More Irish driving oddities: parking against traffic flow

Iwannahurl

So there you are, driving or cycling on the left along a public road, as required by law and custom.

The vehicle ahead of you turns right, or you go round a corner, and all of a sudden you see a motorist driving towards you on the wrong side of the road.

Would you:

(a) scream in fear, break out in an instant cold sweat and come to a screeching halt?
(b) exclaim angrily and quickly call the Garda Siochana to report the motorist for dangerous driving?
(c) do nothing, except roll your eyes wistfully, perhaps -- this is Ireland after all and the motorist is only parking their car against the flow of traffic just like everybody else?

You answered a or b? Did you come down in the last shower? The Irish Rules of the Road, God bless 'em, merely tell us to park in the direction of traffic flow "where possible".

What a marvellous catch-all get-out clause for swerving across the road and parking at the first handy spot we see. Never mind that we have to drive against traffic to get into it. Who cares that we often can't see properly when leaving the spot, so that we have to pull out into the traffic flow just to get a clear view of the road. Shur isn't it grand?

TTBOMK parking against the flow of traffic is illegal in South Africa, Japan, New Zealand, and at least some parts of Australia, Canada and the USA.

I don't know about anywhere else, but I know people from other countries who laugh in derision and amazement that it's not just tolerated in Ireland but completely legal and utterly normal.

Of course that's a minority view, right?

the dark phantom

Totally agree. It adds to the general slowness of traffic.

macplaxton

I know in the UK (passed my test there) in the highway code parking bit says: R239 "do not park facing against the traffic flow", which being a "do not" is only a strong suggestion. The time it becomes a "MUST NOT", which is when it's illegal to it is at night time R248.

So I don't really have a problem with it. There are far worse examples of driving to worry about.

bladespin

Ticketable offence in parts of the US, was warned against it when I was there.

How does that car move away? The lane is separate with an island

alias no.9

[Deleted User] wrote: »

How does that car move away? The lane is separate with an island

Wrong way round the roundabout silly, be grand!

slimjimmc

Deleted User wrote: »

How does that car move away? The lane is separate with an island

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reversing_gear

Carlos Orange

Deleted User wrote: »

How does that car move away? The lane is separate with an island

Simples. It reverses.

Indricotherium

Was a woman jailed for manslaughter a while ago for parking on the wrong side at night and leaving the lights on?

Another car came around the corner and drove into a wall, because of it? This is ringing a bell for me?

BorneTobyWilde

Get 3 trucks side by side through there in all fairness.

Atlantic Dawn

Them being parked on the footpath is more dangerous, some person with a pram will have to venture onto the road risking them being wiped out by oncoming traffic around the corner not seeing them.

Special Circumstances

Silly pixie heads!

psinno

psinno wrote: »

Simples. It reverses.

That must also be how it got there

bladebrew

Indricotherium wrote: »

Was a woman jailed for manslaughter a while ago for parking on the wrong side at night and leaving the lights on?

Another car came around the corner and drove into a wall, because of it? This is ringing a bell for me?

I know that happened in West cork, but I don't know the outcome, not sure if it is the case you are talking about?

I have to admit, parking against the flow of traffic is a non issue in my opinion. Rarely/never seen it actually cause issue.

In relation to the picture posted, parking on the path is the issue that wrecks my head. I actually don't mind someone on the path, if they're leaving space, but if you can't get a buggy or wheelchair by, then I think it's one of the few times I'd agree with someone keying a car (not that I've ever seen it done, but if I had a wheelchair / buggy and came upon that situation, I think I'd hit the rage level required to actually damage someone's car).

Hachiko

that would get either clamped or taken away in England I am pretty sure. There is a right way and wrong way to park a car, that is the latter.

Uncle Ben

Special Circumstances wrote: »

Silly pixie heads!

Yep, I was in Celle in Germany in the mid 90s in my Renault 21, loved that car, and parked contra flow as per the OP.

It wasn't long before the green uniformed polizei knocked and told the little pixie head to park his car like the rest of the natives.

The next day I hopped onto an autobahn and drove into Holland with no speed limits.
And to think that they call us mad!

markpb

Deleted User wrote: »

I have to admit, parking against the flow of traffic is a non issue in my opinion. Rarely/never seen it actually cause issue.

The reason I'd never do it is because your visibility is severely impaired when you're pulling out. Most of the time, it'll be fine. One time you'll pull out and won't see the cyclist or pedestrian coming towards you.

BMJD

the most retarded thing about the car in that pic (notwithstanding their path-blocking) is that they could've just gone around the roundabout and parked facing the correct way if they weren't lazy sacks of sh1te

Cookie_Monster

You get fined for it here in NZ, you must park in the direction of traffic.

It's one of those little rules that just seems to make things better for all, easy to enforce, easy to comply with and once people are used to it there is zero issue.
It was really weird driving around Dublin last month and noticing the wrong way cars again

Iwannahurl

Iwannahurl wrote: »

https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/397835/354618.jpg

Deleted User wrote: »

How does that car move away? The lane is separate with an island

psinno wrote: »

Simples. It reverses.

Absolutely. Reversing off a roundabout along a footpath is also normal in Ireland.

markpb wrote: »

The reason I'd never do it is because your visibility is severely impaired when you're pulling out. Most of the time, it'll be fine. One time you'll pull out and won't see the cyclist or pedestrian coming towards you.

It's crap driving, pure and simple.

Thing is, in Ireland it's state-sanctioned crap driving, due to lack of legislation.

BMJD wrote: »

the most retarded thing about the car in that pic (notwithstanding their path-blocking) is that they could've just gone around the roundabout and parked facing the correct way if they weren't lazy sacks of sh1te

Do you think parking with the flow of traffic, in the exact same spot, is OK?

bucketybuck

BMJD wrote: »

the most retarded thing about the car in that pic (notwithstanding their path-blocking) is that they could've just gone around the roundabout and parked facing the correct way if they weren't lazy sacks of sh1te

Pretty sure blocking the footpath is still not the correct way to park.

markpb

Iwannahurl wrote: »

It's crap driving, pure and simple.

Thing is, in Ireland it's state-sanctioned crap driving, due to lack of legislation.

I reckon the Guardai could charge someone with careless driving or driving without due care and attention if they wanted. Of course we know how they feel about motorist bothering when it comes to parking ;-)

galljga1

On two occasions on the same roundabout (Kilcock exit, M4) I met a car (different cars) going the wrong way, well, actually stopped in a bit of a panic.

galljga1

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Do you think parking with the flow of traffic, in the exact same spot, is OK?

Personally, I think it is a crap place to park regardless which direction you are facing. However, is it illegal? There are two lanes at that spot, no solid white line in the middle, no yellow lines at the side.

dgt

I see problems when the car is stupidly parked like that. I see problems when visibility is poor. I can't see the point in built up areas/towns etc

However at my house I park in such a manner that I can see traffic flow. Also as I am in the country where I am off the road with feck all traffic I shall continue to park outside my home as I wish, either with the flow or against it

What really baffles me is parking against the flow on a 1 way street...

9935452

Uncle Ben wrote: »

Yep, I was in Celle in Germany in the mid 90s in my Renault 21, loved that car, and parked contra flow as per the OP.

It wasn't long before the green uniformed polizei knocked and told the little pixie head to park his car like the rest of the natives.

The next day I hopped onto an autobahn and drove into Holland with no speed limits.
And to think that they call us mad!

To be fair to the germans and the autobahn , its a lot more regulated than our motorways , they wouldnt tolerate the bad driving we have here , hogging the overtaking lane doing 80k , continuously moving between lanes with out indicating and so on

Iwannahurl

galljga1 wrote: »

Personally, I think it is a crap place to park regardless which direction you are facing. However, is it illegal? There are two lanes at that spot, no solid white line in the middle, no yellow lines at the side.

The RoTR says you must not park on a bend, or within 5 metres of a junction (unless parking spaces are clearly marked).

The bend issue is subjective, perhaps, but I would argue that the car pictured is not just parked less than 5 metres from a junction, it is parked in the junction. The reason being that the junction consists of a roundabout, splitter islands, directional lanes and associated road markings.

Parking on the footpath is unambiguously illegal, but that's entirely separate from the issue of 'wrong-way' parking.

Indricotherium

dgt wrote: »

I see problems when the car is stupidly parked like that. I see problems when visibility is poor. I can't see the point in built up areas/towns etc

However at my house I park in such a manner that I can see traffic flow. Also as I am in the country where I am off the road with feck all traffic I shall continue to park outside my home as I wish, either with the flow or against it

What really baffles me is parking against the flow on a 1 way street...

Narrow country road I'd the worst place to do this. Someone driving too fast at night .... Could end up going down the left hand side of the parked car.

munchkin_utd

9935452 wrote: »

To be fair to the germans and the autobahn , its a lot more regulated than our motorways , they wouldnt tolerate the bad driving we have here , hogging the overtaking lane doing 80k , continuously moving between lanes with out indicating and so on

the "continuously moving between lanes with out indicating and so on" seems to be legally permitted in Germany if you are driving a BMW - which also seem to have an exemption from having functional indicators installed at all, as you almost never see them indicate.

Or it might also be that BMWs come with a special cert that you actually own the road and/or are exempt from road traffic laws in general that only apply to other motorists.
Or maybe the BMW driving courses teach you to be a c*nt when driving. I dont know exactly.

But indeed, parking the wrong way seemed to me like a normal thing to be at before coming to Germany, but its actually a sensible rule to have motorists parked in a manner that they can get out of the parking space later as easily and safely and as unobtrusively (to the flow of traffic) as possible.

galljga1

Iwannahurl wrote: »

The RoTR says you must not park on a bend, or within 5 metres of a junction (unless parking spaces are clearly marked).

The bend issue is subjective, perhaps, but I would argue that the car pictured is not just parked less than 5 metres from a junction, it is parked in the junction. The reason being that the junction consists of a roundabout, splitter islands, directional lanes and associated road markings.

Parking on the footpath is unambiguously illegal, but that's entirely separate from the issue of 'wrong-way' parking.

Yeah, the second I posted, I knew someone would mention the footpath which as you say is illegal. And you are probably correct on the junction/splitter islands etc. There should also be an "asshole" law for people who behave like this.