Are terrible driving habits on the rise?

Brussels Sprout

I've been driving for 15 years and it seems to be that in the past couple of years I've noticed a marked increase in drivers breaking laws in ever more extreme ways. Here are the things that I see far too often:

1. Driving through Red Lights - I've really noticed this one explode in recent times. I'm not talking about people speeding up on Orange lights. I'm on about where the light goes Red and fully 1 second later someone will drive through it. It's got to the stage where you need to be careful if you're at the front of the queue when the light goes green for fear that you'll crash into one of these morons when you take off.
   The incident that inspired me to create this thread though was from the other day. I was driving in a 50km zone in the city when a light in front of me turned orange. I had ample time to stop safely so I began to slow down. At that point the driver behind me overtook me and drove through the red light on the opposite side of the road. Madness.
   
   
2. Driving through pedestrian crossings when pedestrians are already on them - You see this a lot in shopping centre car-parks. Pedestrian has began walking across and an approaching motorist steers the car to drive over the section of the crossing immediately in front of the pedestrian. On top of being dangerous it's so utterly selfish.
   I saw a middle-age man do this during the week except that the pedestrian (middle aged woman) was too far across already and he didn't have the space to drive through. He realised this too later and jammed on the brakes. Incredibly he then began to abuse the shocked woman from his open window.
   
   
3. Overtaking just to drive into someone's braking distance zone. This one is a beauty because not only are they doing something annoying and dangerous but they're taking direct advantage of other drivers diving correctly. Quite often as well it's utterly pointless as there'll be a long line of cars directly ahead.
   
   
4. Driving up the inside lane rather than queuing and then cutting back in near the top - standard move of selfish assholes. There's a related motorway move where there's a long queue for an exit and cars will drive slowly in the overtaking lane looking to cut in - all the while creating a massive hazard for cars driving up from behind looking to stay on the motorway.
   
   
5. Not using indicators. This one is especially prevalent on round-a-bouts but is probably even more dangerous on motorways. Oddly enough you don't see people drive off main roads onto minor roads without using them as much which leads me to believe that there is a section of drivers who are using them in some circumstances but not in others
   
   
6. Driving in the overtaking lane on the motorway when the left-hand lane is clear - Exclusively done by people who refer to this lane as "the fast lane". Often seen with a long train of vehicles behind them as they doggedly drive at or below the speed-limit.
   
   
7. After entering a motorway, leaving the right-hand indicator light on while driving in the left-hand lane - Thankfully not too common. This is usually seen with elderly drivers and always makes overtaking them a somewhat perilous experience.
   
   
8. Driving too close behind the car in front. - often done by the same drivers guilty of #3. Multi-car pile-ups are a thing because of these clowns.
   
   

Honestly I could probably have written another 10 of these. I didn't even mention speeding or parking issues.

I don't believe that there is enough enforcement out there.


Would people be in favour of allowing dash-cam footage from other drivers be used in prosecutions for traffic offences?

Dakota Dan

9. Driving out at junctions without stopping or looking when turning left.

road_high

I think personally the driving education system is poor and overly focused on just “passing the test” rather than any emphasis on good driving such as lane discipline which enormously impacts driving flows. People’s spacial awareness appears dreadful such as not moving up traffic lights-cab be the difference between 2 or 3 cars not getting through on green and is pure stupidity

dusty207

Funny you should post this now as I have been amazed at the increase in people running red lights in the past couple of weeks. I'm not talking about the usual dickhead flying through the red just after it changes, it's the 2 or 3 others who follow them through. Madness! Time to have cameras on lights I think.

Mundo7976

All of the above.
Stay safe out there

65535

Yes, I know it's not being discussed, however.

If you arrive at the first traffic lights at a junction EXACTLY when they change to amber.
By the time you reach the far side of the junction the Red light will already be on
Even though you are proceeding at exactly the speed limit.

If/When that is fixed, then you can prosecute but not before because as it is now it is possible to break the law because of the timing of the amber light.

Blueshoe

Irish roads are statistically some of the safest in Europe.

splinter65

Regarding roundabouts and yellow boxes I think a lot of people in Ireland had passed their test and been driving for a while before either became widespread in rural towns in Ireland and these people never found out how to treat either of them.

jk23

The worst part is if you obey the lights then you inevitably get the big sound of the horn for not driving through the red lights.

Mundo7976

splinter65 wrote: »

Regarding roundabouts and yellow boxes I think a lot of people in Ireland had passed their test and been driving for a while before either became widespread in rural towns in Ireland and these people never found out how to treat either of them.

Nope, 22 years ago i did my test and they were as big a part then as they are now.
Theres too many ignoramuses in a mad hurry to get nowhere in a dangerous way on the road.

dusty207

Blueshoe wrote: »

Irish roads are statistically some of the safest in Europe.

Spot on as far and deaths and injuries are concerned. However the points raised by the OP are more to do with a lack of respect to other road users which is rare in Europe. Also I think Irish drivers are more defensive as a result which, in a bizarre way, encourages the idiots.

sunnysoutheast

65535 wrote: »

Yes, I know it's not being discussed, however.

If you arrive at the first traffic lights at a junction EXACTLY when they change to amber.
By the time you reach the far side of the junction the Red light will already be on
Even though you are proceeding at exactly the speed limit.

If/When that is fixed, then you can prosecute but not before because as it is now it is possible to break the law because of the timing of the amber light.

Not sure if I'm misunderstanding you but the red light cameras would trigger based on going over the stop line when the corresponding light is red. The fact that the far repeater red light could have turned red whilst you were traversing the junction is irrelevant from that point of view?

Isambard

most of these are the net result of years of not having a proper regime of driving lessons and testing. I'm willing to bet there are thousands driving with or without L plates who have never taken a test. The other day they were discussing on the radio the number of people on their 10th provisional, that's really shocking, they should be off the road after two or even one until they take a test.

Del2005

Blueshoe wrote: »

Irish roads are statistically some of the safest in Europe.

The improvement was due to the introduction of the motorways and cars getting safer.

Irish road users are getting worse every day. It's not just bad drivers we have bad pedestrians, cyclists and now illegal powered two wheelers. It's due to almost zero enforcement of our legislation and judicial system which encourages Dawin Award contenders by giving them huge payouts.

Blueshoe

Del2005 wrote: »

The improvement was due to the introduction of the motorways and cars getting safer.

Irish road users are getting worse every day. It's not just bad drivers we have bad pedestrians, cyclists and now illegal powered two wheelers. It's due to almost zero enforcement of our legislation and judicial system which encourages Dawin Award contenders by giving them huge payouts.

Roads are just busier. Some are in need of upgrade. Road tax has been funneled into Irish water instead of on the road network.

Statistically Irish roads are still some of the safest in Europe though.

marvin80

Another very annoying thing that seems to be increasing is people overtaking and forcing you to move into the hard shoulder on your side so there isn't a collision.

Either poor judgement or ignorance to blame.

johndaman66

No 1 without a shadow of a doubt I have noticed to be very much on the increase and I cover a wide tract of the country in my daily driving these times. Taxi drivers would seem to be particularly bad offenders I have noticed. However, the remaining 7 items, while they frequently happen I do not see them happening any more frequently than they did 10/ 15 years ago.

splinter65 wrote: »

Regarding roundabouts and yellow boxes I think a lot of people in Ireland had passed their test and been driving for a while before either became widespread in rural towns in Ireland and these people never found out how to treat either of them.

I don't fully buy into that. While yes I do agree that there are offenders passed their tests in rural towns some years back or even they are on cowboy licenses I'd wager that the vast majority of offenders passed their tests in relatively more recent times in areas that had both box junctions and roundabouts.

whiskeyman

The breaking reds for me is the main one I've noticed.
All others were common, but a red light breaker was still uncommon.
Now, it's pretty much a given on so many junctions and as you said not just one, but probably a couple going through.

whiskeyman

marvin80 wrote: »

Another very annoying thing that seems to be increasing is people overtaking and forcing you to move into the hard shoulder on your side so there isn't a collision.

Either poor judgement or ignorance to blame.

I got this the other day. Guy overtakes a bus and encroaches onto my (oncoming) lane, but I've a bus lane to my left.
I refuse to move as I see a taxi coming behind me, and he stops and gesticulates at the bus as if to tell me 'move over because the bus is there'.
It's as if some drivers think they've more rights than others.

jk23

marvin80 wrote: »

Another very annoying thing that seems to be increasing is people overtaking and forcing you to move into the hard shoulder on your side so there isn't a collision.

Either poor judgement or ignorance to blame.

Yes this happens alot, especially when cars are overtaking cyclists, they could be halfway over on your side and if you don't slow almost to a stop or move into a hard shoulder if there is one then a serious collision could occur

PsychoPete

The areas where I live I'd see people breaking red light or accelerating hard on amber the odd time but when I'm in Dublin I see it constantly. Phones is probably the biggest one, people can't even stop in traffic for a minute without having to check their phone

TherapyBoy

From what I can see there are two reasons for bad driving habits;

1. Lack of Gardai patrolling the roads means you would have to be very unlucky to be caught doing something stupid. It’s basically a license to drive in any way, shape or form you feel like. Break the speed limit, hog the motorway overtaking lane & run through red lights (or whatever else you wanna do), there’ll probably be no consequences for driving badly.

2. Idiots are always gonna idiot.

road_high

marvin80 wrote: »

Another very annoying thing that seems to be increasing is people overtaking and forcing you to move into the hard shoulder on your side so there isn't a collision.

Either poor judgement or ignorance to blame.

If I can I try make room and let them off. No point stressing over them, nothing worse than someone up your arse like that

Duckjob

The one that really grinds my gears is people not bothering to slow down sufficiently around bends and instead coming around the bend with their wheels well over the line on the opposite side of the road :mad:

dsmythy

They dont like stopping full stop. Turning right on a quiet road today had to stop pushing forward to avoid a t boning when I saw a car coming from the right in full conversation with passenger and clearly too fast and not about to bother with their stop sign and line they have. They blasted through oblivious to the insurance pain they've been spared.

Yer Da sells Avon

splinter65 wrote: »

Regarding roundabouts and yellow boxes I think a lot of people in Ireland had passed their test and been driving for a while before either became widespread in rural towns in Ireland and these people never found out how to treat either of them.

In which case, they shouldn't be driving. It's not like the weird roundy things just popped up overnight. Part of being a competent driver is that you continue to learn long after you pass your test. Complacency is one hell of a bad habit, and it affects people of all ages.

Brussels Sprout

Brussels Sprout wrote: »

[*]Driving up the inside lane rather than queuing and then cutting back in near the top - standard move of selfish assholes. There's a related motorway move where there's a long queue for an exit and cars will drive slowly in the overtaking lane looking to cut in - all the while creating a massive hazard for cars driving up from behind looking to stay on the motorway.

Sitting in one lane with a big queue is very inefficient use of road space, the proper way would be for both lanes to be used and use proper filtering at the top.

I refuse to sit in a bit line of traffic for 10 mins when I can drive in an empty lane and filter in at the top without causing any slowdown. It’s sort of an Irish thing too abroad people tend to use all the road space and filter in.

0lddog

Yer Da sells Avon wrote: »

..... Complacency is one hell of a bad habit,........

I wonder how many of them are doped up ( legal or otherwise ) ?


( back in the good old days it was only drink that they would be taking :pac: )

Mundo7976

marvin80 wrote: »

Another very annoying thing that seems to be increasing is people overtaking and forcing you to move into the hard shoulder on your side so there isn't a collision.

Either poor judgement or ignorance to blame.

Motorcyclists are the worst for this, overtaking a long line, i refuse to move to the hard shoulder.

ratracer

I’ve heard a lot of people tell me how the Italians are crazy drivers - they’re not
The Germans are crazy drivers - they’re not.
The French are crazy drivers - they’re not!

I genuinely think that Irish drivers are, for the vast majority, absolutely clueless! People think that once they pass their test they are above the law. I really, really wish that we had to re-assessed to be allowed to drive at least every 5 years!
The sense of entitlement on the roads, without any appreciation for what could happen really bugs the sh1t out of me, and I say this as someone who drives many classes of vehicle, and even a bicycle!

road_high

Mundo7976 wrote: »

Motorcyclists are the worst for this, overtaking a long line, i refuse to move to the hard shoulder.

Why refuse to do that? Can’t understand this. If safe to do so just pull in a few feet and late them off. They’re very vulnerable road users but generally excellent at driving and maneuvers