Wrong way..again!!!!

Davidth88

You know , it's odd , I drove for 25 years in Britain before moving here 11 years ago.

I drove A LOT of miles in England ( 30k miles a year average ) , I never met anyone going the wrong way around a roundabout

Here , within 2 years or so I met 3 people , some were on big roundabouts like this ( below )
( I actually met one at this exact spot )

https://maps.google.ie/maps?q=celbridge&hl=en&ll=53.359107,-6.533432&spn=0.042669,0.077162&sll=53.3834,-8.21775&sspn=10.928649,19.753418&hnear=Celbridge,+County+Kildare&t=m&z=14&layer=c&cbll=53.359254,-6.533286&panoid=HKrhLVr6N_ob1jJ8SR_zEw&cbp=12,359.9,,0,0

Mad !

I truly think driver education is lacking here.

BTW , it seems to have got slightly better in the last couple of years , either
a) I am getting used to it
b) or the traffic has got less

Or a combination of the two perhaps ?

_Kaiser_

Davidth88 wrote: »

I truly think driver education is lacking here.

BTW , it seems to have got slightly better in the last couple of years , either
a) I am getting used to it
b) or the traffic has got less

Or a combination of the two perhaps ?

I think you're right on all 3 myself!

afatbollix

Your saying a stopped car is more dangerous than a moving car coming towards you at 120kph?

_Kaiser_

afatbollix wrote: »

Your saying a stopped car is more dangerous than a moving car coming towards you at 120kph?

Yes if you get some idiot flying up the off-ramp (with optional yet frequent bend) who doesn't spot it in time. At least on the motorway itself you have some room to work with - either the hard shoulder or other lane.

MrFrisp

According to local radio reports here this morning,a crash that killed an elderly man during the night/early morning was caused by him driving the wrong way on the motorway.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0524/452293-rta-cahir-tipperary/
.

TouchingVirus

Tabnabs wrote: »

The amount of times I've seen someone turn off the Clonskeagh Road onto Bird Avenue at this junction http://goo.gl/maps/wBPpR

People have such poor observational skills.

A lot of the examples given here are pretty clear cut, there's no excuses. However this one is a bit different. From the Google Streetview pictures there is no "No Right Turn" sign on any of the posts leading up to that junction including the traffic lights. The road splits into two lanes with a painted on right hand turn arrow (slightly worn). There is no signage on the back of the posts/lights at Bird Avenue to indicate no entry. All there is is a faded solid white line and No Entry marking.

Given the lane split and misleading turn arrow on the main road and lack of signage I could totally see myself pulling into that yellow box to turn right, the traffic going the opposite direction while I waited for a turn would certainly limit my view of the No Entry sign, not to mention it looks like it's in shocking condition.

Whoever is responsible for signage at that junction needs a kick up the hole.

RustyNut

MrFrisp wrote: »

According to local radio reports here this morning,a crash that killed an elderly man during the night/early morning was caused by him driving the wrong way on the motorway.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0524/452293-rta-cahir-tipperary/
.

RIP

Karl Stein

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

Only problem with that idea is then you have a car blocking the top of an off-ramp until it's removed.

Only if they were stupid enough to stop in the middle and purposefully block it.

Saw a guy reversing fast enough in the hard shoulder on the N7 this morning.

S28382

Iv seen that on the M9 a load of times. There is some stupid people out there.

Frank Black

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

It could be someone with a health problem, or worse, drink or drugs and are unaware of the danger they pose. If it was safe I would have flagged them down and taken the keys until the guards arrived.

That's probably the most 'unsafe' thing anyone could attempt in the OP's situation.

_Kaiser_

Cathal Cloch wrote: »

Only if they were stupid enough to stop in the middle and purposefully block it.

Well if someone is trying to join a motorway on the wrong side then I'd put it as fairly likely that when the tyres burst they'd just freeze and leave it where it stops.

Karl Stein

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

Well if someone is trying to join a motorway on the wrong side then I'd put it as fairly likely that when the tyres burst they'd just freeze and leave it where it stops.

I believe that being faced by angry drivers would quickly change their minds if they decided to block approaching angry truckers.

Sure we'll agree that you're wrong to disagree.

inforfun

Davidth88 wrote: »

Y
Mad !

I truly think driver education is lacking here.

BTW , it seems to have got slightly better in the last couple of years , either
a) I am getting used to it
b) or the traffic has got less

Or a combination of the two perhaps ?

You are getting used to it.
Well, i do in an case.

Before i moved here i wasnt exactly happy with the way people were driving in my country, The Netherlands. never really objected when foreigners said we were **** drivers.
Then i started driving here.
Last month i spent a couple of weeks with a lot of driving in Holland and was amazed and almost impressed with the standard of driving there. Almost perfect lane discipline, changing lanes when they can, not when they want and so on. It was so much more relaxed to drive there with 8 million cars on the road than here with... 2(?) million cars.

And for people like this, caught on camera: take away their license, if the have one, ripped it in 10 pieces and make sure these people will never be in traffic in or on anything with an engine ever again.

seamus

You know that driving against the traffic on a motorway only carries two points and an €80 fine?

It really should carry a mandatory court appearance and a year's ban. I don't understand why the legal system considers it to be such a minor offence.

It can only be explained by gross stupidity or deliberate recklessness, both of which are perfect reasons to take someone off the road.

_Kaiser_

Cathal Cloch wrote: »

I believe that being faced by angry drivers would quickly change their minds if they decided to block approaching angry truckers.

Sure we'll agree that you're wrong to disagree.

So the car passes over the spike strip, tyres burst, said eejit freezes/panics and hits the brakes.

Car is now stopped with 4 flat tyres. How are they going to move it exactly?

seamus

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

So the car passes over the spike strip, tyres burst, said eejit freezes/panics and hits the brakes.

Car is now stopped with 4 flat tyres. How are they going to move it exactly?

Really the question is whether it's preferable to have a car blocking the top off an off-ramp, or travelling at speed against the flow of traffic. I say the former is the lesser of two evils.

If the spikes are at the top of the off-ramp, any exiting vehicles should have slowed sufficiently to spot the trapped vehicle in time.

_Kaiser_

seamus wrote: »

Really the question is whether it's preferable to have a car blocking the top off an off-ramp, or travelling at speed against the flow of traffic. I say the former is the lesser of two evils.

If the spikes are at the top of the off-ramp, any exiting vehicles should have slowed sufficiently to spot the trapped vehicle in time.

I'd agree with you in theory but experience has taught me that far too many people only hit the brakes at the end of the off ramp rather than slowing down as they exit.

Neither situation is preferable of course

dukedalton

MrFrisp wrote: »

According to local radio reports here this morning,a crash that killed an elderly man during the night/early morning was caused by him driving the wrong way on the motorway.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0524/452293-rta-cahir-tipperary/
.

If this is in fact what happened...

RIP to the individual in this case, but...

Apart from the outcome he brought on himself, someone driving on the wrong side of a motorway could easily take someone else with him.

People need to realize that driving is the most dangerous thing we do. People who are incapable of operating their vehicle and abiding by the rules of the road should not be on the road.

Padraig Mor

seamus wrote: »

You know that driving against the traffic on a motorway only carries two points and an €80 fine?

It really should carry a mandatory court appearance and a year's ban. I don't understand why the legal system considers it to be such a minor offence.

It can only be explained by gross stupidity or deliberate recklessness, both of which are perfect reasons to take someone off the road.

I believe that legislation is intended to cover people reversing on the motorway - i.e. someone who misses their exit and reverses up the hard shoulder to go back to it. The case in the OP would almost certainly be classified as (highly!) dangerous driving.

KeithTS

Padraig Mor wrote: »

I believe that legislation is intended to cover people reversing on the motorway - i.e. someone who misses their exit and reverses up the hard shoulder to go back to it. The case in the OP would almost certainly be classified as (highly!) dangerous driving.

So are you defending reversing up the hard shoulder to get back to a missed exit???

Redshift

I passed a bint in a silver yarris or something like it on the wrong side of the dual carriageway outside oranmore yesterday evening. That's two lanes either direction seperated by a median. She was traveling south in the northbound overtaking lane. I drive about 2000kms a week and the incompetence and dangerous disregard I see every day is astonishing.

gutteruu

So, I do about 50k miles per year and over the last 5 years I have seen:

- Someone driving the wrong way along full length of Athlone Bypass
- A young women drving the wrong way from Ballinasloe to Athlone on motorway
- That idiot doing a U-tun that I posted here
- A "few" people driving the wrong way around roundabouts
- 2 people driving UP sliproads the wrong way

Not to mention the daily bull**** of people driving out on front of me, can't use lanes on motorways, roundabouts are a free for all. I have heard of at least 3 people in the last few years dying from driving the wrong way along motorways. But not one single person in this country is trained on how to use them.

And people think its not the "Road SAFETY Authorities" problem??? If road safety is not the road safety authorities problem, then whose is it because I would rather piss someone off into doing their job than have someone tell my child their dad won't be home, ever!!

Padraig Mor

KeithTS wrote: »

So are you defending reversing up the hard shoulder to get back to a missed exit???

Where did you get that retarded notion from?!

Michael D Not Higgins

I've seen at least on two occasions at the offices across from the Sandyford Luas stop, cars taking a left turn against the run of traffic on the one way Blackthorn Avenue, once nearly crashing into me. This means that they can avoid the traffic of doing the loop around the block.

I think they've changed this road layout now to make it two way though (or plan to, haven't been around that way in recent times).

dilallio

gutteruu wrote: »

So, I do about 50k miles per year and over the last 5 years I have seen:

- Someone driving the wrong way along full length of Athlone Bypass
- A young women drving the wrong way from Ballinasloe to Athlone on motorway
- That idiot doing a U-tun that I posted here
- A "few" people driving the wrong way around roundabouts
- 2 people driving UP sliproads the wrong way

She didn't have a wheelie bin tied to the towbar by any chance?

_Kaiser_

Michael D Not Higgins wrote: »

I've seen at least on two occasions at the offices across from the Sandyford Luas stop, cars taking a left turn against the run of traffic on the one way Blackthorn Avenue, once nearly crashing into me. This means that they can avoid the traffic of doing the loop around the block.

I think they've changed this road layout now to make it two way though (or plan to, haven't been around that way in recent times).

Yep it's 2-way now and they had to do it twice before they got it right.

Jhcx

it wouldnt be half as bad if they were smart and in the hard shoulder but.... oh wait

Honestly though you must be fair fcked to be going the wrong way on dualcarraige way where people love to do 100+

How far did they go back i wonder? surprised nobody was injured

gutteruu

Jhcx wrote: »

How far did they go back i wonder? surprised nobody was injured

They went back about 100 yards, were met with a wall of oncoming traffic, swerved into centre grass median then I am presuming they went down the slip road beside them.

Jhcx

gutteruu wrote: »

They went back about 100 yards, were met with a wall of oncoming traffic, swerved into centre grass median then I am presuming they went down the slip road beside them.

good for them hope they got a real shock to the system when they felt they had nowhere to go.
I have no sympathy for someone who is going to be in the wrong specially now that its clear they done a U-turn.