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Crashes on the N40

  • 23-01-2015 10:52am
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,852 ✭✭✭


    Is it just my imagination or has there been a huge increase in the number of crashes/fender benders on the N40 at busy commuter times. Seems to be mainly centered around the Bloomfield Interchange, but the whole stretch from the tunnel to Kinsale Rd roundabout seems to be an accident black spot. I'm just back to work after maternity leave and in the three weeks I'm back, I've been delayed 6 times (and I only work Monday - Thursday!) and this morning I see a tweet from 96FM saying there is another crash. Invariably even the smallest fender bender clogs up the whole road for 30 mins or more.

    Looking at the behaviour of drivers it's not hard to see why it's happening, switching lanes with no warnings, driving way too close to the car in front, driving too fast for the conditions. But can anything be done? Could the speed limit be reduced at certain hours? Or would a garda presence for a few weeks make a difference? Or something be done with the traffic from Douglas so there isn't so much lane switches with no warning? It's got to the stage where allowing 50 mins from Dunkettle interchange to kinsale road isn't enough, it's very frustrating, I'm either 45 mins early or late!


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Comments

  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,311 ✭✭✭Chemical Byrne


    No , you're not imagining it at all. A crash is almost to be expected there every other morning. I've been held up by it innumerable times and people were even talking about the frequency of crashed here in work this morning.

    The standard of motoring on the N40 is attrocious, it's little wonder there are so many crashes. Everyone is so damn aggressive on that road.
    Driving too fast; not leaving enough room; people on the mainline refusing to allow traffic to merge; people crossing multiple lanes at once; on the phone etc etc.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,385 ✭✭✭✭D'Agger


    Been talking about this at work the past two weeks - seems a day hasn't gone by without incident.

    A pet peev of mine is cars going towards the Kinsale road roundabout staying in the right/overtaking lane and tailgating, staying in the middle/centre lane constantly has people driving up, braking to very slow speeds and looking to cut in to the Kinsale roundabout where the flyover is.

    I understand to an extent why people stay in the right lane for this reason but slowness & the tailgating means it's really dangerous
    No , you're not imagining it at all. A crash is almost to be expected there every other morning. I've been held up by it innumerable times and people were even talking about the frequency of crashed here in work this morning.

    The standard of motoring on the N40 is attrocious, it's little wonder there are so many crashes. Everyone is so damn aggressive on that road.
    Driving too fast; not leaving enough room; people on the mainline refusing to allow traffic to merge; people crossing multiple lanes at once; on the phone etc etc.

    Now that you mention it, was coming down the flyover at Kinsale - headed towards the Douglas exits, almost had a guy go straight into the side of me - merged from the roundabout and continued to sweep onto my lane without looking, slammed on the brakes and he barely missed me - phone up to the ear...hard not to lose your shít at that kind of carry on


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,411 ✭✭✭ABajaninCork


    I drove along there today. I did not enjoy the experience...

    Some of the driving I've seen is truly frightening. It doesn't help that I think the road is poorly signposted either, especially at the Kinsale roundabout turning off to either the City or to Togher. Nightmare!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 755 ✭✭✭mcko


    The main problem is a lack of Gardai on the roads, also drivers who can't q in traffic like the rest of us.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,651 ✭✭✭✭road_high


    Drove that road al times a few months back. Couldn't get over the amount of overtaking lane hoggers, worst I've seen in this country and that's saying something. Maybe the 100kmh limit exaggerates these or something.


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  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 115 ✭✭nomeban


    My colleague uses the tunnel & N40 to get to work daily and she is ridiculousy late at least once a week due to some sort of accident on that feckin road. It's bloody ridiculous!

    I can't believe how many crashes she's been stuck behind. Not just recently but all through 2014. It took her 1 hour and a half to drive from Middleton to Wilton last week!

    What the hell is going on with the N40?!?!?!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,122 ✭✭✭Starscream25


    I'm a motorcyclist and can't afford a car, going back to college in the next week, dreading using that road, might take the route through Patricks street instead.
    Just be careful everybody and don't forget the 2 second rule, and don't be using your phones while driving, watching a young driver overtake me at 70mph while on the phone I nearly had a heart attack.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 115 ✭✭nomeban


    If you see a driver on their phone is there any way of reporting them? Or even bad driving - can we report that? I have a dashcam if that makes a difference. It might not be able to see somebody talking on the phone but it does record idiotic behaviour every day.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,562 ✭✭✭kub


    nomeban wrote: »
    If you see a driver on their phone is there any way of reporting them? Or even bad driving - can we report that? I have a dashcam if that makes a difference. It might not be able to see somebody talking on the phone but it does record idiotic behaviour every day.

    You can of course report it, but in order for a prosecution to be enforced you would have to be a witness in a court room.
    Different of course if you report it and a Garda actually witnesses the crime him or herself.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,379 ✭✭✭✭namloc1980


    The driving on that stretch of road is absolutely horrendous. Irish people generally are very poor motorway drivers with poor lane discipline and little consideration for fellow road users. And the use of mobile phones while driving is phenomenol. Never seen it so bad.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 992 ✭✭✭kcb


    The way I see it:

    1. Horrendously bad road designs, ie. allowing KRR (Kinsale Rd Rndbt) traffic merge too near to flyover and also the lack of lanes coming from Carrs Hill onto N40.
    There are many more examples too.

    2. Impatient idiots that do not use the full slip road / merge lane ie. coming from KRR onto N40. Irish drivers do not seem to understand the use of lanes.

    3. People who sweep across 2-3 lanes in one movement

    4. People who cruise along in the overtaking lane (whoever called it the "fast lane" should be shot!)

    5. General bad driving skills and knowledge

    6. General ignorance / arrogance and lack of respect for others safety (this could be called a lack of understanding of the dangers of the roads)

    7. Major lack of police on the roads


    Another thing that seems to be a new phenomenon is:
    - people no longer stopping on orange lights, it's now 3-4 secs after it goes red
    - people preempting a green light and setting off in advance of it turning green

    A disaster waiting to happen.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 755 ✭✭✭mcko


    I agree with the red lights if your light is green you often get 2 cars coming through the red, also cyclists on foot paths, are we completely lawless when it comes to the roads.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 115 ✭✭nomeban


    mcko wrote: »
    I agree with the red lights if your light is green you often get 2 cars coming through the red, also cyclists on foot paths, are we completely lawless when it comes to the roads.

    Happens in the city centre too. Ive often walked at the green man only to nearly be flattened by a car. Imagine if I was actually blind and trusted that beeping noise! This happens a lot at the lights around the opera house.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,278 ✭✭✭mordeith


    nomeban wrote: »
    Happens in the city centre too. Ive often walked at the green man only to nearly be flattened by a car. Imagine if I was actually blind and trusted that beeping noise! This happens a lot at the lights around the opera house.

    Happens all the time in town. Singers corner lights are the worst.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,463 ✭✭✭run_Forrest_run


    The hogging of the overtaking lane I feel is because of the clowns in the middle lane approaching the kinsale roundabout actually stopping in the lane trying to merge into the left lane for the said roundabout in an attempt to queue hop.

    I'm not condoning the overtaking lane hogging but just highlighting how one ignorant and dangerous practice gives rise to another bad and dangerous practice.

    Drivers on that road are pig ignorant and some Garda presence would definitely help. Of course it shouldn't come to that but hey, this is Ireland.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,852 ✭✭✭ncmc


    mcko wrote: »
    I agree with the red lights if your light is green you often get 2 cars coming through the red, also cyclists on foot paths, are we completely lawless when it comes to the roads.

    I find this very bad on the Dunkettle interchange itself, I think traffic coming around the roundabout is particularly bad for this, blocking up the whole intersection so the traffic from Dublin side can't move. If everyone just obeyed the lights, then there might not be 30 min queues on the dublin side every morning. The annoying thing is that traffic on the roundabout already has priority and the sequence of green is very short coming from Dublin. But everyone just cares about themselves and f*ck the traffic flow.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,385 ✭✭✭✭D'Agger


    kcb wrote: »
    The way I see it:

    1. Horrendously bad road designs, ie. allowing KRR (Kinsale Rd Rndbt) traffic merge too near to flyover and also the lack of lanes coming from Carrs Hill onto N40.
    There are many more examples too.

    2. Impatient idiots that do not use the full slip road / merge lane ie. coming from KRR onto N40. Irish drivers do not seem to understand the use of lanes.

    3. People who sweep across 2-3 lanes in one movement

    4. People who cruise along in the overtaking lane (whoever called it the "fast lane" should be shot!)

    5. General bad driving skills and knowledge

    6. General ignorance / arrogance and lack of respect for others safety (this could be called a lack of understanding of the dangers of the roads)

    7. Major lack of police on the roads


    Another thing that seems to be a new phenomenon is:
    - people no longer stopping on orange lights, it's now 3-4 secs after it goes red
    - people preempting a green light and setting off in advance of it turning green

    A disaster waiting to happen.

    All spot on points kcb

    With regard to the breaking of reds - Cork is renowned for the amount of traffic lights around the city, but the number of people in this City who break reds drives me up the walls.

    I use the Well road everyday and that junction is beyond belief, particularly coming from Douglas road in towards Douglas (Topaz) - every day I see the light go red and at least two more cars fly through and that's the danger - they're not just chancing it - they're absolutely flooring it!
    The hogging of the overtaking lane I feel is because of the clowns in the middle lane approaching the kinsale roundabout actually stopping in the lane trying to merge into the left lane for the said roundabout in an attempt to queue hop.

    I'm not condoning the overtaking lane hogging but just highlighting how one ignorant and dangerous practice gives rise to another bad and dangerous practice.

    Drivers on that road are pig ignorant and some Garda presence would definitely help. Of course it shouldn't come to that but hey, this is Ireland.

    It's exactly the reason behind the fast lane hogging. I can admit myself to staying in the queue of traffic in the overtaking lane - I will normally try to pull in after the KRR, but normally by the time you're hitting the flyover you're going 80km because somebody at the top of the queue is oblivious to the fact that you drive on the left in this country, including the left lane on motorways etc. - if I pull into the left lane then I'm stuck there at a snails pace, unable to get back into the overtaking lane due to the queue of traffic taking up the lane - while that is the correct way to go about things, unless more people are doing it then it's infuriating & pointless


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,883 ✭✭✭pa990


    Cheap Chinese tyres are on a lot of cars involved in these accidents.

    just something I've noticed on my travels


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,411 ✭✭✭ABajaninCork


    Yup. Something I've noticed here a lot. My husband's put on some crappy tyres on our car which I'm not happy with and want to change them to Goodyears or similar which I've always had on my cars.

    Better to be safe rather than sorry.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,379 ✭✭✭✭namloc1980


    Some of the driving in the tunnel is also quite frightening: speeding, crossing lanes and undertaking amongst other things are regular occurrences.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 481 ✭✭clerk


    kcb wrote: »
    Another thing that seems to be a new phenomenon is:
    - people no longer stopping on orange lights, it's now 3-4 secs after it goes red

    People in Cork go through red lights at an unreal rate.

    When you're trying to pull out of Mahon Point and heading towards the City is an example. The lights go green and 3/4 more cars will be coming through meaning the cars can't move on green !! it's mad stuff. There was a head on crash there one Day right in the middle of the whole junction.

    An English buddy of mine was saying to me we take off fierce slow on a green and l said if you take off fast on a green all the time in Cork a 'red light breaker' will plough into you and he had a think about it and said, "yeah, you're right". :D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 481 ✭✭clerk


    Yup. Something I've noticed here a lot. My husband's put on some crappy tyres on our car which I'm not happy with and want to change them to Goodyears or similar which I've always had on my cars.

    Better to be safe rather than sorry.

    A buddy of mine who knows his stuff about cars said if you're a near accident and need to do an emergency stop the only bit of the car touching the road are the 4 bits of rubber.

    I know times are tough but tyres are the last thing to cut back on.

    Also, another thing he said was that cars are designed and car tested with the appropriate sized tyres. Appearently a lot of these boy racers take the tyres off and put different size tyres on. If these tyres are a different size to the appropriate size they may not react properly in a crash. l'm amazed there's not more coverage of it on the TV or whatever. It's absolute Mad Max stuff.


  • Hosted Moderators Posts: 9,980 ✭✭✭mik_da_man


    Sorry but that's a load of ill informed rubbish.
    So called "boy racers" are a lot more likely to spend a few quid on decent tyres as they are a lot more likely to know what's needed to keep the car between the ditches.

    Your average punter goes into the tyre shop and looks for the cheapest rubbish so it will pass NCT, I'd fully agree with the poster above who links crap tyres to crashes.

    The difference is huge. I'd fully advise everyone to test it out if you ever get a chance. I've bought cars with cheap tyres and its the first thing I'd change.



    Just back OT anyway, I drive the N40 every day, the vast majority of crashes are quite minor.
    Small tips but cause chaos.
    Simple cause everytime , people not leaving enough space to the car in front and not paying enough attention. Do this with crap tyres and your straight into the back of someone.

    Two other tips:

    The merge lanes are long, use them, not just the start or end.
    Let cars merge!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,411 ✭✭✭ABajaninCork


    mik_da_man wrote: »
    Just back OT anyway, I drive the N40 every day, the vast majority of crashes are quite minor.
    Small tips but cause chaos.
    Simple cause everytime , people not leaving enough space to the car in front and not paying enough attention. Do this with crap tyres and your straight into the back of someone.


    Two other tips:

    The merge lanes are long, use them, not just the start or end.
    Let cars merge!

    Another reason would be the cars slowing down to have a good look! Hit traffic going into the tunnel the other day in the early afternoon. Very slow going into the tunnel. When I got there, there was a prang. Cars were to the side of the road, and not blocking anything. But the cars in front were having a good gawp.

    Drives me mad. As long as there's nobody hurt and things are being taken care of, there's no reason for the traffic to slow.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 481 ✭✭clerk


    mik_da_man wrote: »
    Sorry but that's a load of ill informed rubbish.
    So called "boy racers" are a lot more likely to spend a few quid on decent tyres as they are a lot more likely to know what's needed to keep the car between the ditches.

    The point l was making was about boy racers putting incorrectly "sized" tyres on their cars.

    l did not say anything about them putting pure quality tyres on their cars, that was a generic point l made.

    The guy I was talking to is a qualified mechanic who has been talking to car engineers/assessors after car crashes.

    Look you're entitled to your opinion but it's not "ill informed rubbish" as you put it. If you have the wrong size tyres on any motor vehicle it's not going to have a good end result in a car crash, it will at the very least interfere with your brake time.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,235 ✭✭✭Dave147


    D'Agger wrote: »
    Been talking about this at work the past two weeks - seems a day hasn't gone by without incident.

    A pet peev of mine is cars going towards the Kinsale road roundabout staying in the right/overtaking lane and tailgating, staying in the middle/centre lane constantly has people driving up, braking to very slow speeds and looking to cut in to the Kinsale roundabout where the flyover is.

    I understand to an extent why people stay in the right lane for this reason but slowness & the tailgating means it's really dangerous



    Now that you mention it, was coming down the flyover at Kinsale - headed towards the Douglas exits, almost had a guy go straight into the side of me - merged from the roundabout and continued to sweep onto my lane without looking, slammed on the brakes and he barely missed me - phone up to the ear...hard not to lose your shít at that kind of carry on

    I've a severe back injury thanks to that. ****ing morons haven't a clue how to drive, car smashed into the back of me.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,719 ✭✭✭Bacchus


    Crazy van driver on the ring road this morning (got on at Kinsale Road Roundabout from the link road). He was just weaving between lanes, no indicator and didn't seem to care that there were cars in the lane already. He got blasted out of it by a few drivers he nearly hit. We stayed well back from him. What a muppet.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 755 ✭✭✭mcko


    Look around any car park and the amount of cars and jeeps with poor tyres is scary, I parked next to Volvo XC90 in Douglas last week and the 2 front tyres were completely bald no thread at all,I know tyres are expensive but again its all down to a lack of enforcement. I can't remember the last time I saw a traffic car on the roads never mind a check point.


  • Hosted Moderators Posts: 9,980 ✭✭✭mik_da_man


    clerk wrote: »
    The point l was making was about boy racers putting incorrectly "sized" tyres on their cars.

    l did not say anything about them putting pure quality tyres on their cars, that was a generic point l made.

    The guy I was talking to is a qualified mechanic who has been talking to car engineers/assessors after car crashes.

    Look you're entitled to your opinion but it's not "ill informed rubbish" as you put it. If you have the wrong size tyres on any motor vehicle it's not going to have a good end result in a car crash, it will at the very least interfere with your brake time.

    Maybe I was a bit harsh, but it's perfectly safe to put different sized tyres, within certain tolerances, on your car and have no adverse effect on braking. Cars come with different wheel sizes so changing from what's
    factory fit is not not as dangerous as your making out.


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  • Hosted Moderators Posts: 9,980 ✭✭✭mik_da_man


    Just to add my own experience from today.

    I joined the ring road at Broomfield, was exiting at KRR, merged into the exit lane about half way along between Douglas exit and the roundabout. Lady in a mini was in front of me. She indicated out and joined the ring road, slowed down a bit and I ended up side by side, then just near the end of the merging lane she decided to come back in, I had to slam on to avoid her hitting me and let her back in...
    Idiot!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 776 ✭✭✭Judes


    I was on the Midleton to Cork road this morning and there was a large object in my lane ahead of me, so I slowed down, put on my warning lights - to advise driver behind me - I mean I gave plenty of warning - I couldn't tell if it was a large animal, human or what kind of object, as I got closer I could see it was part of a car/truck so it was safe for me to continue straight on my lane, as it wasn't going to move or cause any damage - so then I realised the car behind me was right up my a?se and waving his fists and making faces at me. I just couldn't believe it - I was trying to be a kind and careful driver and he just wanted to speed along without a care. I had caused him a huge delay of 2-3 seconds on his journey.

    As for the Tunnel - I stick to the 80 kph speed limit and never change lane - because you're not supposed to and it's dangerous. One stupid, careless driver can cause a huge incident/accident in the tunnel because of their selfishness. A friend of mine in Switzerland told me a few years back the Government were so sick of careless drivers crashing in one of the major tunnels that they declared if there was one more crash the tunnel would be closed off and drivers would have to drive across the mountain roads which would mean creeping slowly in the snow. Not sure if that threat worked.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,780 ✭✭✭JohnK


    Looks to be another crash on it this evening, can see the traffic backed up over the Douglas flyover and a load of flashing lights & sirens were trying to get past.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,379 ✭✭✭✭namloc1980


    Judes wrote: »
    I was on the Midleton to Cork road this morning and there was a large object in my lane ahead of me, so I slowed down, put on my warning lights - to advise driver behind me - I mean I gave plenty of warning - I couldn't tell if it was a large animal, human or what kind of object, as I got closer I could see it was part of a car/truck so it was safe for me to continue straight on my lane, as it wasn't going to move or cause any damage - so then I realised the car behind me was right up my a?se and waving his fists and making faces at me. I just couldn't believe it - I was trying to be a kind and careful driver and he just wanted to speed along without a care. I had caused him a huge delay of 2-3 seconds on his journey.

    As for the Tunnel - I stick to the 80 kph speed limit and never change lane - because you're not supposed to and it's dangerous. One stupid, careless driver can cause a huge incident/accident in the tunnel because of their selfishness. A friend of mine in Switzerland told me a few years back the Government were so sick of careless drivers crashing in one of the major tunnels that they declared if there was one more crash the tunnel would be closed off and drivers would have to drive across the mountain roads which would mean creeping slowly in the snow. Not sure if that threat worked.

    I saw that large item of debris on the road this morning also. I did like you and slowed down with hazards etc. Guy behind took no notice and flew past me beeping his horn! Eejit.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,852 ✭✭✭ncmc


    Traffic in the inside lane approaching the slip road of the KRR was at a complete standstill this morning due to people trying to merge at the very top and avoid queuing. Bloody morons, it's so tempting not to let anyone in, but I guess that only adds to the chaos. What's scary is the amount of trucks/lorries/professional drivers trying to pull this stunt. You'd think they would know better and act more responsibly considering the size of vehicle they're driving.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,385 ✭✭✭✭D'Agger


    ncmc wrote: »
    Traffic in the inside lane approaching the slip road of the KRR was at a complete standstill this morning due to people trying to merge at the very top and avoid queuing. Bloody morons, it's so tempting not to let anyone in, but I guess that only adds to the chaos. What's scary is the amount of trucks/lorries/professional drivers trying to pull this stunt. You'd think they would know better and act more responsibly considering the size of vehicle they're driving.
    Yup, saw it again - BMW in the inside lane heading towards the flyover driving 20-30km trying to squeeze in and forcing people headed towards the flyover into the fast lane

    I did see 3 guards on their way out on motorcycles around the Sarsfield flyover but I think it's worth dropping a line to the guards and requesting that a presence be put on KRR to pull drivers over this stuff - it's incredibly dangerous


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,409 ✭✭✭✭the beer revolu


    ncmc wrote: »
    Traffic in the inside lane approaching the slip road of the KRR was at a complete standstill this morning due to people trying to merge at the very top and avoid queuing. Bloody morons, it's so tempting not to let anyone in, but I guess that only adds to the chaos. What's scary is the amount of trucks/lorries/professional drivers trying to pull this stunt. You'd think they would know better and act more responsibly considering the size of vehicle they're driving.

    The reason people keep doing this is because somebody always let's them in.
    Everyone : stop letting queue jumpers into traffic. They will learn to behave, eventually.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,411 ✭✭✭ABajaninCork


    It was ever thus...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,516 ✭✭✭Outkast_IRE


    Another crash this evening delaying things i believe


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,175 ✭✭✭hoodwinked


    Another crash this evening delaying things i believe

    yet another two car collision this time in the overtaking lane by the RPH heading towards the kinsale road roundabout! :rolleyes:


    if people could stop driving like assholes on that road, i think we'd all appreciate it,


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,037 ✭✭✭blindsider


    ncmc wrote: »
    Traffic in the inside lane approaching the slip road of the KRR was at a complete standstill this morning due to people trying to merge at the very top and avoid queuing. Bloody morons, it's so tempting not to let anyone in, but I guess that only adds to the chaos. What's scary is the amount of trucks/lorries/professional drivers trying to pull this stunt. You'd think they would know better and act more responsibly considering the size of vehicle they're driving.


    Crazy situation!

    They badly need to put this in about halfway back to the Douglas on-ramp

    ig_curb_1.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=555&height=312&rnd=130567268320000000


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,610 ✭✭✭Padraig Mor


    hoodwinked wrote: »
    yet another two car collision this time in the overtaking lane by the RPH heading towards the kinsale road roundabout! :rolleyes:
    ,

    Could be wrong, but I'd swear that the car that hit the car in front was an unmarked Garda car - think I saw blue lights inside it. And he did a right job too - quite a bit of damage to his car.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,385 ✭✭✭✭D'Agger


    Was headed towards the KRR from the Wilton side this evening and there was another crash on the opposite side headed towards the Sarsfield road roundabout - Gardaí on the scene - queue cars in front of me hitting the brakes to have a look / slow down when they see blue lights

    Would love to see stats on crashes caused by rubbernecking like that!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,836 ✭✭✭Brussels Sprout


    Great thread. Delighted to know I'm not the only one incensed by all those selfish pricks clogging up the middle lane trying to skip the queue at the KRR exit heading west every morning.

    Going in the opposite direction I'm always real wary of the cars merging onto the road coming from the KRR and the Carrigaline Road. I had a bad scare on the latter last year when a guy on his phone never checked his blind spot and pulled right into my lane causing me to swerve to avoid him. The way that that particular merge is on the back of a banked downhill road makes it extra dangerous as the cars are practically flung out into the main road.

    People blatantly going through red lights as well. it's unbelievable some times. I'l actually wince as I see someone fly through a junction at 40mph a good second after the light has turned red.

    I drove in New Zealand for 6 months. In that time I got 3 tickets (2 for speeding on the intercity highways, one for going through an orange light) and was randomly stopped on another 2 occasions at roadside checkpoints to be breathalysed.
    I've driven in Ireland for about 12 times that duration and I've never been stopped by the police and only driven through a handful of checkpoints. I don't think my driving is any better over here then it was over there. It's just that there are hardly any traffic police over here in comparison (I don't think the police would ever ticket you for running an orange light here either but that's a different debate).

    Ultimately in this country for a considerable % of people, if they realise they can flaunt a rule with no reprecussions for themselves then they will do that regardless of the cost to others. The only solution therefore is to have more enforcement.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,516 ✭✭✭Outkast_IRE


    blindsider wrote: »
    Crazy situation!

    They badly need to put this in about halfway back to the Douglas on-ramp

    Or simply install a high resolution camera and hand out dangerous driving fines/court apperances for every idiot trying this trick, i am sure it would pay for the camera in no time, probably turn a major profit within a month.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,208 ✭✭✭keithclancy


    ncmc wrote: »
    Traffic in the inside lane approaching the slip road of the KRR was at a complete standstill this morning due to people trying to merge at the very top and avoid queuing. Bloody morons, it's so tempting not to let anyone in, but I guess that only adds to the chaos. What's scary is the amount of trucks/lorries/professional drivers trying to pull this stunt. You'd think they would know better and act more responsibly considering the size of vehicle they're driving.

    I think that's because Ireland has no clear rule on merging, it's just a kind of merge when possible while giving way to people on the motorway already.

    Whereas on the continent its use the entire slip road and then merge one for one (like a zipper) with cars on the motorway giving way to people joining the motorway.

    Which IMO is far more efficient than leaving most of the slip road unused and causing a tailback way down the slip road probably onto a roundabout.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,836 ✭✭✭Brussels Sprout


    Or simply install a high resolution camera and hand out dangerous driving fines/court apperances for every idiot trying this trick, i am sure it would pay for the camera in no time, probably turn a major profit within a month.

    Great idea. However would it stand up if challenged in court?

    Would it work on the basis that anybody trying to merge into the queue in any position would be seen to be guilty of dangerous driving?

    What would happen if the queue was all the way back to the Douglas on-ramp?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,516 ✭✭✭Outkast_IRE


    Great idea. However would it stand up if challenged in court?

    Would it work on the basis that anybody trying to merge into the queue in any position would be seen to be guilty of dangerous driving?

    What would happen if the queue was all the way back to the Douglas on-ramp?
    Like most situations Gardai deal with it would obviously need a bit of a common sense approach.


  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,523 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21


    Good to see some kind of enforcement happening on the South Ring :

    https://twitter.com/GardaTraffic/status/567823551258058752

    If only they were out at peak times


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,385 ✭✭✭✭D'Agger


    nomeban wrote: »
    Happens in the city centre too. Ive often walked at the green man only to nearly be flattened by a car. Imagine if I was actually blind and trusted that beeping noise! This happens a lot at the lights around the opera house.
    At the same time - I've seen multiple occurrences of pedestrians acting improperly at singers corner, had one or two people walk out in front of my car there and most recently while I was walking, noticed people straight up walking across and forcing a car going around the corner towards South Mall to stop and wait for circa 10 people to pass

    That area is a complete mess, the last two times I've decided to go through town from the Mardyke have been disastrous


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