How to report dangerous driving?

BlinkingLights

I was driving to Cork on the M7 from Dublin a couple of days ago and cruising along at 120 kph in the left lane in relatively light traffic. Adaptive cruise control set, not really expecting any crazy driving due to calm traffic conditions

As I was approaching junction 9, a 4X4 exited ACROSS ME from the right hand lane, causing me to have to brake very hard and swerve. He quite literally came out of nowhere and went straight across the front of my car, which was moving at 120km/h

There was absolutely no reason for it. No traffic and he was going way more than 120, but was just deciding to take the junction at the last second and clearly had no intention of using the correct lane.

I blasted the horn at him and he slammed on the brakes in the exit lane and was shouting abuse and giving the fingers etc From what I could see in my mirror, it looked like another car in the exit lane, wasn't expecting him to come out of no where and slam on (reacting in anger to being beeped at) nearly went into the back of him.

Naturally enough, I was long since gone before I could even process what had just happened, but it shook me up enough to need to exit the motorway and go grab a cup of tea.

Are there any CCTV cameras at those junctions or anyone I can report to ?

Toots

Did you get the reg? You could ring traffic watch and report it to them.

BlinkingLights

That's the problem, I tried to get the reg in my mirror but not a hope unfortunately. I just got such a shock when it happened, that I didn't have time to even think about memorizing a reg.

If I'd had a passenger on board, maybe they would have, but I had to concentrate on avoiding collision.

I was hoping there might be CCTV there.

Wanderer78

Scary experience alright but drivers already on the motorway should move to the right lane at junctions to allow for other vehicles joining the motorway, I.e. they need the left lane to do so. Not sure if there's cameras at all junctions.

Tigger

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Scary experience alright but drivers already on the motorway should move to the right lane at junctions to allow for other vehicles joining the motorway, I.e. they need the left lane to do so. Not sure if there's cameras at all junctions.

No body was joining the motorway

I love Sean nos

You could try the Gardai as they're supposed to be the ones enforcing the various laws. Assuming you don't have a dashcam as you're asking for CCTV. Do you have the reg of the 4x4 to give to the Gardai? I warn you now, they won't show a lot of interest in your report if you walk into a Garda station and they'll probably try to refer you to the closest station to where the incident occurred.

Call Traffic Watch on 1890 205 805 and report it to them. Then expect a phone call from an actual Guard sometime later in the year to give you some excuses for why he or she won't be doing anything.

Wanderer78

Tigger wrote:

No body was joining the motorway

Apologies, misread

Tigger

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Apologies, misread

I was confused

begbysback

Tigger wrote: »

I was confused

Me too - how can someone drive across you to take an exit, then end up behind you?

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

I love Sean nos

begbysback wrote: »

Me too - how can someone drive across you to take an exit, then end up behind you?

There was another car.

BlinkingLights wrote: »

another car in the exit lane

Tigger

begbysback wrote: »

Me too - how can someone drive across you to take an exit, then end up behind you?

If they were braking while crossing lanes I suppose
Maybe they nearly missed the exit and they decided to cross for the right lane while braking

hawkelady

If I learnt anything from this thread it's that some people have difficulty reading !!
Op , just chalk it down as a near miss as if you don't have reg then there's not a whole lot that will be done.

I love Sean nos

Tigger wrote: »

If they were braking while crossing lanes I suppose
Maybe they nearly missed the exit and they decided to cross for the right lane while braking

Also from the OP:

BlinkingLights wrote: »

he slammed on the brakes in the exit lane

_Brian

Happened me last year heading to Wexford. I was towing caravan and approaching a roundabout a car behind shot up hard shoulder as I was approaching roundabout and undertook me, he went straight onto roundabout and nearly t boned a car he haddent seen as it went round the roundabout.

Googled nearest Garda station and rang with reg and details of what happened. All taken very seriously.

About 20km down the road a squaddie had the offender pulled in, couldn't resist giving a wee "beep beep" on way past.

begbysback

"Exited across me from the right hand lane"

From right to left, in front - then op is looking at him in his mirror - how did he end up behind op?

BlinkingLights

begbysback wrote: »

Me too - how can someone drive across you to take an exit, then end up behind you?

They cut straight across the front of the bonnet at about 100m to the exit or so, then I could see their behavior in the exit lane in my mirror as I was trying ot grab a look at the reg.

He basically cut straight across the front of the car, then into the exit lane (nearly causing a car to hit him that was already in the lane).

Used no indicators, no warning - nothing!

Basically, he was driving along in the right hand overtaking lane, then swung straight across me, without any warning whatsoever, landing in the slipway a couple of m ahead of a car. Then looked (from my mirror anyway) as if he was slamming on because I had beeped at him. All I could see was the car behind him blasting the horn and flashing lights like crazy.

Bear in mind this all happened within a few seconds. You can observe quite a lot when you are in a shook state like that as time basically dialates in your head and you 'record' far more information than you usually would due to being on high alert.

He ended up behind me because he went from "lane 2" to the slipway and I continued on i.e. Crossing my bonnet, then slowing down hard in the slipway nearly causing a pileup. (Well a 2 car pile up, but still a nasty accident if the other cars including me, had not reacted well).

There's no logic to what the 4x4 driver did. It was utterly bizarre driving.

BlinkingLights

I'll have to invest in a dash cam. Although in years of driving that route I have had only 2 scary incidents like that. So it could be a lot of hours of footage of very boring driving.

I love Sean nos

_Brian wrote: »

About 20km down the road a squaddie had the offender pulled in

They sent out the army?

selous

That's a regular occurrence at the M50-Red Cow junction, cars coming from the third lane right over to take the exit while cars are coming from the Ballymount slip road to either go on straight to take the Red Cow Jct or join the M50, how there's not more tips there is beyond me, (or just collective brilliant driving )