Garda checkpoint pages on FB

lucalux

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Isn't the population of Galway c.76000? They hardly all look at that page.

I'd say most people who follow these pages follow the ones of surrounding counties too. I'd be close enough to 4 counties to warrant it, if I was so inclined.

iQuain

Newuser2 wrote: »

Drug driving is rife with young lads

Drink driving is rife with owld lads

spring lane jack

iQuain wrote: »

Drink driving is rife with owld lads

I smoked Weed an hour before my test and passed no problem.

lucalux

iQuain wrote: »

Drink driving is rife with owld lads

Drug and drink driving both, know no age, gender, or class distinctions.

Plenty of people taking solpadeine or neurofen OTC and not aware of the implications for impairment.

Plenty of people on very heavy duty oxy-type drugs, prescribed by a doctor (so it's fine right?), sent off with a script and not a word about how it affects driving.
They're a problem as much as drink drivers imo

Ash.J.Williams

I got so baked yesterday I observed all warning signs, drove below the speed limited and was courteous to pedestrians and fellow drivers

iQuain

lucalux wrote: »

Drug and drink driving both, know no age, gender, or class distinctions.

Plenty of people taking solpadeine or neurofen OTC and not aware of the implications for impairment.

Plenty of people on very heavy duty oxy-type drugs, prescribed by a doctor (so it's fine right?), sent off with a script and not a word about how it affects driving.
They're a problem as much as drink drivers imo

Absolutely - I totally agree. My comment was a direct reply to the ageist comment posted earlier in the thread. In hindsight it was probably immature of me.

Del2005

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

I got so baked yesterday I observed all warning signs, drove below the speed limited and was courteous to pedestrians and fellow drivers

We've all seen wolf of wall street.

Dempo1

Not sure what is worse, posts on Facebook or the absurd official Garda Traffic Twitter Feed.

It just amazes me some of the sarcastic and legally questionable posts are permitted, let alone sanctioned.

Assuming the letter of the law was being followed, all offences detected are Alledged? and yet the perception given is a slam dunk, bangs to right mentality. I appreciate they make an effort to hide some identifying details but question the merits of joyfully and sarcastically posting detections of breaches in the road traffic act.

Whilst I'm at it, there's been a glut of excitable posts about the work they are doing re the pandemic and yet, most involve cars being siezed for various offences, most notably cars being siezed from learner drivers, usually including an unamusing side swipe at the offender.

I'm all for a Twitter feed advising the public on traffic issues, accidents, delays, detours etc but do we really need to be informed and in a mischiefious legally questionable manner, a motorist having their car seized or being caught "alledgedly" speeding or being responsible for other "alledged" offence. Such is the amusement, there's even a Thread on Boards dedicated to latest garda traffic Tweets.

Henry Ford III

I think the Garda Traffic Twitter account is ok.

I think that they are showing that they do detect and stop various offenders, to encourage anyone who sees it to drive within the laws.

Del2005

Dempo1 wrote: »

Not sure what is worse, posts on Facebook or the absurd official Garda Traffic Twitter Feed.

It just amazes me some of the sarcastic and legally questionable posts are permitted, let alone sanctioned.

Assuming the letter of the law was being followed, all offences detected are Alledged? and yet the perception given is a slam dunk, bangs to right mentality. I appreciate they make an effort to hide some identifying details but question the merits of joyfully and sarcastically posting detections of breaches in the road traffic act.

Whilst I'm at it, there's been a glut of excitable posts about the work they are doing re the pandemic and yet, most involve cars being siezed for various offences, most notably cars being siezed from learner drivers, usually including an unamusing side swipe at the offender.

I'm all for a Twitter feed advising the public on traffic issues, accidents, delays, detours etc but do we really need to be informed and in a mischiefious legally questionable manner, a motorist having their car seized or being caught "alledgedly" speeding or being responsible for other "alledged" offence. Such is the amusement, there's even a Thread on Boards dedicated to latest garda traffic Tweets.

Driving offences are different from criminal offences. You aren't assumed to be innocent for driving offences, as its a privilege not a right. If you go to court you have to prove it wasn't an offence, the Garda doesn't have to prove it was.

Twitter is where people look so if they see cars been taken off people driving illegally then it might stop them driving illegally.

lucalux

iQuain wrote: »

Absolutely - I totally agree. My comment was a direct reply to the ageist comment posted earlier in the thread. In hindsight it was probably immature of me.

Oh no worries at all, wasn't a reply to get at anyone at all.

I just threw it up there, when thinking about the checkpoint pages on FB, and who they are perceived to be aimed at.

I think the perception of these pages is that it's just boy racers or criminal gangs, when in my experience, they're used by plenty from all walks of life, to evade detection for whatever reason. It's a bit off topic from me anyway, as usual

lucalux

Henry Ford III wrote: »

I think the Garda Traffic Twitter account is ok.

I think that they are showing that they do detect and stop various offenders, to encourage anyone who sees it to drive within the laws.

Yeah it's a visibility thing for sure, though one issue I might have is that sometimes they use the wrong legal terms, which doesn't help their cause when people pick up on that. Little things like spell checking would help to, if they want it to look professional.

No harm for some to see it, it does have a cooling effect to see someone have their car seized, if you are driving with the same expired tax or lack of insurance or whatever.

They are a bit sarky in it from time to time, tweets probably sent in from loads of different Guards, so I imagine there's differences in tone from that.
A lot of police forces around the world do similar, fairly tongue in cheek comments on Twitter pages.
I imagine it's a very fine line to straddle, between professionalism and a bit of a joke.

zg3409

I used Google maps with real time traffic during the first lockdown and 2 checkpoints were automatically diverted away due to traffic delays caused. The map can show red lines where there is delays and Waze has a specific feature.

Facebook does seem ineffective at this, but most covid gardai points seem to be in exact same spot over and over again, if not there 24/7 any more.

I don't so much go out of my way to avoid (I am all in order) , but if there is another way just as quick or faster without possible silly questions I go that way.

There are lots of people genuinely worried about speeding points, particularly full time drivers such as taxis, couriers, van drivers, sales reps. Just one speeding points (3 points) lasts 3 years, and if you get caught just over once a year, you will be banned before the first expires. I pass one mobile van at least once a month, and its easy to creep over limits. Insurance costs soar once you have 6+ points.

There are lots of others living week to week on pandemic payment, trying to keep their car, pisdubky letting tax run out, and struggling to pay insurance. Its easy is you have cash in your pocket to not realise his some live, and how rent, food, drink, drugs may be higher priority than tax man.

Its also easy to set up a Facebook group and Facebook suggests new groups to you all the time, and many join to have a look, even if they are ineffective at avoiding quickly setup checkpoints and vans that move every hour to a new spot.