N25 crash

AugustusMinimus

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/man-killed-in-co-cork-collision-1.1450323

RIP the man in his 70s after a head on collision. Reported that the man who died was travelling in the wrong direction on the N25 in a westward direction. Traffic is supposed to be mental with Gardaí advising people to use the old road through Glounthaune.

Shocking in this day and age that these head on accidents are still happening. IMO, anyone who attempts to and then continues down the wrong side of a dual carriageway clearly aren't able to drive.

Worse than this is the RSA's position on this where at present, you only get 1 point on your licence for driving down the wrong side of a dual carriageway. Absolutely shocking stuff. It seems to me that the RSA believe that as long as a person isn't speeding or isn't drunk, then just about anything is allowable on our roads.

Guy:Incognito

Countdown to a post about it only being 1 penalty point.......

Chimaera

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Countdown to a post about it only being 1 penalty point.......

You're too late - the OP already mentioned it!

Guy:Incognito

Chimaera wrote: »

You're too late - the OP already mentioned it!

Dammit. Outdone by my own speed. :-)

Bacchus

RIP

How did he manage to go that far driving on the wrong side of the dual carriage way though! He must have gone down the wrong way on the slip road at the Cobh junction. Probably shouldn't have been on the road at all. The poor man in the other car too. Fright of his life.

I've actually seen two incidents in the past two months of drivers driving up the wrong side of the road, albeit quite slowly (probably confused). Both drivers were elderly and the section of road had been recently altered (i.e. traffic light systems in place instead of roundabout). Not sure what can be done really, I'm sure there must be regular tests if you're over a certain that you are capable driver.

On flip side of course you've everyone from teenagers up, performing all manner of dangerous manoeuvres on the South Link every evening.

AugustusMinimus

IMO, entrances and exits on motorways / dual carriageways mediated by traffic lights are much more dangerous than those which use roundabouts.

Must more likely to get people entering the roads on the wrong side. To do so when its a roundabout is much more difficult as you would have to do a very tight turn.

ABajaninCork

Yes, my husband was telling me about this just now. He works in Carrigtohill, so God knows how long it'll take him to get home.

RIP to the poor man

nightster1

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/man-killed-in-co-cork-collision-1.1450323

RIP the man in his 70s after a head on collision. Reported that the man who died was travelling in the wrong direction on the N25 in a westward direction. Traffic is supposed to be mental with Gardaí advising people to use the old road through Glounthaune.

Shocking in this day and age that these head on accidents are still happening. IMO, anyone who attempts to and then continues down the wrong side of a dual carriageway clearly aren't able to drive.

Worse than this is the RSA's position on this where at present, you only get 1 point on your licence for driving down the wrong side of a dual carriageway. Absolutely shocking stuff. It seems to me that the RSA believe that as long as a person isn't speeding or isn't drunk, then just about anything is allowable on our roads.

I wouldn't be quick to condemn the poor old chap. Could have been a stroke or anything.....

cpoh1

Bacchus wrote: »

On flip side of course you've everyone from teenagers up, performing all manner of dangerous manoeuvres on the South Link every evening.

South ring is one of the safest roads in cork, hasnt been a fatality on it in years and very few serious accidents only fender benders. Considering the traffic thats really good going.

Soarer

nightster1 wrote: »

I wouldn't be quick to condemn the poor old chap. Could have been a stroke or anything.....

How could a stroke contribute to him driving down a one way slip road, and then up the wrong way of a dual carriageway?

Not belittling what happened to the poor man/men. Just don't understand that post.

corktina

some of those junctions want looking at again, far too easy to miss the signage , which is also inconsistent in my view.

yop

nightster1 wrote: »

I wouldn't be quick to condemn the poor old chap. Could have been a stroke or anything.....

You may need to read what happened.

Padraig Mor

nightster1 wrote: »

I wouldn't be quick to condemn the poor old chap. Could have been a stroke or anything.....

That made him go the wrong way down a dual carriageway? Incidents like this featuring elderly and/or drunk drivers on the wrong side of a motorway seem to be increasing in frequency yet the RSA and the government insist on wasting huge amounts of money "tackling" speeding, statistically one of the least of our problems on the roads.

I'm very familiar with the roads in the area and I cannot see how someone could go down the wrong slip road at any of the previous three junctions. It would require awkward angling of a car to take the wrong exit, or ignoring several 'wrong way' signs. Only thing that would jump to mind would be a right turn from the old cork road on the Cobh Cross roundabout and down the slip road, or down the slip road up at the far end of carrigtohill (speculation of course).

Soarer

Padraig Mor wrote: »

That made him go the wrong way down a dual carriageway? Incidents like this featuring elderly and/or drunk drivers on the wrong side of a motorway seem to be increasing in frequency yet the RSA and the government insist on wasting huge amounts of money "tackling" speeding, statistically one of the least of our problems on the roads.

I'm very familiar with the roads in the area and I cannot see how someone could go down the wrong slip road at any of the previous three junctions. It would require awkward angling of a car to take the wrong exit, or ignoring several 'wrong way' signs. Only thing that would jump to mind would be a right turn from the old cork road on the Cobh Cross roundabout and down the slip road, or down the slip road up at the far end of carrigtohill (speculation of course).

That one is probably the most likely. You'd have a hard time trying to swing a car off the roundabout and down the sliproad at the Cobh junction.

AugustusMinimus

Whatmore, this is the second time a person has died on the N25 between Dunkettle and Carrigtowhill due to driving on the wrong side of the road.

A woman about a year or two ago, exited Little Island going down the wrong way and had a fatal crash driving eastbound on the N25.

I have no doubt that this latest crash will facilitate a "Safety" camera zone.

cpoh1

corktina wrote: »

some of those junctions want looking at again, far too easy to miss the signage , which is also inconsistent in my view.

I disagree Corktina, we drive on the left in Ireland. How hard can it be to see that there is no carriageway to your right when you are on the road?

As awful as it sounds there are too many old people on the road that are a potential time bomb waiting to go off. With no regulation and no re-assessment, this type of thing will continue to happen.

Bacchus

cpoh1 wrote: »

South ring is one of the safest roads in cork, hasnt been a fatality on it in years and very few serious accidents only fender benders. Considering the traffic thats really good going.

Doesn't mean there aren't reckless drivers on it. Driving up your ar*e, undertaking, zig zagging through heavy traffic, trying to cut in to the Kinsale road roundabout at the last second ahead of a few cars.

I saw the remnants of a big crash on it back in February...ish, can't quite remember. The front of the car in question was crumpled (I suspect it went into the back of a truck). Pretty sure there have been a number of pile ups on the link over the years too. I remember hearing about one on the South Link near Douglas recently, a lot of the lads were late for work cos of it.

AugustusMinimus

I find a lot of the reckless driving on the South Ring Road is caused by incorrect lane usage by a lot of drivers. The amount of overtaking lane hogging on it is unreal.

Bacchus

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

I find a lot of the reckless driving on the South Ring Road is caused by incorrect lane usage by a lot of drivers. The amount of overtaking lane hogging on it is unreal.

It's so bad for that. Still though, I regularly see drivers not even give a person an opportunity to move out of the fast lane before they undertake. One such incident happened to me, I was overtaking and some guy was right up behind me. Call me crazy, but I like to get ahead of the car I'm overtaking before moving back into the left lane. So, by the time I had my indicator on and moving into the lane, the other guy was already moving into it (cutting across the car in the left lane) and blared his horn at me Muppet.

Kenny Logins

He would have joined the N25 from here at Cobh Cross -

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=cobh+cross&hl=en&ll=51.906843,-8.282919&spn=0.014641,0.045447&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=38.41771,93.076172&hnear=Cobh+Cross,+County+Cork,+Ireland&t=m&z=15&layer=c&cbll=51.906804,-8.283074&panoid=6_0cj7QGfD3Z5LezLE7Zow&cbp=12,285.21,,0,1.95

or here, in Carrigtwohill -

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=cobh+cross&hl=en&ll=51.908763,-8.256826&spn=0.007373,0.022724&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=38.41771,93.076172&hnear=Cobh+Cross,+County+Cork,+Ireland&t=m&z=16&layer=c&cbll=51.908748,-8.256994&panoid=q7TrJruHVBygvbjtfr75BQ&cbp=12,267.52,,0,11.1

nightster1

Soarer wrote: »

How could a stroke contribute to him driving down a one way slip road, and then up the wrong way of a dual carriageway?

Not belittling what happened to the poor man/men. Just don't understand that post.

Nobody here knows the circumstances, he could have has a stroke leading to confusion or whatever. He hardly went the wrong way on purpose!

That said, what happened was a result of dangerous driving on his part. RIP

Soarer

Kenny Logins wrote: »

He would have joined the N25 from here at Cobh Cross -

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=cobh+cross&hl=en&ll=51.906843,-8.282919&spn=0.014641,0.045447&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=38.41771,93.076172&hnear=Cobh+Cross,+County+Cork,+Ireland&t=m&z=15&layer=c&cbll=51.906804,-8.283074&panoid=6_0cj7QGfD3Z5LezLE7Zow&cbp=12,285.21,,0,1.95

or here, in Carrigtwohill -

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=cobh+cross&hl=en&ll=51.908763,-8.256826&spn=0.007373,0.022724&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=38.41771,93.076172&hnear=Cobh+Cross,+County+Cork,+Ireland&t=m&z=16&layer=c&cbll=51.908748,-8.256994&panoid=q7TrJruHVBygvbjtfr75BQ&cbp=12,267.52,,0,11.1

That's what I was trying to get across in my last post.
The one at Cobh cross is awkward enough to get wrong. You'd nearly want to intentionally go down there. Whereas the one down in Carrig is an easy enough mistake to make. Especially with the "double exit" look of it. Looks like one side of the exit is for coming up, and the other for coming down.

Begs the question how he got from there up the point of impact without hitting anyone else.

Soarer

nightster1 wrote: »

Nobody here knows the circumstances, he could have has a stroke leading to confusion or whatever. He hardly went the wrong way on purpose!

That said, what happened was a result of dangerous driving on his part. RIP

Sorry now, but when does a storke lead to confusion?

If you have a stroke and you're driving, pretty much the first thing you do is crash 'cause you lose control of the car. Or if it's very mild, you pull over.

You certainly don't take the wrong turn and continue driving.

Foxhole Norman

It was a shocking crash, the traffic was bedlam and we ended up using the Glounthaun road to get back to the depot in Carrigtohill. When I left around 3 the road was still closed and the traffic was at a stand still.

Dermo123

That is ironic as only yesterday around 5:15PM I was heading out the Mallow road just after passing the Commons bar on the N20. There was plenty of cars heading outa town at the time and I was in left hand lane of my side of Dual Carrigway when I noticed cars in front, on both overtaking lane and left lane slowing down and moving to the left when all of a sudden a car came straight down against us on the overtaking lane going towards Cork. He was driving an old Fiesta but he was not an old codger. In fact the quick glance I got of him he was probably in his twenties. Also he was not going slow at all. I would say he was up to speed limit at least.

Then as everybody composed themselves after that shock further up the road after the Killeens junction there was about 3 cars and a van stopped in both the hard shoulder and the grassy median and the looked as though they had to pull off to avoid being hit. All the drivers of those cars were out of their vehicles and looked a bit annoyed and in a state of shock.

That is the second time in about a year I have come across someone doing that in around the same place.

ba_barabus

Soarer wrote: »

Sorry now, but when does a storke lead to confusion?

Ever lived with someone who has had a stroke or been with them while they're are having one?

Strokes can be mild and the person may not know they've even had one.

yop

Soarer wrote: »

Sorry now, but when does a storke lead to confusion?

If you have a stroke and you're driving, pretty much the first thing you do is crash 'cause you lose control of the car. Or if it's very mild, you pull over.

You certainly don't take the wrong turn and continue driving.

If I had a stork in the car I would for sure be confused

AugustusMinimus

Kenny Logins wrote: »

or here, in Carrigtwohill -

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=cobh+cross&hl=en&ll=51.908763,-8.256826&spn=0.007373,0.022724&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=38.41771,93.076172&hnear=Cobh+Cross,+County+Cork,+Ireland&t=m&z=16&layer=c&cbll=51.908748,-8.256994&panoid=q7TrJruHVBygvbjtfr75BQ&cbp=12,267.52,,0,11.1

As I said above, no roundabout jucntions can be incredibly dangerous leading onto motorways. That junction is a case in point.

mike65

I'm not aware any motorway slip road anywhere has such a device but would a "one way" dipping ramp (which flattens to the road level) be a way to reduce this sort of thing?

ba_barabus

mike65 wrote: »

I'm not aware any motorway slip road anywhere has such a device but would a "one way" dipping ramp (which flattens to the road level) be a way to reduce this sort of thing?

Given they've missed all the signs, negotiated the awkward turn off, have no clue how the road operated, drive down the road against traffic I'm pretty certain they'd just drive around the ramp of they saw it at all

mike65

The ramp would cover the entire width of the road otherwise it would be useless.

Soarer

ba_barabus wrote: »

Ever lived with someone who has had a stroke or been with them while they're are having one?

Strokes can be mild and the person may not know they've even had one.

No *touch wood*.

Just wondering how they'd lead to confusion?

MuppetCheck

The off ramp in Carrig can easily be confused. I've met a car coming the wrong way down it in the past and it's an experience I'd rather not have again. They also don't cut the hedges on it very often meaning visibility when rounding the bend on it is atrocious.

keithclancy

Soarer wrote: »

Sorry now, but when does a storke lead to confusion?

If you have a stroke and you're driving, pretty much the first thing you do is crash 'cause you lose control of the car. Or if it's very mild, you pull over.

You certainly don't take the wrong turn and continue driving.

Actually I know of an older gentleman that became very confused and didn't know what was going on, managed to drive home by following his Sat Nav.

Turned out the next day when he went to the doctor he had experienced a mild stroke.

http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=memory

Symptoms of memory loss after a stroke may include:

Confusion
Problems with short-term memory
Wandering
Getting lost in familiar places
Difficulty following instructions
Trouble making monetary transactions

He didn't even know he was after having a stroke and was driving along, did not lose control of the car either (although if we was on a windy road it would have been a different story)

Soarer

Fair enough Keith. You learn something new every day.

Apologies for being a Doubting Thomas.

keithsfleet

ba_barabus wrote: »

Ever lived with someone who has had a stroke or been with them while they're are having one?

Strokes can be mild and the person may not know they've even had one.

Colm hayes had a lady on his show on 2fm yesterday who was having a stroke but thought it was just a hangover.
She

Kenny Logins

keithsfleet wrote: »

Colm hayes had a lady on his show on 2fm yesterday who was having a stroke but thought it was just a hangover.
She

She..?

ba_barabus

keithsfleet wrote: »

Colm hayes had a lady on his show on 2fm yesterday who was having a stroke but thought it was just a hangover.

I had a teacher who got a stroke in class. He was a bit of a joker and we thought his confusion was part of him joking. He kept going to leave the class and kept turning the wrong way, walking to the wall and wondering where the door was.

My auld boy was suffering strokes for a few months before he passed away. Nobody knew, not even himself but looking back the signs were there but nobody noticed. I'll never forget trying to explain to him that 90 minus 10 was 80. He used to get very confused and cranky too.

Rhys Essien

Bacchus wrote: »

Doesn't mean there aren't reckless drivers on it. Driving up your ar*e, undertaking, zig zagging through heavy traffic, trying to cut in to the Kinsale road roundabout at the last second ahead of a few cars.

I saw the remnants of a big crash on it back in February...ish, can't quite remember. The front of the car in question was crumpled (I suspect it went into the back of a truck). Pretty sure there have been a number of pile ups on the link over the years too. I remember hearing about one on the South Link near Douglas recently, a lot of the lads were late for work cos of it.

For future reference,thats the South Ring you are talking about.The South Link is the dual carriagway from the Elysian tower to the Kinsale Road roundabout.Its in the name,Link,Ring.In time the South Ring will hopefully join up with the North Ring to form a ring road around the whole city like the M50 in Dublin.

gavmcg92

Dad just about avoided this man and unfortunately the car behind him was the one in the collision. He's a little shook up.

Kenny Logins

gavmcg92 wrote: »

Dad just about avoided this man and unfortunately the car behind him was the one in the collision. He's a little shook up.

A few cars must have passed him if he did join the N25 in Carrig.

gavmcg92

Kenny Logins wrote: »

A few cars must have passed him if he did join the N25 in Carrig.

Yes that's true. I believe they were over taking a truck and had nowhere to veer out of the way.

Kenny Logins

Jesus. That road is bad enough when everybody is travelling in the same direction.

Jeju

Kenny Logins wrote: »

Jesus. That road is bad enough when everybody is travelling in the same direction.

Agree. I hate it in the morning people just bully their way onto the Dunkettle slip. Some then decide the queue is still too long an pull out onto the main road into traffic again.
No better in the evening when leaving the roundabout at Dunkettle you get 3 lanes reducing into 2 the joining the N25. Everyone just seem to want to get to the N25 first the fools.

DIESEL TOM

there a video of the aftermath of the crash on youtube just type in car crash 02/07/2013

urajoke

DIESEL TOM wrote: »

there a video of the aftermath of the crash on youtube just type in car crash 02/07/2013

Just for some its from the Irish examiner not a joe blogs who decided to record a fatal crash.

Bacchus

Rhys Essien wrote: »

For future reference,thats the South Ring you are talking about.The South Link is the dual carriagway from the Elysian tower to the Kinsale Road roundabout.Its in the name,Link,Ring.In time the South Ring will hopefully join up with the North Ring to form a ring road around the whole city like the M50 in Dublin.

Pedantic much. Everyone in Cork knows link and ring are interchangeable like :-)

Foxhole Norman

Bacchus wrote: »

Pedantic much. Everyone in Cork knows link and ring are interchangeable like :-)

You're not wrong.

gavmcg92

Dad has to go into his local Garda station to give a statement.

According the the Gards the guy who was in the car that was hit was 20 and has a lot of broken bones from the mid section down. Hopefully he is able to fully recover.

Bacchus

Poor guy

I heard on the radio that the driver was in his 80's, not 70's, as the article said. Anyone know anything about that?

Max Power1

Hopefully the other guy involved makes a full recovery.

I have no time for any mouth breathing idiot who drives the wrong way down a motorway/DC. One of the most stupid things you could possibly do, putting the lives of many other motorists at risk.

To the driver who was driving the car the wrong way, good riddance. Hopefully your stupidity will encourage the RSA to make some preventative actions against your level of stupidity. Perhaps bi yearly driving tests for over 65s?