Accidents on the M50 - Why No Proper Policing?

tuxy

ebbsy wrote: »

Crashes on the N7 are a joke at this point.

Why can't people stay in their lane until it is safe to switch lanes.

Can I ask should motorway driving be part of the driving test ? Because some people can't drive in a straight line.

It would be a long test for some of the centers if that was mandatory.

beauf

I wonder are the number of accidents above average for the type of road and volume of traffic.

tuxy

CrankyHaus wrote: »

Garda Traffic Corps/Roads Policing do some enforcement on the M50. I know a woman who had a motorcycle Garda charge her for using her phone in stop start traffic, he was filtering through the traffic checking for people doing this. When I had to report dangerous driving on the M50 the Traffic Corps/Roads Policing were very helpful. I'd say lack of resources is a big issue.

As Charles Babbage mentioned above technology offers a solution to bridge the resources gap. Enforcement cameras could cost-effectively address rampant dangerous driving (as with traffic light junctions where deliberate breaking of red lights is now routine as its unenforced). Unfortunately there's a significant lobby of useful idiots who'll oppose this as "Orwellian", "authoritarian" and "fascist" (see the outrage over the PSC Card for example).

I'm all for enforcement of the law but it can only do so much.
I can only see traffic increasing for the foreseeable future. More cars, more mistakes, more accidents. The M50 is well above capacity.

lawred2

lawred2 wrote: »

What do you want policed?

The main cause of incidents, people not being in the correct lane in good time and attempting crazy manoeuvres late to get there.

beauf

tuxy wrote: »

I'm all for enforcement of the law but it can only do so much.
I can only see traffic increasing for the foreseeable future. More cars, more mistakes, more accidents. The M50 is well above capacity.

I'm not convinced it's a capacity issue.

Maybe there is always a correlation between volume and bad driving and enforcement.

You'd have to look and see is there a pattern to the accidents.

marcos_94

Charles Babbage wrote: »

This is an just an excuse. Motorways are the easiest roads to drive on, I did not do a motorway section in my test and I have no problem understanding how to drive on a motorway. People may not care, but this is not because they do not know.


There has to be a role for camera based enforcement. In this day and age it must be possible for AI to tag cars cutting across lanes, tailgating etc and any section of video so tagged could be reviewed by humans and fines sent out. Once you started enforcing, things would improve markedly and any remaining scofflaws could be targeted.

I dont think it being tested is the issue. The issue is that motorway driving etiquette is not being taught. I wasnt taught during my lessons that the overtaking lane is for overtaking and that once youve overtaken a car, you get back into the driving lane, my dad taught me that. Instead, it seems people are taught that once you stick your indicator on, you have priority and right of way to change lanes/merge with traffic/etc.

Theres a lot of motorway driving that is common sense, the issue is that a lot of people dont have that driving common sense or confidence. I think one of the biggest issues with motorway driving in Ireland is that because people dont experience it while learning to drive, they are not confident in themselves when they eventually have to. My mother wont go near a motorway because shes terrified of the thought for example.

The issue is then when these people who are not confident get onto the motorway. Take for example biddy, who is ticking along at 80/90 on the M7 (a regular occurrence I encounter), these people think they are being safe drivers when in reality they are causing bigger issues during busier times for everyone else on a two lane motorway.

Stephenc66

If you look at the driving habits of people on the M50 or the M7 at non peak times when the roads are much quieter. The vast majority of drivers drive in the middle lane or the far outside lane.

They become conditioned to this. When conditions change and the Motorways become busy theses same driving habits become dangerous. Resulting in them not being in the correct lane early enough to exit or change lane safely.

beauf

Most of the issues I see are caused by people deliberately ignoring the rules. Bullying and aggressive behaviour etc.

BarryD2

Stephenc66 wrote: »

If you look at the driving habits of people on the M50 or the M7 at non peak times when the roads are much quieter. The vast majority of drivers drive in the middle lane or the far outside lane.

They become conditioned to this. When conditions change and the Motorways become busy theses same driving habits become dangerous. Resulting in them not being in the correct lane early enough to exit or change lane safely.

You should take the M9 Waterford motorway sometime - one of the quietest motorways. And yet you see the outside lane cruisers on it.

scamalert

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

The main cause of incidents, people not being in the correct lane in good time and attempting crazy manoeuvres late to get there.

true that but some exits say have 2 lanes, and just before hitting exit that lane splits into two different directions, making someone who isnt used to panic. theres lots of backwards roads signs rules in each city town,motorway where if one isnt driving daily could find it very tricky, thou in this day and age gps does quite a good job, but many who arent used seem to skimp on investing few euro.

SC024

Build a 3 metre high wall between either side of the M50 would be a start, that way when theres an accident on one side you wont have idiots slowing down for a look & then running into the car in front of them.
Putting gaurds on it will only make it worse not better. There lane discipline leaves a bit to be desired at times to be fair. What hope is there for the rest of us ?

GreeBo

Guards would make things worse short term, but driving standards should improve over time.

Cops should be issuing tickets any time they see bad driving, the just ignore it today (and do a lot of it themselves too)

Darc19

Many many many years ago (30), I was driving from holyhead to London at about 3am.

Sauntering about in the middle lane.

Blue lights, pulled over and given £30 ticket.


Never drove inappropriately in the middle lane since


A simple €60 ticket and some publicity would correct most misuse

sondagefaux

Necro wrote: »

Would traffic cameras on all the junctions work? Live feeds that are viewed on a regular basis by the Traffic Corps/civilian members of the Gardai.

Grab the reg and a summons/fine issues to the owner in the post, let them fight it in court if they want then.

Seems to me an easy way around the patrolling issue.

Pie in the sky idea maybe.

Pretty soon, the M50 will have in place one of the most sophisticated network of monitoring cameras in Europe.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/irish-motorists-to-benefit-from-new-high-tech-traffic-monitoring-centre-1.4059244

I don't see why these cameras shouldn't be used to enforce road traffic law on the M50 and on the other roads they will be used to monitor.