled in. Wasn't safe to begin with, but the fog made it 100 times worse.

If you need a p1ss then do it before you set off.

If you can't plan that far in advance then get your prostate checked.

If you can manage to make sure theres enough fuel in the car then you can work out how not to be 'bursting for a p1ss' on the motorway.