Should I bother reporting dangerous driving?

Turtle-TM

In particular a taxi that brake tested me to the point where he nearly stopped on the N4 before the Liffey valley exit. I have dashcam footage of it, but should I even bother going to the gards with the footage to make a complaint? More than likely even if they take a statement and say they'll follow up they won't.

Also generally would anyone bother reporting dangerous driving?

slimjimmc

Definitely report it especially when you have video evidence. However if you want them to pursue a prosecution you will have to be willing to stand up in court and give testimony and have your own driving scrutinised.

BMJD

if you have the license or reg number, you can use the Driver Check app to report him/her

or hunt them down and kill them

ba_barabus

Post the video!

Littlehorny

Took a van reg once, drove to the Garda station, like your supposed to (or so i thought). Garda behind the desk didn't want to know. Said it is my word against the other driver and i would need a witness. I said i have two witnesses with me in the car. He said i would need an independent eye witness who saw it on the side of the road!
You say you have a camera OP so hopefully you will have more joy than i did.

wandatowell

I reported and obviously drunken driver in Portlaois one Sunday morning, was stuck behind him/her. Gave all the details and got a follow up call from the station super (I think) thanking me a week or two later.

I presume they arrested the driver.

Turtle-TM

I wouldn't be too worried with pushing for a prosecution, however as a so called "professional" driver like a taxi driver they should have a bit more cop on, I won't post the video (yet) in case I do go tho the gards, but basically I was coming off the M50 going onto the N4 west bound where the slip merges with lane 1, before that I beleive its a bus lane so taxi driver was in that, I indicate right to signal I'm merging into lane 1, the taxi driver is behind me, as I approach the bus lane he hasn't sped up or slowed down to allow me to merge, I didn't either, I kept my speed regular, he takes exception, swings out into lane 2 then cuts me off back into lane one, I beep him he again takes exception and slams on the brakes.
He took the slip to Liffey valley, I followed him down and when I was beside him advised him politely he was recorded on dashcam and would be reported to the Gardai for dangerous driving.

Now before the high horse brigade and perfect drvers club roll into town saying I should have slowed/sped up/ to merge maybe you are right, but there's also a consideration to be given to the person merging. The issue is not how I merged, in my opinion, it was the dangerous brake testing and cutting off that the taxi driver did.

On the issue of bothering to report anything to the gards, anything I've ever reported, even making a formal statement on I have never heard squat back.

punisher5112

Defo post video in dash cam in motor forum.

I have been brake checked many a time by taxi drivers they do really have hot heads some of them.

Come on op want to see video....

biko

Do report them and hand over the video to Gardai. They may have previous reports on that taxi, or not.

Vikings

Turtle-TM wrote: »

More than likely even if they take a statement and say they'll follow up they won't.

Why are you on the internet looking for advice if you have already made your mind up? Either post the video or go and report it, don't be circling the drain!

Turtle-TM wrote: »

I wouldn't be too worried with pushing for a prosecution

Then don't report it. If a guard is to take action on it you will need to make a statement and if you don't back that up you are just wasting time for everyone including yourself.

Sheldons Brain

I'd report it. Nothing might be done, but if the Gardai get to hear about the same number again they may decide to act.

vectra

Let the Gardai do their own job.
Nobody was injured and no damage was done..
Do you think the Gardai would do you any favor's if the same one you report it to catch you for something?

Put it down to experience and move on.

Vikings

Turtle-TM wrote: »

as I approach the bus lane he hasn't sped up or slowed down to allow me to merge

Sorry, I just have to don my high horse hat for this one.

That's exactly what he should have done. It really is up to you to either get up to sufficient speed to get in front of him or else slow down to merge behind him. Remember it is you that is merging into his lane, not the other way round. It doesn't excuse what he did afterwards but this is a mole hill, not a mountain.

pa990

A general observation of mine is that, people who get brake tested are usually tailgating

crusier

No sympathy here, sounds like your more interested in getting you ego massaged and hoping the guards dont deal with the complaint the way you want so you can whinge again. Sounds like you were the asshole on the road!

ba_barabus

So with no evidence whatsoever the lynch mob has arrived to judge the OP.

GENIUS

crusier

ba_barabus wrote: »

So with no evidence whatsoever the lynch mob has arrived to judge the OP.

GENIUS

And you arrive to judge everyone!

Turtle-TM

Vikings wrote: »

Sorry, I just have to don my high horse hat for this one.

That's exactly what he should have done. It really is up to you to either get up to sufficient speed to get in front of him or else slow down to merge behind him. Remember it is you that is merging into his lane, not the other way round. It doesn't excuse what he did afterwards but this is a mole hill, not a mountain.

As I said, I may have merged better yes, but his actions were the aggressive and dangerous ones.

ba_barabus

crusier wrote: »

And you arrive to judge everyone!

No I was already here and asked the OP to post the video to see what actually happened before going off on one.

gutteruu

Turtle-TM wrote: »

As I said, I may have merged better yes, but his actions were the aggressive and dangerous ones.

Caused by you. Its like punching someone in the face then reporting them for hitting you back. Your basically saying you pushed him into a different carriageway by not driving properly. Maybe you were too close as his braking was dangerous?

You are putting his entire career at risk by reporting, as they are a professional driver. They were wrong, sure. But his day was fine until you showed up. Very bad form in my opinion.

RainyDay

Start with the Garda Traffic Watch phone line, rather than just calling into a station. This gets it logged on the system straight away, and hopefully somebody in the local station will then follow up. I get the impression that somebody somewhere is checking lists of items logged through TW to ensure they have been followed up. By contrast, if you drop into a station, it is fairly easy for the Gardai to 'file' your report (in the bin).

sh1tstirrer

ba_barabus wrote: »

So with no evidence whatsoever the lynch mob has arrived to judge the OP.

GENIUS

If you get brake tested it means your tailgating, if you're not tailgating and the car in front brakes you have plenty time to react. That's evidence enough.

ba_barabus

sh1tstirrer wrote: »

If you get brake tested it means your tailgating, if you're not tailgating and the car in front brakes you have plenty time to react. That's evidence enough.

To be fair if a car in front slams the brakes on and you're two car lengths back as you're advised to be you're going to be brake tested. That's not tailgating but would still result in a stained drivers seat.

Hachiko

slimjimmc wrote: »

Definitely report it especially when you have video evidence. However if you want them to pursue a prosecution you will have to be willing to stand up in court and give testimony and have your own driving scrutinised.

how can your own driving be looked at, if some idiot brakes in front of you for no obvious reason, there's not much you can do, and don't say ahh you should be xxx feet away from a car in front.

Turtle-TM

gutteruu wrote: »

Caused by you. Its like punching someone in the face then reporting them for hitting you back. Your basically saying you pushed him into a different carriageway by not driving properly. Maybe you were too close as his braking was dangerous?

You are putting his entire career at risk by reporting, as they are a professional driver. They were wrong, sure. But his day was fine until you showed up. Very bad form in my opinion.

So as a "professional" it's acctqble to aggressively brake in the middle of a dual carriageway to force the person behind you to brake after pulling in front of them? He doesn't deserve a career as a "professional" driver in that case.

punisher5112

pa990 wrote: »

A general observation of mine is that, people who get brake tested are usually tailgating

Ever heard of the crash 4 cash business it's going quite well.

I have had many try this in my years of driving and taxi drivers love trying this especially when driving a bus as they know you can't stop as quick when people are on board.

sh1tstirrer

ba_barabus wrote: »

To be fair if a car in front slams the brakes on and you're two car lengths back as you're advised to be you're going to be brake tested. That's not tailgating but would still result in a stained drivers seat.

Which is the reason you need to read the road ahead and anticipate the actions of drivers ahead of you.

slimjimmc

Hachiko wrote: »

how can your own driving be looked at, if some idiot brakes in front of you for no obvious reason, there's not much you can do, and don't say ahh you should be xxx feet away from a car in front.

Because in a court case the defence is going to do what they can to show up anything the OP may have done to drive the taxi to brake test in the first place. From what the OP has told us he may have cut up the taxi (at least in the eyes of the taxi driver), it doesn't justify brake testing but it sets the scene.

gutteruu

Turtle-TM wrote: »

So as a "professional" it's acctqble to aggressively brake in the middle of a dual carriageway to force the person behind you to brake after pulling in front of them? He doesn't deserve a career as a "professional" driver in that case.

Probably not....BUT....he reacted (albeit badly) to your bad driving. What did you expect him to do when you were merging into the side of his car? You antagonised him and got a normal reaction.

crusier

Turtle-TM wrote: »

So as a "professional" it's acctqble to aggressively brake in the middle of a dual carriageway to force the person behind you to brake after pulling in front of them? He doesn't deserve a career as a "professional" driver in that case.

Show us the footage and we'll debate it.

Damien360

OP. Did you put the video up online yet. It would soon settle the argument starting on this thread.

BTW. Garda traffic corp have a Twitter account. Put the video on YouTube and sent a link to their Twitter account. At least you will have tried to have it dealt with. Nothing may come of it but it will settle your mind at least.

Turtle-TM

gutteruu wrote: »

Probably not....BUT....he reacted (albeit badly) to your bad driving. What did you expect him to do when you were merging into the side of his car? You antagonised him and got a normal reaction.

A normal reaction is brake testing?!! Cop on.

crusier

Turtle-TM wrote: »

A normal reaction is brake testing?!! Cop on.

Sometimes that's what happens when two bad drivers meet!

punisher5112

Come on op post video....

Yes you could have avoided or there was no other way but for a taxi driver to be messing about should not be tolerated as a lot of their driving is poor in my opinion.
Not all as some are considerate and don't behave lie they are the only 1 on the road.

But op to really understand what happened show and tell..

People post videos all the time of bad drivers, cyclists and so on and funny thing is sometimes the ones posting videos about something they deem to be bad driving is sometimes nothing that bad at all.

joe912

I drive a lorry and hate dicks who don't either accelerate or slow down when trying to merge.

joe912

Turtle-TM wrote: »

So as a "professional" it's acctqble to aggressively brake in the middle of a dual carriageway to force the person behind you to brake after pulling in front of them? He doesn't deserve a career as a "professional" driver in that case.

calling a taxi driver professional is a big stretch

fryup

give us a goo of the video OP

AndyBoBandy

a picture (or in this case a video) tells a thousand words.

if your here looking for advice, you need to let us see the incident, and advise accordingly.

Colinoneill

Andybobandy wrote: »

a picture (or in this case a video) tells a thousand words.

if your here looking for advice, you need to let us see the incident, and advise accordingly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6i6ALNne60

This happened to me last Friday on the rock road towards town, two lanes going straight on, this person decides to change lane with only one flash of the indicator and obviously didn't look in her mirror

gutteruu

Colinoneill wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6i6ALNne60

This happened to me last Friday on the rock road towards town, two lanes going straight on, this person decides to change lane with only one flash of the indicator and obviously didn't look in her mirror

Thats a proper "Oh $hit" moment!

Spook_ie

BMJD wrote: »

if you have the license or reg number, you can use the Driver Check app to report him/her

or hunt them down and kill them

No you can't, you can see who was registered to be driving the taxi, that isn't always the person who is driving the taxi!

Next, the NTA will tell you that driving offences are a Garda matter and out of their remit

Spook_ie

ba_barabus wrote: »

To be fair if a car in front slams the brakes on and you're two car lengths back as you're advised to be you're going to be brake tested. That's not tailgating but would still result in a stained drivers seat.

I thought it was the 2 second rule NOT the 2 car length rule

seagull

ba_barabus wrote: »

To be fair if a car in front slams the brakes on and you're two car lengths back as you're advised to be you're going to be brake tested. That's not tailgating but would still result in a stained drivers seat.

As above, I've never heard of a two car length gap being advised. I'd consider that hugely inadequate at motorway speeds.