Decline in number of road offences detected

ayux4rj6zql2ph

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Try_harder

Or they are counting the numbers accurately?

ayux4rj6zql2ph

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Isambard

i'd be inclined to think there are no fewer offences being committed, they just aren't catching people . Hardly surprising, a Gard is a rarity in my area, you could nearly do as you please in complete safety.

DaveyDave

Driving has definitely gotten worse this year compared to last year. They can't detect what they can't see. There's a serious lack of road policing.

Atlantic Dawn

I've not seen a radar speed check in a good year plus. Have spotted maybe 2 speed vans in the last 6 months.

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CeilingFly

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

I've not seen a radar speed check in a good year plus. Have spotted maybe 2 speed vans in the last 6 months.

You're not driving enough 😁

If you are on the motorways, always have a look back at the down ramp at a junction. - Several are favourite spots for gardai esp M9 jct 4, 7 and 10

deco nate

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

I've not seen a radar speed check in a good year plus. Have spotted maybe 2 speed vans in the last 6 months.

They sit on the slip roads joining the motorways, always keep an eye in your left mirror as you pass by.
If you travel down the m7, j15, j16 and j 17 are hotspots. See them all the time on the m8 too(not speed vans, garda sitting with guns and chase you down)

CeilingFly

Prisoner 6753 wrote: »

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Checkpoints not as required as before. Anpr can check tax and nct on five cars per second second over 3 lanes.

When checkpoints are set up its multi agency and more for insurance and crime detection.

I drive a lot, certainly motorway driving has improved but still many eejits out there

Comhrá

Whatever about the reports, I have definitely noticed a drop-off in mobile usage with drivers.

While I see lots of younger drivers looking down at their phones while stopped at traffic lights, I've noticed less people holding the phone to their ear while actually driving. Maybe people are adapting a little bit?

I drove Cork-Dublin on Friday and return yesterday, during a bank holiday "blitz" and saw one Garda speed van in entire trip.

Of course the really dangerous tail-gating, cutting off, undertaking, driving far slower than other motorway traffic, and driving in overtaking lane all occurring as normal. But these are never policed because we can't spare a single unmarked traffic garda car to patrol the motorway.
Considering we all see these activities every time we're on the motorway, there is no excuse for this. I mean from a funding aspect and the RSA's hardon for speed only, and not a shot at traffic cops as they'd only too happily be able to stamp out the real causes of motorway accidents

vandriver

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I drove Cork-Dublin on Friday and return yesterday, during a bank holiday "blitz" and saw one Garda speed van in entire trip.

Of course the really dangerous tail-gating, cutting off, undertaking, driving far slower than other motorway traffic, and driving in overtaking lane all occurring as normal. But these are never policed because we can't spare a single unmarked traffic garda car to patrol the motorway.
Considering we all see these activities every time we're on the motorway, there is no excuse for this. I mean from a funding aspect and the RSA's hardon for speed only

I went through 4 yesterday in Dublin.(driving a taxi )

Avatar MIA

Increased Bluetooth availability helps explains phone to ear drop off.

But from my perspective and I'm driving a lot more on the m7 in the last year and there's far more Garda/speed van presence. You see a lot less people driving silly speeds (myself included).

Between 2010 and 2014 I drove the Dublin/Limerick route at least once a week and could count on one hand the amount of times I saw a guard or van.

Now it's at least once or even twice you'll see them on the same journey. Plus, Friday I saw an Opel insignia pulled over by a unmarked car (blue lights on) on the M8.

I've also seen an increase in non motor way roads, but not as much.

Frankly I do think the amount of resources spent on such safe roads as motorways as sub optimum for safety, but good for detection statistics and revenue.

I'm not surprised there's a drop off in detection as motorway drivers realise they are targets.

floatwinner

Comhra wrote: »

Whatever about the reports, I have definitely noticed a drop-off in mobile usage with drivers.

While I see lots of younger drivers looking down at their phones while stopped at traffic lights, I've noticed less people holding the phone to their ear while actually driving. Maybe people are adapting a little bit?

I can definitely say they are not adapting. Phone use while driving is worse than ever.

Kaiser84

I'm driving 16 years and have only ever come across a single Garda checkpoint.

They are nowhere to be seen.

vandriver

vandriver wrote: »

I went through 4 yesterday in Dublin.(driving a taxi )

Apologies, I'm referring more to the M/N7.

Avatar MIA

Kaiser84 wrote: »

I'm driving 16 years and have only ever come across a single Garda checkpoint.

They are nowhere to be seen.

Www.specsavers.ie might be an idea? where are you based, roughly. I know the guards wouldn't ask you that, but you never get to see them.

Avatar MIA

Deleted User wrote: »

Apologies, I'm referring more to the M/N7.

Well Garda, we'll not be falling for that, shur, ye've the roads ruined ��

vandriver

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Apologies, I'm referring more to the M/N7.

Probably a better use of resources catching speeders in a built up area like Dublin.

Isambard

i love the way RTE reported it as if it's a positive.

vandriver

vandriver wrote: »

Probably a better use of resources catching speeders in a built up area like Dublin.

Agreed but my point is the lack of extra resources to manage the motorway also

AndrewJRenko

Comhra wrote: »

Whatever about the reports, I have definitely noticed a drop-off in mobile usage with drivers.

While I see lots of younger drivers looking down at their phones while stopped at traffic lights, I've noticed less people holding the phone to their ear while actually driving. Maybe people are adapting a little bit?

I have to disagree - mobile phone abuse is endemic here. Last year's survey put us as second worst in Europe;


https://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/motors/2017/0725/892841-irish-drivers-use-of-mobiles-and-texting-while-driving-soars/


Just look around you on the road for the number of drivers with the phone held to the ear, or held up to the mouth for so-called hands-free calling, or held at/beside/under the wheel for a bit of WhatsApping or Snapchatting while driving. Young/old, male/female, black/white everyone. It is endemic and is almost certainly costing lives.


In the UK, phone use has been directly linked to a number of road deaths. I suspect that Gardai aren't as diligent for checking back the usage history as a routine part of investigations. They are definitely reluctant to progress complaints from others, even when clear video evidence is available.



They also aren't immune to a bit of phone abuse themselves. I passed a Garda mini-bus style van in traffic recently, and both driver and front-seat Garda passenger had their phones held up in front. "He's looking for an address" was the good reason apparently.

V8 Interceptor

deco nate wrote: »

They sit on the slip roads joining the motorways, always keep an eye in your left mirror as you pass by.
If you travel down the m7, j15, j16 and j 17 are hotspots. See them all the time on the m8 too(not speed vans, garda sitting with guns and chase you down)

Not that I'm encouraging it but out of interest what parts of the Motorway network could you drive her on a bit (say around a tonne) without getting nabbed? There's a stretch of the Galway road this side of Athlone that always seemed deserted whenever I drove it. Its very "open" Country and doing the tonne doesn't seem like you're going that fast.

RacoonQueen

Comhra wrote: »

Whatever about the reports, I have definitely noticed a drop-off in mobile usage with drivers.

While I see lots of younger drivers looking down at their phones while stopped at traffic lights, I've noticed less people holding the phone to their ear while actually driving. Maybe people are adapting a little bit?

Adapting? It's been about 12 years since mobile phone usage rules came in!

V8 Interceptor

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

. I passed a Garda mini-bus style van in traffic recently, and both driver and front-seat Garda passenger had their phones held up in front. "He's looking for an address" was the good reason apparently.

You pointed it out to him?

AndrewJRenko

V8 Interceptor wrote: »

You pointed it out to him?

Of course - would you NOT have pointed it out to him?

ayux4rj6zql2ph

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V8 Interceptor

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Of course - would you NOT have pointed it out to him?

No!

ayux4rj6zql2ph

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AndrewJRenko

Prisoner 6753 wrote: »

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As I understand it, they are exempt from traffic laws 'where necessary for the performance of their duties'. Do you think it's a good idea for a Garda driver to be using his phone in traffic, when he has another Garda sitting beside him?

AndrewJRenko

V8 Interceptor wrote: »

No!

I guess that's why they think they can get away with it.

V8 Interceptor

Maybe mate. But I'd be worried I'd come across them again for crossing a white line or something and they'd get revenge Lol

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Avatar MIA

It might be to do with speeding as in 'do as I say, not as I do.' Maybe they are allowed to hold phones.



They may as well have some perks considering how miserable a role a traffic cop is.

AndrewJRenko

Prisoner 6753 wrote: »

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You don't have to 'tell on' them to someone else. The first simple action of saying it directly to the driver himself reminds him that it is really, really bad example to see those who are supposed to be enforcing the law doing the exact thing that they are supposed to be stopping others from doing, even if it is technically legal.


Make it socially unacceptable to use the phone while driving.

Avatar MIA wrote: »

Maybe they are allowed to hold phones.

They may as well have some perks considering how miserable a role a traffic cop is.

They're allowed break traffic laws 'where necessary for the performance of their duties'. I don't think looking up an address on Google Maps while the person beside them is sitting there with a phone in their hand is 'necessary', do you?


And it is really a 'perk' to be allowed drive dangerously for no good reason?

Avatar MIA

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

They're allowed break traffic laws 'where necessary for the performance of their duties'. I don't think looking up an address on Google Maps while the person beside them is sitting there with a phone in their hand is 'necessary', do you?

Does the law apply to them? Not sure it does. And am I qualified as to what is 'necessary'. Same as you, I don't know.

mikeecho

The decline in detections, is as a result of increased admin/burocracy, a decrease in garda numbers, and a general sense of.. I've better things to be doing.

And given recent changes.. they have a lot more to be doing, in a lot less time.
Ie, palf/ecad/ followups / victim engagement etc

Lots of blind eyes to be turned.


To much to do, so little time
There's only so many hours in the day., and most are spent at a keyboard.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

The problem for the guards is that the boards.ie motors forum members high horses are so tall they cannot see if they have phones in their hands...

AndrewJRenko

Whitney Flaky Trance wrote: »

The problem for the guards is that the boards.ie motors forum members high horses are so tall they cannot see if they have phones in their hands...

Dunno much about horses, but it's certainly not hard to spot a driver on the phone from a motorbike

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N1iw5Vdim8

or from a bike;
http://www.startribune.com/with-photos-and-videos-police-push-for-evidence-to-catch-texting-drivers/375913271/

mikeecho wrote: »

The decline in detections, is as a result of increased admin/burocracy, a decrease in garda numbers, and a general sense of.. I've better things to be doing.

And given recent changes.. they have a lot more to be doing, in a lot less time.
Ie, palf/ecad/ followups / victim engagement etc

Lots of blind eyes to be turned.


To much to do, so little time
There's only so many hours in the day., and most are spent at a keyboard.

A bit of Googling tells me that PLAF is Garda Síochána Performance, Accountability and Learning Framework (PALF) - sounds like a PMDS type system. There is an overhead involved in these systems, but if the system is designed properly, it won't be a huge overhead, and there will be a significant payback in performance improvements.


What is ecad?

Pedro K

Speaking anecdotally, I occasionally drive my mam's car on my driving other vehicles extension. It has L plates up for my brother. (I have my own car, full licence, insurance etc.)

I have driven by numerous roads policing vehicles by myself in that car, with the L plates up, and never been stopped and asked to show my licence.

Now I'm no teenager, I'm closer to 30 than I am to 20, so I'm a reasonably young man driving a small car unaccompanied with L plates up. Surely they should be stopping me and asking me to show my licence? Is that not part of the job of the roads policing unit, or have I got that wrong?