Standard of Driving in Freefall in Last Six Months ?

2011abc

I think the long and short of is we now have the perfect storm of the irish driver hogging the outside lane doing exactly the speed limit (or less) and the more 'press on' 'overseas' driver (many of whom are now well established in the country and have probably built up a bit of no claims bonus so no longer fear crazy premium prices-if theyre insured at all -Id say that issue is reaching sky high proportions also )Super aggressive tailgating (even in long chains of traffic 'going nowhere' ) has becoming the norm since just before Christmas .Have also encountered single males in 'gang- wear ' ( those skull caps) gesturing wildly quite frequently around Dublin Airport What the heck is happening out there ?

Hotblack Desiato

I think there's been a thread the exact same every six months since the dawn of time, but congratulations on the "da immigrits" angle 🙄

RidleyJones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058293007/standard-of-driving-in-freefall-in-last-six-months

I have driven on Irish roads for a long time. Today is no different to any other day in terms of the types of drivers we have

In reality I have found the biggest culprit on Irish roads is Irish drivers and nothing to do with "gang-wear" who are too busy slow riding around estates in Dublin :-)

quokula

I'm clearly not an observant driver because I can never tell what nationality the drivers of other cars around me are.

NattyO

The standard of driving is shite, but has been for a loooong time. I felt there was a peak in dangerous driving about 6 or 7 years ago, when every second person seemed to be texting while driving, but modern media systems in cars has reduced that a little.

I still see people in modern, high end cars, that have voice to text etc. manually texting, or even holding up the phone and speaking into it. Do they not know how to use hands free or what?

maninasia

I noticed that after returning to the country. It's likely a combination of busier roads and bigger population as the main factor and then, lack of policing, more pressurized lifestyles and yes large scale immigration especially in the Dublin area. You would have to be blind not to see that. Most countries don't have rigorous training and driving tests such as Ireland. Its not just the cars ,its the escooters, the ebikes, the delivery trucks , the whole shebang. The lads rip around on the ebikes with not two shites given, no reg plate, no ID could be anybody.

RidleyJones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120499808#Comment_120499808

Ahh the number of gobsh***s still texting when driving has never decreased. What is worse now is the people trying to hide they are texting which makes it even worse than before.

100% correct on people with new cars and technology but seem incapable of using it.

pgj2015

Illegal phone use while driving is rampant in Ireland now, people don't even try to hide the fact they are using the phone. makes me think are the Guards actually catching people for it anymore or are they turning a blind eye to it?

Thelonious Monk

Red light breaking seems to be just normal now, it's crazy.

sundodger5

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120501148#Comment_120501148

N5 is 2 lanes with hard shoulders? So you were on the wrong side of the road and barged your way through. Would it have been safer for her to get out of your way? Yes. But you were in the wrong

pgj2015

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120501193#Comment_120501193

Yeah but she should have been trying to avoid a crash as well in fairness. if someone pulls out in front of me, I brake, I dont just drive the car into them.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120501242#Comment_120501242

You proceeded with the manoeuvre despite oncoming traffic which you took for granted would move into their hard shoulder because you are somehow more important.

How much clear space ahead she had is irrelevant and shows your arrogance towards the other driver.

You are 100% in the wrong here

Baba Yaga

seems to be way too many idiots around,been that way a good while,i always keep in mind what the old lad that sold me my first bike said 'treat every one else on the road like theyre out to kill you and youll be grand'

hoodie6029

Stop signs are ornamental now.

Texting, video calls, web browsing etc are the norm for a lot of people. ‘Sure I’ve never had an accident doing it, what harm am I doing?’

200,000 cars with no insurance on the road. God knows how many more with no licence.

Pedestrians just walking out in front of you in towns now. Dunno if this is anti-car mentality or hoping for a claim.

On a bright note though I’ve noticed the standard of cycling improve a lot.

Hotblack Desiato

Forcing another driver to take avoiding action to not hit you is dangerous driving.

rowanh

I commute on a motorbike, I see a lot more drivers and their behaviour than you would driving a car. I have found the amount of people scrolling on their phones has jumped massively recently, I would actually worry about where it will become when the next generation are driving. Red light breaking is bad but I think no worse than in the late 2000s pre recession. On the general standards of driving, like the red light breaking I think a lot of it has to do with the economy, too busy to be a decent human being basically..

Heraclius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120501159#Comment_120501159

Yeah, I'm tempted to start making reports about it but I know it is pointless.

RidleyJones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120502808#Comment_120502808

Really? I think cycling it at an all time low.

A few years ago you had a few cyclist who figured out they are supposed to adhere to red lights, pedestrian crossing etc. Now no cyclist seems to care and just do whatever they want. All the money spent on bicycle lanes and they are hardly ever used, instead the road seems to be the area most common

As a pedestrian around Dublin City Centre my bigger concern is bicycles and not cars at this stage

harmless

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120507542#Comment_120507542

Fatailty rate from cyclist on pedestrian collisions is through the roof!

It's something that's never addressed by the anti-car lobby.

RidleyJones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120507556#Comment_120507556

Believe me, walk around Charlemont and along the canal and it's a a nightmare. They even had traffic lights on the bicycle lane but they are still ignored

teediddlyeye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120504690#Comment_120504690

Agree re the phone use. Its got to a point now where a technical solution has to be developed. Something like a signal jammer in the car from factory that will only allow a phone to work if its in a cradle out of reach of the driver.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120507653#Comment_120507653

A tech solution won't work unless everyone in a car can't use a phone.

The only deterrent needed is actual enforcement coupled with tougher penalties.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120507556#Comment_120507556

Excuse central 🙄

Just because cyclists are shît on by cars, and cyclists can shît on pedestrians, doesn't mean they should.

Aggressive cyclists are very intimidating to older people and what might be a minor bump to a person in their 30s could be a death-hastening or independence-ending hip fracture for a person in their 80s.

Lots of teenagers on illegal e-bikes on footpaths these days. These things are to all intents and purposes motorcycles, but no licence, no insurance, no helmet...

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120504690#Comment_120504690

Me too. You can very quickly tell the drivers who are "switched on" and the ones who are zombies.

jeffk

Finally found the wonder of cruise control (dumb one so you must slow down etc manually if come up near a car etc) then realised you can’t enjoy it properly.

Doing speed limit (or so as it seems to be 10 out when using it and google maps on), come to a car, so I’ll move out.

Oh no you won’t I’m doing 20 or so over, so slow down to match car in front/turn off cruise control and start again.

Overtake doing limit, someone up my arse flashing away as delaying them doing above.

RidleyJones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120513904#Comment_120513904

It is hilarious. Normal practise on motorway

Stick cruise to 120kmph, pass a car, wait 2-3 min and car passes you....wait 2-3 mins and you have to pass car again.....2-3mins and they pass you again

This is all happening when you never change from 120kmph

Try this on the road from Cork to Dublin and it is hilarious how many times you end up passing the same car while never speeding up or slowing down

magicbastarder

as i've always maintained, if you want to see bad driving, stick an L plate up in your car. when my wife was learning to drive it was eye-opening how much more rash and bullying (a small but significant minority of) other drivers became.

Tenzor07

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120508820#Comment_120508820

Those "The Cyclists" are responsible for the Wars in Ukraine, civil unrest in Sudan, and Climate change... oh no wait, that's motor vehicles...

elperello

I have seen no notable deterioration in the last six months.

Neither have I observed any particularly poor driving by "overseas" drivers or people wearing skull caps.

That said the overall standard of driving is poor enough.

Only solution is improved enforcement.

highdef

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120500890#Comment_120500890

Sister-in-law had an idiot drive into the back of her brand new car last Friday. She was stopped in a short queue at red traffic lights. Light went green and traffic began moving. Car in front of her jammed on the brakes for some reason so sister-in-law did the same. She then looked in the rear view mirror as the moving car behind her continued to draw closer and she could clearly see that the driver was looking down (at his phone, I can only assume) and not ahead. A couple of seconds later and his car had crashed into hers.

That is really horrific driving that I've seen many a time. If a small child had wandered out in front of that car, the driver would have literally driven over it, completely unaware due to inept lack of awareness.

If I had been in her shoes, I would have reported that driver for driving without due care and attention.

Not sure about the standard of driving, although I notice younger women drivers in particular seem to not understand the dangers in doing 120k in heavy rain.

Driving from Ennis to Rosslare last Friday, not one speed van or Garda to be seen on motorways or roads. I was not aware that there was to be a major presence on the roads;just later checking my news feeds and saw the reports, I wondered where the hell they were. Lack of a dedicated traffic police presence on the roads is a big problem.

pgj2015

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120514642#Comment_120514642

Did she not report him for using their phone?

I have seen idiots driving massive tractors texting/on the phone, lorry drivers etc and in built up areas as well, I always think the same that if a child ran out in front of them they wouldn't have chance.

The fines need to be put up to at least 500 euro and they need to start going after these drivers.

I remember lately they raised the fine from 80 to 160 euro for phone use while driving. I counted 7 or 8 drivers at least that morning from 9 am to 12 pm on their phones, unreal. A lot of Irish people just think the rules don't apply to them and this attitude needs to be stamped out.

I remember seeing this young guy driving at 100 kmph towards me texting, if I had the chance I would tear him a new one, the little $hit, he could kill a whole family if he had hit them head on.

NattyO

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120514333#Comment_120514333

This made me laugh it is so true. I use adaptive cruise control all the time, and it is hilarious on the motorway to overtake/be overtaken by the same person 5 or 6 times. I often wonder if it ever occurs to them that they are driving so erratically, or do they think it is me that speeds up and slows down?! Imagine how much fuel that kind of driving uses. There must be few cars on the road now without cruise control, so do people not know how to use it?

RidleyJones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120515077#Comment_120515077

Its funny because it true. Lots of cars have cruise but people don't turn it on. One guy who worked with me would never used it because he felt he "wasn't in control"

Then you have loads of people in electric cars who seem to think turning off cruise control will save 0.01% of the battery.

I have had cruise in every one of my cars since 2006 so it's not like it's a new invention. Adaptive is new alright and I only have in one at the moment but its excellent

highdef

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120514680#Comment_120514680

Completely agree with everything you said. Fines definitely need to be massively increased but enforcement also needs to be increased massively if it's to make a difference. A guard on a bicycle or even on foot walking alongside stopped traffic would be a very simple yet extremely effective method of identifying and dealing with the gobshites, helped by their extreme lack of what's going on around them.

pgj2015

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120515434#Comment_120515434

A guard on a height with binoculars, he/she can then let a Guard in a car up ahead know which car to pull over.

magicbastarder

one of the worst places near me for illegal parking (it's a 24/7 bus lane) is across the road from a garda station. it's not a priority for them.

i know a garda recently who got those - illegal - raised number plates on her car. i don't know if she knows they're not allowed.

pgj2015

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120515526#Comment_120515526

There was a guy driving around my local town for around 6 months with no front number plate. There was a good few young lads driving with no front number plate. it was obviously the cool thing to do for a while. eventually they must have been told to cop on and put them back on but it took months.

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120515077#Comment_120515077

The solution to this is to make sufficient progress consistently so that you don't get drawn into these little pissing contests.

Seeing as most drivers apparently can't/won't even do 120 when there's no reason not to, it doesn't even require starship speeds - just an ability to read the road and identify the type of driver you're dealing with, from the dawdlers, to the lemmings, to the agressive lane-hoppers trying to get a car length ahead.

rogue-entity

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120499809#Comment_120499809

I'd beg to differ, the standard of driver training and testing in Ireland is absolutely abysmal when you compare with the extra hoops you must jump through in other European countries before they give you a licence. We have an awful lot to do to bring that standard up.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120501159#Comment_120501159

Didn't you know? Red Lights are just suggestions!

I do think what encourages this, is terrible light sequencing and short green cycles, noone wants to be stuck behind the lights. See also, blocking the box

RidleyJones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120515638#Comment_120515638

I seen this on loads of car recently so it has to be some sort of fad as you say, I took it that they are trying to dodge speed vans.

RidleyJones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120515467#Comment_120515467

They already do this on motorway, have a Garda up on a bridge and then another on the ramp to chase down the car....problem is we have far too few Gardai in ireland for the population

pgj2015

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120515820#Comment_120515820

I agree on the number of Guards but if they spent the day catching them every so often, word gets around and people might think twice about texting while driving.

pgj2015

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120515812#Comment_120515812

That and id say they think it looks cool. They usually have the number plate on their dash where a speed camera van wouldnt be able to read it.

Also I saw one of them doing around 60 mph in a 30mph zone once so they are the kind that definitely should have the number plates on their bumpers where they are supposed to be.

creedp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120515820#Comment_120515820

Plenty of them around to 'look after' Biden. Normal traffic control work not as lucrative though

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120515895#Comment_120515895

They were drawn from all over the country for that gig.

One district justice on finding that members of AGS were not in court because of Biden threw the cases out.

blade1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120503251#Comment_120503251

I've posted this before but always worth another look.

Skip to 40 seconds.

Also shows rear cam view after the forward cam view.

https://youtu.be/3u-5WCBT-xs

RidleyJones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120515895#Comment_120515895

Are you saying that Ireland has enough Gardai?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120516481#Comment_120516481

Fairly standard at the moment, trucks/tractors pull in to let vehicle go past and the vehicle then decides the entire road is open, ploughing ahead to overtake and traffic on other side need to then move into the hard shoulder. To be honest I see this daily.

RidleyJones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120515863#Comment_120515863

The ones around my area have no number plate on show, maybe sitting on a seat and they throw it up if Gardai arrive

pgj2015

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120516481#Comment_120516481

Did you report that lorry driver?

pgj2015

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120516837#Comment_120516837

Do they have a rear number plate n the car?