Meanwhile on the Roads...

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121880727#Comment_121880727

No mention of what could have possibly caused the momentary distraction.

Drake66

Those Ford Rangers have spread like a plague on the roads. They are like built like tanks, seem to have a shocking braking performance, and are usually driven in an abysmal way. Its terrifying getting close passed by them as well.

Weepsie

We're at the point where cars like that should require specific driving tests because they have no place on most of our roads.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121881751#Comment_121881751

We got one in work, for the size of the thing, the seating area is actually tiny and cramped. The pillars are also humoungous, one of the most difficult vehicles I have ever had to drive in regards ease of observing your surroundings. This form someone who has driven an 8 wheeler.

Paddigol

Sickening. Pretty much sums up the current issues/ debate regarding restricting vehicle access in the city centre/ pro-pedestrianisation of city centre streets. All these "but our businesses will die!" claims. Really? Here we have a couple who were actively supporting city centre businesses, ambling around a city centre street, mown down by a monster truck driver contributing less than zero to the city centre. I hope some of those hysterical clowns who bang on about "consultation" and "my jewellery business is dead coz cyclists" have a think about their logic today.

Hurrache

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121881751#Comment_121881751

I think their proliferation is in part down to their affordability when it comes to using them as a company vehicle, there's 4 near me, all owned by people with their own company, and maybe 2 would actually need the use of the truck bed, but all would have lost space in comparison to vans.

magicbastarder

wouldn't it just be gas if revenue decided to clamp down on use of commercially taxed vehicles for private use? those rangers would plummet in value, everyone would be trying to sell theirs.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121882535#Comment_121882535

Poor hard-pressed motorists just tryna make a livin

Paddigol

Have read of the language used here by An Garda Siochana in Donegal... it's telling that there's so little difference between the messages sent out to drug drivers and people just going for a walk/ cycle... "remember, always wear your hi viz... help us save lives".

Gardaí issue stern warning to motorists after four drivers caught drug driving (msn.com)

I can only imagine how many motorists must be driving under the influence of drink/ drugs on any given day in Ireland if with their scant resources and limited motivation the Gardai randomly catch 4 in one weekend in Donegal...

Macy0161

Can only say that Red Light Cameras at every junction from Loughlinstown to Donnybrook would pay for themselves for a year on a wet Wednesday morning. Similarly bus lane (and mandatory cycle lane) cameras.

Pinch Flat

Coming in through the phoenix park at Park Gate street, keeping left to go down the quays - 5 or 6 cars break the red coming from chapelizod, which is pretty normal. Heard a commotion behind me while stopped at the lights at the court building, and turned around to see a red golf had barged his way up the cycle lane, past 2 other cyclists, and was turning left up the hill at the courts. There were guards outside the court and a garda car stopped at the lights across the road, which I beckoned to - drove off, no interest. Sure why wouldn't you try it in a car if you can get away with it?

On a side note, they really need to designate that cycle lane with little bollards, a different road colouring and maybe on or two cycle graphics on it - it's obviously confusing

https://maps.app.goo.gl/5zJsV9zanyKwqBbs8

Dr_Colossus

Confused, did the red golf barge its way along the cycle lane driving over those little bollards as the lane itself isn't wide enough for a car? Partially mounting the footpath isn't an option with the street lamp obstacle so not sure what the golf hoped to gain. That said I saw a garda car parked up on that footpath this morning near the steps despite the designed disabled parking spots behind all being available.

I go through that junction every morning and it's another terrible design putting cyclist at risk of left turning vehicles. Thereafter you have a cycle lane on the inside of parked cars, loading trucks and generally covered in rubbish with bins stored alongside/in the cycle lane and a little further up are again in danger of left turning vehicles/buses into that Parkgate St loop.

I usually get caught at the lights existing the park and thereafter its straight onto the road and don't cut back into the cycle lane until the before the Frank Sherwin bridge but your not out of danger there either as cars/taxi often try turning across you up Temple St West.

Paddigol

Garda clearly mustn't have been wearing hi-viz. The poor motorist, having his time wasted like that. Just tryna make a livin.

Wicklow man who drove at garda in ‘moment of madness’ avoids jail (msn.com)

What hope do the rest of us who use the roads have if this is the attitude towards shocking driving?

Meanwhile... "no difficulty postponing the disqualification"...

Sligo driver loses appeal on dangerous driving disqualification (msn.com)

magicbastarder

that second one; weirdly written. like a 12 year old taking notes.

that first one though - 'he's not sure what came over him'. no mention of his licence being taken off him. if he acts in ways behind the wheel he cannot explain, maybe it's best if he loses his licence.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121887629#Comment_121887629

Can you imagine, as a cyclist, coming across either of them on the road? Yet there we are... absolute reluctance, almost to the point of official amnesty, to take licences off people or impose a meaningful sentence on them. But, the opportunity to 'note' the wearing or otherwise of hi viz/ helmet etc is never passed up. Its essentially saying "you see that fella there, the lad who has no insurance or tax, bald tyres, weed in his system, reeking of booze, driving 120 in an 80 zone, who smashed another car causing serious injury and destruction? See him? I'm going to give him another chance because he belongs on the road. But I have to voice my view that cyclists and pedestrians really should be wearing head-to-toe hi viz and jumping into ditches out of the way of cars if they insist on using the roads, because they're a bit of an inconvenience really".

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121887484#Comment_121887484

But he " comes from a respectable family" so wtf are you whinging about?

fat bloke

So driving at someone is dangerous driving. But driving over someone is careless driving.

But either way, no jail time.

Gotcha.

zell12

RSA giving stats on Radio1 at moment "speeding is really endemic and is embedded in Irish society", "speeding is widespread, people of all ages are speeding", 78% of deaths happen on rural roads..

Mention of Ciaran Cannon's call for a Road Safety Commissioner, RSA's Liz O'Donnell is a bit dismissive of it, saying we already have all the components

Paddigol

Motorists heads wrecked by feckin cyclists 2 abreast and no hi viz... Meanwhile

One in four drivers get behind wheel despite risk they are ‘over the limit’ as gardaí issue St Patrick’s weekend appeal | Irish Independent

A snippet: "Meanwhile, pedestrians are reminded not to walk home after the night out, especially in areas with low visibility." This is important folks, that you know what's expected of you in behaving responsibly, because... "The survey has also found that one in four motorists believe driving short distances after having a drink is acceptable."

Absolutely warped logic.

ARX

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121893407#Comment_121893407

So now we've gone from "wear a high-vis jacket if you're walking" to "actually, just don't walk at all".

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121895905#Comment_121895905

Pretty much. "Shur if it saved just one life, why wouldn't you?" ... "why wouldn't you do something that would make you safer", etc. etc.

Macy0161

Great feature on the news, with the Garda car in the back ground 2 wheels up blocking an entire shared use path.

at1withmyself

I think I'm missing something but the article specifically advices not to walk home after the night out. I would agree with that as walking on unlit roads while drunk can't be a good idea?

Don't really get the outrage on that advice as it's targeting people out for the night.

De Bhál

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121880727#Comment_121880727

Fully suspended sentence for possesion and selling of drugs aswell.

So pop into the city centre to sell ecstacy and coke in your giant fcuking jeep, drive over a pedestrian and kill them....no bother, on your way now, good lad. Look it could happen to anyone. Could happen a bishop.

This lad should be in jail and I don't know why he isn't.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121895990#Comment_121895990

The implication is that you shouldn't walk home sober or not as there are plenty of drunk drivers around. Rather than target the drunk drivers.

Macy0161

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121895990#Comment_121895990

It wasn't that - don't walk home as you'll get mown down by all the drunk/ drugged people driving home that they can't be arsed tackling. Please don't drink and drive, those walking who might get hit, please don't walk home (perhaps get a lift off a drunk driver instead?).

at1withmyself

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121896027#Comment_121896027

I don't know, I see good advice asking drunk people not too walk home after night out. I just don't see an issue.

ARX

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121895990#Comment_121895990

I'm not outraged. I'm not even the tiniest bit surprised. My point was that for years the official advice was to wear a hi-vis jacket if you were walking, but this is the first time I've seen official advice not to walk.

I'm not surprised, because it's been clear for years that the State has no interest in protecting more vulnerable road users, be they motorcyclists, cyclists or pedestrians. The de facto policy of the State is that the car is lord of the road, and everyone else (public transport users and more vulnerable road users) can just suck it up.

Macy0161

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121896080#Comment_121896080

"After a Night out" does not equal drunk. Not everyone has car, even if they wanted to use it for a short trip. Saying not to walk on the road because of drink and drug drivers is next level victim blaming from the RSA/ Gardaí

at1withmyself

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121896185#Comment_121896185

But that's not what they're saying. They are asking people out drinking not to drive or walk home. They advice leaving the keys home or booking a taxi as suggestions.

This comment isn't aimed for everyone out walking, it's aimed at people drinking. Maybe the wording could be better but I don't see an issue.