M50 Rant

MarkAnthony

I joined the M50 this morning at exit 1 in front of me was a very Nice Aston Martin. In front of the Aston was a white van man and in front of that was a taxi. Bar the odd car coming in and out to over take these two muppets (and to a certain extent the Aston) held the outside lane up all the way around to the Exit for Inchicore (7 IIRC).

There's going to be a really bad accident on that road unless there is some enforcement. Traffic was bunching up in dangerously wet condition because of a couple of supposedly 'professional' drivers. It's bad enough regular road users at it but Taxis should know better. There was plenty of road to be used if people had just pulled in and pulled back out again when they needed to overtake and I was only keeping an eye on the middle and outside lanes.

I try and keep my distance but that just seems to encourage these absolutely tools bimbling along in their own world.

Sorry, feel better now.

savagethegoat

I don't know why you include the vanman in your rant, he was stuck behind the roadhog taxi

MarkAnthony

savagethegoat wrote: »

I don't know why you include the vanman in your rant, he was stuck behind the roadhog taxi

Taxi eventually moved, van man made an overtake with loads of road in the middle lane and could (or should) have seen a queue behind him that was obviously waiting to overtake. The Aston seemed to dither too but as I was pulling back across at that stage I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt, he still had to get up the arse of the van to get him to wake up that people wanted to use the 'fast lane' for a bit of overtaking.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

It's not just the m50, the m1 is just as bad. There's a lad who drives a blue & white van for Dromad Hire, and he uses the lanes the opposite way around. He'll plod along in the overtaking lane, until he notices the few cars that inevitably build up on his arse, he'll hop into the left lane for a mo', then once there's room; straight back into the overtaking one again.

Every single morning

Bio Mech

Learn to Iove the undertake. Sad fact of life on the motorways.

MarkAnthony

Bio Mech wrote: »

Learn to Iove the undertake. Sad fact of life on the motorways.

Seems so tbh, just fecking annoys me. I might just have to give in to the wife and bimble along :pac:

delly

My route every morning is M2-M50, then M50-M1 in the evening. As above you just have to accept using the undertake (safely obviously), otherwise you just get nowhere.

Credit where it's due though, the M2 is a great drive for people sticking to the left. You can make some good progress without the corresponding frustration.

Senecio

I often use the M50 with cruise set to 100 in the left lane. Always going past slower cars in the middle lane. I refuse to make two lane changes to pass them on the right.

return guide

Senecio wrote: »

I often use the M50 with cruise set to 100 in the left lane. Always going past slower cars in the middle lane. I refuse to make two lane changes to pass them on the right.

Cant believe that anybody would use cruise control on the M50 with the amount of muppets on that road.

NickDunne

savagethegoat wrote: »

I don't know why you include the vanman in your rant, he was stuck behind the roadhog taxi

Taxi men HATE giving up the fast lane(:eek: get him lads!!!)

When you eventually do go to undertake, they speed up. All the way up to the airport exit then cut across 5 lanes last second.

Between them and trucks sitting in the middle lane with NOTHING inside them, they are effectively restricting the whole road to 2 lanes.

I love friday afternoons/evenings when it all comes to a head, the road is literally like a racetrack :pac:

MarkAnthony

return guide wrote: »

Cant believe that anybody would use cruise control on the M50 with the amount of muppets on that road.

Frequently there's no one in the left lane. TBH I think that's what I'll do from now on is just sit in the left lane and not get wound up!

scuderia

I openly admit I undertake these sort of drivers. No shame whatsoever. I give them a dirty look as I pass by from time to time.

Senecio

return guide wrote: »

Cant believe that anybody would use cruise control on the M50 with the amount of muppets on that road.

Early mornings and weekends when it's not so busy. Still idiots in the middle lane doing 85-95kph.

MarkAnthony

So coming back, on the M50 not 20 minutes ago. Nice clear outside lane, BMW up my jacksie and I couldn't go anywhere as there was someone in front, to be fair the BMW wasn't Audi close and the guy infront had let me on the motorway and out into the middle lane so was just doing a leisurely over take, fair enough. Opened the taps a bit one the lane was clear and I thought all was dandy, a few people in the outside lane moving over once me and Mr. Beemer where coming up, the BMW had dropped back quite away and I was constantly overtaking so I assumed he was grand where he was.

Sitting there thinking, you know what the lads on boards were wrong, people can drive on the M50. Now I admit to going faster than the 100Kph limit, outside lane is completely clear and there are cars behind me a little way back, but behind me no the less that are also over taking so I'm not going to hang about, I'm in a Fiat 500 so it's not as if I can hit supersonic speeds anyway. What happens... an utter prick in an 05 Laguna meanders out into the outside lane. No indication, obviously no mirror check, or perhaps there was and he decided he was going to police the M50 forcing me to slam on. Now if he's indicated I'd have put it down to going a bit quick but this was just dickheadary.

Overtakes the car in front of him, at maybe 5Kph faster than the guy in the middle lane, then sits there. He knows I'm there at this fecking stage. Does the next car like old people shagging and then sits there. Completely clear road in front of him at this stage. I've now got Mr. Beemer and a load of other card bunched up behind me because of this utter tool. Fair play to Mr. Beemer as he went for the undertake he let me into the middle lane and me and 5 other people passed him out in the middle lane.

As I pass, no word of a lie, I look over to see the flat cap.

Ahhhh, finding this thread cathartic. I'd just slow down and move across but I actually find the shenanigans in the inside lane more stressful.

Jesus.

MarkAnthony wrote: »

It's bad enough regular road users at it but Taxis should know better.

Taxis are the worst offenders

ba_barabus

Markanthony wrote:

As I pass, no word of a lie, I look over to see the flat cap.

I wear a flat cap. I don't hang around either.

Markcheese

"Dickhead" cameras on traffic gantries and flyovers, they'd need to actually have real people operating them though .. spend a couple of months sending
Out warning notices ( to help promote good behaviour) then the fines kick in ..

MarkAnthony

Markcheese wrote: »

"Dickhead" cameras on traffic gantries and flyovers, they'd need to actually have real people operating them though .. spend a couple of months sending
Out warning notices ( to help promote good behaviour) then the fines kick in ..

Have to admit I'd be screwed if it measured speed! :pac:

ironclaw

Jesus. wrote: »

Taxis Professional and underpaid experienced drivers are the worst offenders

:pac:

I'm to and from the airport every so often with work and it actually stresses me greatly getting a taxi as without fail they'll sit in lane 2 or 3. It actually causes physical discomfort.

Jesus.

ironclaw wrote: »

it actually stresses me greatly..... It actually causes physical discomfort.

Well it shouldn't do that. To be honest you're going OTT there Ironclaw.

markpb

ironclaw wrote: »

:pac:

I'm to and from the airport every so often with work and it actually stresses me greatly getting a taxi as without fail they'll sit in lane 2 or 3. It actually causes physical discomfort.

I'm the same, any time I get a taxi for work, it's before 5am and without fail, they all sail into the middle lane at Sandyford and stay there till the airport roundabout.

The last time I was on the m50 at night, lane 3 was closed from n3 to ballymount so all the MLMs switched from lane 2 to lane 1, presumably because lane 1 now felt like the middle lane to them.

marno21

There should be a dedicated Garda car for M50 N and M50 S policing it up and down everyday. The amount of fines for breaking the law with regards to lane discipline, dangerous driving, mobile phone use, etc would surely balance out the cost of running it. Not only that but the motorway becomes much more functional and more able to handle the volume of traffic it has.

Another idea would be erecting a barrier the length of the central median to prevent rubbernecking. Ridiculous that if there's a crash southbound between J1 and J2 that northbound traffic between J2 and J1 is heavy due to onlookers, as you frequently hear on AA Roadwatch.

Mister Jingles

You could talk about the M50 all day and still need more time to rant.

Firstly I also am guilty of undertaking on it when required, I don't like doing it but it has to be done unfortunately.

What I think the M50 needs are more unmarked and motorcycle patrols and fixed penalty notices for those who hog lane 3. It would actually be a fairer way of generating revenue compared to the flash4cash vans imo.

Those electronic billboard type signs when not been used for warning purposes should display some sort of message about lane hogging and its consequences also.

dashcamdanny

The problem lays squarely in education. I drive for a living. Spend most of my day on the N7 and m50.

It's embarrassing as a country that we can't teach learners about the importance of lane discipline.

They (the morons) give me a funny look while I undertake them in a speed restricted van, as they chug along in the moron lane at 80kph.

I believe that they just don't know that they are morons. The same way my dog sometimes thinks it's a person .

Aongus Von Heisenberg

For the volume on it the M50 isn't actually that bad for outside lane hogging compared to some other roads.The vast majority of drivers on the M50 don't do it. Although the amount of middle lane hogging is dreadful the stretches of the M50 with very closely bunched junctions make this the safer option at a lot of times.

The M1 is a mad-house in comparison, especially whenever it's remotely busy northbound from Dublin. Lane discipline is non-existent and vans and NI registered cars zoom around like a Mad Max movie.

Indricotherium

Mister Jingles wrote: »

Firstly I also am guilty of undertaking on it when required, I don't like doing it but it has to be done unfortunately.

It has to be done?

This issue comes up every now and then on the motors forum. I am always puzzled as to why so many posters feel that they are justified in breaking a law as it suits them and at the same time are apoplectic about other motorists driving either at the speed limit, or slightly below it in an overtaking lane.

It's worth noting that oitside lane hogging is not dangerous driving, not aggressive, and not really going to cause any harm to anyone, whereas undertaking on a moving motorway is all of these things.

In this case the main focus of ire seems to be someone on the m50 driving approximately 15 km under the limit between 2 exits.

Let's be generous and call that 5km?

If you are in such a hurry that 15km\h out of 100 over 5km will make you late, you probably need to reassess your timekeeping, leave a bit earlier, and calm down.

My admittedly limited maths indicates that this would be just over a 4 minute delay if it persisted for the entire length of the m50

MarkAnthony

Many Countries allow for over taking in any lane. Lane hogging is extremely dangerous and in my view even worse than undertaking. It causes traffic to bunch which on a motorway is potentially leathal.

No one minds someone doing under the speed limit in the overtaking lane as long as they are over taking. In fact everyone should be under the limit, even when over taking. People get annoyed at feckless morons not paying attention to whats going on around them, not indicating and not driving appropriately to the road they're on. If you're not in any hurry to get your journey done, and rightly so, pop on over to the left lane, slow down and enjoy the ride. Others want to get the drive done and get on with our day, it has nothing to do with time keeping.

Indricotherium

MarkAnthony wrote: »

Many Countries allow for over taking in any lane. Lane hogging is extremely dangerous and in my view even worse than undertaking. It causes traffic to bunch which on a motorway is potentially leathal.

No one minds someone doing under the speed limit in the overtaking lane as long as they are over taking. In fact everyone should be under the limit, even when over taking. People get annoyed at feckless morons not paying attention to whats going on around them, not indicating and not driving appropriately to the road they're on. If you're not in any hurry to get your journey done, and rightly so, pop on over to the left lane, slow down and enjoy the ride. Others want to get the drive done and get on with our day, it has nothing to do with time keeping.

You're suggesting that a 15km/h speed difference is enough to cause the likelyhood of you driving into the car in front of you to increase. If that is the case, in my opinion, you should not be driving a car.

If you are so limited in your ability to read what is ahead of you on the road, you certainly shouldn't be speeding on a busy triple carriageway, which I think is the implication with most people posting their rage here.

Cuddlesworth

Senecio wrote: »

Early mornings and weekends when it's not so busy. Still idiots in the middle lane doing 85-95kph.

Yep, used to work shift coming home on the M50. 1-2am and about a quarter of the cars were plodding along at 90kph in the middle. Usually up the arse of the car in front. You would get the rare right line only driver.

MarkAnthony

Indricotherium wrote: »

You're suggesting that a 15km/h speed difference is enough to cause the likelyhood of you driving into the car in front of you to increase. If that is the case, in my opinion, you should not be driving a car.

If you are so limited in your ability to read what is ahead of you on the road, you certainly shouldn't be speeding on a busy triple carriageway, which I think is the implication with most people posting their rage here.

If you read the actual words used you're see that's not what was said.

You don't seem to be able to understand the group behavior on roads. That's fine, but perhaps you should at least try and understand the actual meaning (by taking the literal meaning) of what people are saying rather than trying to create a argument on your own point.

If you've still an issue with comprehension I'd be delighted to try an assist your understanding.

Indricotherium

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Yep, used to work shift coming home on the M50. 1-2am and about a quarter of the cars were plodding along at 90kph in the middle. Usually up the arse of the car in front. You would get the rare right line only driver.

Assuming you were intending to drive at the speed limit, this would cost you just over a minute if your journey was the entire length of the m50.

It also probably saved you a bit of fuel.

Getting wound up about this is nonsense. Just tuck in 2 seconds behind the other car, arrive alive, have a bit of a think about, anger and how you deal with it.

ct5amr2ig1nfhp

Had the pleasure of driving in Germany recently. An incredible motorway system and made all the better because they adhere to the rules of a motorway. As soon as someone finished the overtaking manoeuvre, they were straight back into the driving lane.

Stephenc66

dashcamdanny wrote: »

The problem lays squarely in education. I drive for a living. Spend most of my day on the N7 and m50.

It's embarrassing as a country that we can't teach learners about the importance of lane discipline.

.

This is so true just look at the number of cars cruising in the middle lane both on the N7 and M50 displaying N plates. Surly these novice drivers having had the benefit of our new improved driver training program should know better

MarkAnthony

Stephenc66 wrote: »

This is so true just look at the number of cars cruising in the middle lane both on the N7 and M50 displaying N plates. Surly these novice drivers having had the benefit of our new improved driver training program should know better

There isn't any which is part of the problem. Given that newly qualified drivers will be guided by what's going on around them we're fooked. Motorway lessons should be mandatory before the N plates come off. Including how to join the fecking thing.

HappyDaze007

But why oh why do when Irish registered cars get off the ferry in the uk they use the motorways correctly and move back in from the over taking lane..

Weird bunch

Bio Mech

Indricotherium wrote: »

Assuming you were intending to drive at the speed limit, this would cost you just over a minute if your journey was the entire length of the m50.

If that's what you calculated then your limited understanding of maths is even more limited than you think.

Its also not about theoretical loss of time. If you have lane hoggers and nobody undertakes then the whole motorway is limited to the speed on the slowest hogger as traffic builds up behind the hogger and the average speed at the back gets lower and lower as faster drivers meet the herd and have to brake.

That's how traffic harmonics work. Poor driving behaviour in the outer lanes causes slow downs. That leads to more braking and more rear enders. Its not how a motorway is intended to work and I think the OP is justified to consider it dangerous. I think your RSA-esque line of "lets all slow down and everything will be grand" is missing the point.

Indricotherium

MarkAnthony wrote: »

There isn't any which is part of the problem. Given that newly qualified drivers will be guided by what's going on around them we're fooked. Motorway lessons should be mandatory before the N plates come off. Including how to join the fecking thing.

At the very least the theory of how a motorway works should be thought.

Possibly, it has changed since my day, but when I was learning to drive, it was as if motorways didn't exist up until you got your full licence

I really think there is a case to be made for some classroom education to be part of learning to drive.

MarkAnthony

HappyDaze007 wrote: »

But why oh why do when Irish registered cars get off the ferry in the uk they use the motorways correctly and move back in from the over taking lane..

Weird bunch

Enforcement.

Cuddlesworth

Indricotherium wrote: »

Assuming you were intending to drive at the speed limit, this would cost you just over a minute if your journey was the entire length of the m50.

It also probably saved you a bit of fuel.

Getting wound up about this is nonsense. Just tuck in 2 seconds behind the other car, arrive alive, have a bit of a think about, anger and how you deal with it.

During busy periods, those very drivers are the reason for the nearly static traffic on the M50. At night they are the perfect example of whats wrong with a small subset of Irish drivers.

Indricotherium

Alfonso Yellow Peg wrote: »

Had the pleasure of driving in Germany recently. An incredible motorway system and made all the better because they adhere to the rules of a motorway. As soon as someone finished the overtaking manoeuvre, they were straight back into the driving lane.

Road death rate is significantly higher in Germany than it is in Ireland. Maybe there is some merit in slowing everything down slightly.

Indricotherium

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

During busy periods, those very drivers are the reason for the nearly static traffic on the M50. At night they are the perfect example of whats wrong with a small subset of Irish drivers.

That is absolute nonsense. Poor planning and insufficient capacity is the reason for traffic on the M50 at rush hour.

At night when the road is empty, yes, possibly it does indicate a trend of poor motorway driving, but I would argue that people speeding on the motorway at night, is every bit as prevalent and much more dangerous, and also indicative of whats wrong with a small subset of Irish drivers.

MarkAnthony

Indricotherium wrote: »

Road death rate is significantly higher in Germany than it is in Ireland. Maybe there is some merit in slowing everything down slightly.

The problem is that isn't helped by lane hogging. As I've said before in France I rarely exceed the speed limit. There's no need to, people drive (generally) with proper lane discipline and at a relatively uniform speed near that of the limit. I have gone over an hour on a French motorway not touching the cruise control once. I maintained a constant 125Kph and overtook at that speed and moved back in with everyone else following suit.

The reason I tend to try and get past a lot of stuff on the M50 is if you're in the inside lane in light to medium traffic you can't help but undertake - I'm not driving at 60Kph on a motorway and I'm not crossing two lanes to overtake some idiot.

I refuse to sit in the middle lane, it's not for that and it's not up to me to sit there flashing people to move over. So I overtake in the outermost lane and pull back in when it's clear. And yes when it's completely clear I will pull back over to the left-most lane. It's rare that I'm not then forced to pull back across two lanes to get past someone in lane 2 on an empty stretch.

Stephenc66

MarkAnthony wrote: »

Enforcement.

I agree enforcement is better in the UK in general, and I also agree with what you say about novice drivers learning from those around them.

In Ireland they learn to do it wrong, in England they learn to do it correctly all based on what's going on around them.

One Saturday evening, travelling the M7 to Dublin, a big car hogged the outside lane the whole way from J17 to Newlands cross. He was doing just on or just under the speed limit the whole way. The roadworks were taking place at Newlands Cross at the time and he realised at the last minute that he was in the wrong land and just cut across to the next lane. We were a number of cars behind him and witnessed a number of close calls, yet, he sat there hunched over the steering wheel as if to say "I have every right to be in this lane and intend to stay here no matter what!
It was actually quite scary.

kingtut

With the amount of drivers who seem to want to merge their car with mine I'm inclined to start asking if they want a lift! :mad:

kingtut

Alfonso Yellow Peg wrote: »

As soon as someone finished the overtaking manoeuvre, they were straight back into the driving lane.

Probably indicated also!

Cowabunga

It can be hectic alright, driving it on a motorbike can be a guessing game trying to figure out who's not going to check a mirror and not indicate.

Cowabunga

It can be hectic alright, driving it on a motorbike can be a guessing game trying to figure out who's not going to check a mirror and not indicate.

Cowabunga

It can be hectic alright, driving it on a motorbike can be a guessing game trying to figure out who's not going to check a mirror and not indicate.

ironclaw

Indricotherium wrote: »

That is absolute nonsense. Poor planning and insufficient capacity is the reason for traffic on the M50 at rush hour.

M50 is perfectly capable of holding the traffic its meant to deal with. The problem is we only use two lanes of it.

- Vast majority drive like a bat out of hell to get into lane 2 when they merge. Causes ripple in the first and second lanes. Net result is a rippling second lane and a near empty lane one.

- Drivers wishing to overtake, must now take to the third lane, often met by those slow to overtake or those up someone's backside. Again, more ripple.

Next effect, you have reduced a perfectly adequate road to 66% of its capacity. Seriously, sit and watch lane one some morning. You could probably eat your breakfast in the middle of it and not meet a car.

I feel all junctions on the M50 should have solid lines in lane one for 500m and 500m after. Tough luck if you're not in lane by the time your junction comes up. It might encourage people to think ahead and would stop those jumping into lane 2. N7 is a prime example of this carry on of last minute cut in.

Secondly, lane three should be an express lane e.g. N7 to Sandyford should be dedicated to it, no in or out. Will funnel any traffic going south away from the madness of Tallaght, Firhouse and Dundrum. And again, might encourage people to utilize the two remaining lanes. And any deviation from the lane to take an exit should have a ludicrous fine to boot.

Henry Ford III

As long as outer lane hogging, undertaking, poor lane discipline in general, and little or no enforcement of the rules of the road all go on there's no hope of any improvement.

The M50 is a zoo, and I really dislike driving on it.