Go Safe van parked on side of motorway where the sign says Garda Cars Only

ElisaAtWar

So this is the second time I have seen this Go Safe van parked in exactly the same spot where it says Garda Cars Only. So this time I decided to stop and take a clear picture of the van with the sign saying Garda Cars only. So my question is who do I bring the picture to. Is it the police , is it the NRA or is it GoSafe themselves. Certainly GoSafe are not the Garda.

Witcher

You stopped on the hard shoulder of a motorway just to take a photo? Are you aware of the stupidity of that?

mikeecho

GoSafe are operating on behalf of the Gardai, they are authorized to park in those places.

The best place to stick your picture is up on your fridge.

hoodie6029

This should be good 😆😆

Fight the good fight, my brother.

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058318713/go-safe-van-parked-on-side-of-motorway-where-the-sign-says-garda-cars-only

You should be fined for stopping on a motorway for a start. According the the Garda website they "are using a service provider ‘GoSafe’ to operate them on its behalf." As such they can operate anywhere the Gardaí instruct them or permit them to.

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121256133#Comment_121256133

Thanks 😂. It's one thing to be working on behalf of the Garda and another when it states Garda Only on a sign by the side of the motorway. Just my take,😀. I hate being fcuked

Stark

Sure and of course all signs are legally binding down to the exact wording 🙄

delly

Were you able to tell if the van operator had his GoSafe hat on?

bazz26

🤣🤣

harmless

Report it to traffic watch(0818 205 805) be sure to let them know of the photographic evidence you have,

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121256766#Comment_121256766

I enjoyed that comment hugely. Go delly😂. Best comment by far on this thread

ElisaAtWar

Wish I knew how to attach a picture on boards but it continues to confound me

bladespin

Highly recommend heading to the nearest police station with that, not much the PSNI can do but they could probably do with the laugh.

markpb

Even assuming you are right and they can’t park there, do you think their mistake or law breaking would nullify any speeding tickets they issued at that time?

I don’t think those signs have any legal bearing anyway. Maybe they’re mentioned in the Road Traffic Acts somewhere but the lack of an Irish translation suggests they’re only advisory.

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121255784#Comment_121255784

In retrospect I have to agree with you Witcher. That was completely stupid of me. Of course I had pulled in way off the road and put hazards on but I still take your point.

I could try and justify my actions based on the fact that the sign clearly stated Garda Only plus the fact that having a GoSafe van on a motorway is such a dangerous thing. And the reason I say that is motorists by nature slam on their brakes. And there is good reason for this. The motorist is watching the road rather than the exact value on their speedometer. So it's just a natural thing to do. But it causes a dangerous situation for car drivers who are travelling behind and have not witnessed the situation.

It's funny but on the same journey I witnessed a situation where a driver on the inside lane was driving very slowly. Behind it came a truck carrying lumber. I was in the outside lane and had to brake and let the truck into the outside lane in front of me because he/she couldn't stop in time.

All that aside I accept the lack of wisdom of my actions

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121259494#Comment_121259494

Breaking the speed limit isn't such a natural thing to do.

Use your speed limiter or build a decent margin of error into your approach.

You're the reason we need speed vans on motorways.

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121259517#Comment_121259517

interesting viewpoint. people generally drive to in and abouts the speed limit. much of the problem is some folks not driving in concertina. and GoSafe vans impact that concertina effect

Miscreant

People impact that concertina effect, the GoSafe can is just doing a job and not responsible for the actions of idiots! If people actually drove the way they were supposed to, there would be no need for these vans. Its not that difficult to drive and glance at your speed every now and again anyway. The whole slamming on the brakes when a speed camera is spotted drives me mad. Most of the time on motorways, people are generally under the limit. Same with the collective refusal of drivers to overtake a Garda vehicle on the motorway when they are clearly driving under the speed limit! Drive on and observe the rules. Nothing to fear then.

Here, I shall end my rant. :)

mikeecho

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121259102#Comment_121259102

Correct, those signs have no legal standing.

Just like the "Garda Only Parking" outside Garda stations.

That's why they had to put down double yellow lines with them as well.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121259494#Comment_121259494

It's funny but on the same journey I witnessed a situation where a driver on the inside lane was driving very slowly. Behind it came a truck carrying lumber. I was in the outside lane and had to brake and let the truck into the outside lane in front of me because he/she couldn't stop in time

How could the truck driver not stop in time or were his brakes shot? What you've described is either an unroadworthy truck being driven at speed on a motorway or a person dangerously driving the truck yet you're blaming other traffic (hint: the slower car did not appear out of nowhere!)? Still, you're the kind of dangerous driver who reckons it's ok to stop on motorways to take pictures so we shouldn't expect much from you!

Victor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121259706#Comment_121259706

Many cars and satnavs can be set to beep at pre-set points, e.g. 49, 59, 99, 119 km/h. If more people did this, there would be no need to slam on.

rob w

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121261593#Comment_121261593

Well obviously you would only have to slam on every time it beeps! 😂

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121259102#Comment_121259102

assuming you are right and they can’t park there, do you think their mistake or law breaking would nullify any speeding tickets they issued at that time?

Yes it would. I am not saying that the van does not have permission to park where it was - based on the details given it would. But hypothetically, if it did park somewhere that it did not have permission or right to park, then the ticket would be rescinded once you could show it.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121261835#Comment_121261835

Is that fact or opinion?

mikeecho

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121262014#Comment_121262014

It's complete bovine excrement.

kowloonkev

Who owns gosafe? It should be made very transparent if they are acting on behalf of gardai. I don't know why they don't just put speed cameras on motorways.

Stark

What do you mean "more transparent"? There's full transparency around the fact that they're contracted by An Garda Síochána.

Peregrinus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121261835#Comment_121261835

This is a complex and somewhat nuanced area. Evidence obtained in "deliberate and conscious breach" of someone's constitutional rights is not admissible in court against that person, except in very exceptional circumstances. So, the guards detain you in circumstances where they have no power of arrest; they beat the living snot out of you; they interrogate you brutally; you make admissions that are, um, contrary to your own interest. Those admissions cannot be given in evidence against you.

But that's clearly not this case. Here, the suggested illegality - parking in a place where they are not permitted to park - is not a breach of anyone's constitutional rights. Where evidence is gathered in a way that involves illegality but no breach of constitutional rights, it's up to the judge at the trial to decide whether to admit it, having regard to all the surrounding circumstances — whether the breach of law was inadvertant; whether it was minor or more significant; whether it bears on the nature or quality of the evidence gathered (if they had parked just down the road where parking was lawful, would the evidence they gathered have been any different?); everything that might be relevant.

I'm inclined to think that where the illegality complained of is a violation of parking regulations, there's a good chance that evidence would be admitted. But we can't be sure without an actual case with actual facts.

tommythecat

Pretty sure the garda only sign is there so that no member of the public will decide that its a great place to pull in for a break.

GerardKeating

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121262180#Comment_121262180

I know some "Go Safe" locations are dubious, esp when they blocking the pavement, or sight lines for entrances., driveways, etc. but a spot clearly marked "Garda Only" would not be one of these.

I assume you comment "speed cameras on motorways" is a reference to fixed speed camera. they never really go into them here for some reason, there were a few, but they all disappeared around the same time as the "Go Safe" contract came into force for some reason.

Calahonda52

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121259494#Comment_121259494

WTF: from above: I put hazards on 

you were the hazard!

Anyway the clue is in your call sign: