Increase in road deaths - RTE tonight at 9:35pm

Kimbot

I come across all sorts on the roads, yesterday driving around a roundabout, go past first turn off and im just passing the second one when a van comes flying out from the turn off right on front of me causing me to jam on and when I beeped the attitude was to just stick their finger up out the window. They were 100% in the wrong.

On a country road on the way home you go over a humpback bridge and about 500M later there is a turn to the left with a straight through junction, I was going straight through and just as I got to the junction some idiot from the left just kept coming out of the turn and nearly crashed into me, I stopped, beeped and gestured at him and he completely refused to even look in my direction because he knew he was wrong.

Peoples attention are not on the roads when they are driving and a lot more will die before it gets better as generally people dont give a crap until it directly effects them.

redunited

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122008734#Comment_122008734

Speed isn't the problem, it's the idiot behind the wheel that's the problem.

For example, how can we as a country have people fail driving tests and yet carry on driving without a license? I know many people who have no license but drive around.

A competent driver knows to drive to the conditions of the road, bad drivers don't. Speed is just an excuse.

Anaki r2d2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122008762#Comment_122008762

80kph along a 30kph beside a school is not problem? 160 on a 100 not a problem? Right you are

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122008762#Comment_122008762

how can we as a country have people fail driving tests and yet carry on driving without a license?

you can't ban someone from driving if they fail their test; you can continue to allow them to drive if accompanied by a qualified driver.

the same laws apply if they fail their test, they are not allowed drive unaccompanied.

Patrick2010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122008218#Comment_122008218

also

https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/courts/2024/03/04/man-accused-of-causing-death-of-grandmother-with-e-scooter-in-dublin/

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122008762#Comment_122008762

do you realise how ridiculous you sound?
It’s not the speed, it’s the driver can’t control the speed, so the speed is the problem then no?
There’s so much evidence and data to backup the claims that speeding is dangerous so where’s your evidence that speed isnt dangerous then?
Cos without it you’re basically just talking nonsense.

creedp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122008747#Comment_122008747

I agree that people no longer seem to be able to focus on the task in hand, always away in a different world. I see it with young lads who cannot be without the phone in the hand with ridiculous Tik Tok videos running constantly. It's quite humorous in one way but depressing really to witness someone trying to fill a glass of water with the phone in one hand. 🙋‍♂️ it's amazing how someone needs to be told to put the fcuking phone down when attempting to do something that requires their full attention.

In fairness we now have reached the point when our Taoiseach either at a minimum endorses or worse celebrates the monitor 'Ireland's first Tik Tok Taoiseach'. You can only despair for the future at this point.

Kimbot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122008778#Comment_122008778

yeah but alot of these people that fail their test go straight out, hop into their car on their own and continue to drive which by law is not allowed as they should be accompanied. testers should report same to the guards but I dont think that ever happens.

Anaki r2d2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122008747#Comment_122008747

Be careful using the horn on the car. Seen a fella in a van get out with a crow bar in a similar sitution after he drove out in front of someone. They know they have pulled out, they don't care.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122008762#Comment_122008762

Speed on its own may not be an issue but couple it with less reaction time, more time required to stop, etc and the outcome is always worse.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122008778#Comment_122008778

Well, actually.. apparently we can ban you from driving for failing a test. At least that’s Jack Chambers plan;

Learner drivers are set to be banned from Irish roads if they keep failing their driving test. It's in an effort to crack down on road safety in Ireland. The government is reportedly set to stop the constant renewal of the learner permit. It comes after some drivers have failed their test up to 10 times.

the proposal is set to be implemented once the backlog on tests is cleared, so potentially never, but it seems they have plans to put a stop to people who never pass a driving test and just constantly renew their permit. I know a few people like that and I’d say if you can’t get a driver test passed on your third attempt you should not be driving a car.

Kimbot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122008815#Comment_122008815

Let them come at me like that, I couldnt care less and just goes to show exactly what type of Moron they are if thats what they want to do.

Seth Brundle

People sitting a driving test don't have a licence.

What you are describing are people driving unlicensed and without proper insurance cover.

ArrBee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122008565#Comment_122008565

Nice practical idea. But only applicable in dublin really.

What if the law was changed to allow seizure and destruction of phones that were used while driving?
The worst offenders are likely to be very attached to their phone so its an inconvinience that should hit home pretty hard - without being too severe….

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122008826#Comment_122008826

you can’t just take someone’s personal property and destroy it are you mad? Jesus this isn’t North Korea.

I agree phone use is terrible but I also know as many garda who love to accuse people of using their phone just to score easy points. A coworker of mine was pulled over and accused of that when his phone was in the boot of his car!! The Garda only fecked off when he showed him that but up til then was absolutely adamant he was on the phone and that’s the end of it.

redunited

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122008817#Comment_122008817

Which would suggest incompetent drivers.

A good driver will regulate their speed accordingly to the conditions of the road.

Patrick2010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122008084#Comment_122008084

I often walk home and get to see a lot of cars stuck at a certain junction. Looking into the cars I'd estimate a good 50% are looking at their phones, you can see when the lights change how long it takes for cars to start moving. As someone suggested if the guards had cyclists patrolling this it would discourage a lot of this behavior. Bit like this lad…

https://www.youtube.com/%40CyclingMikey

redunited

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122008775#Comment_122008775

But that would be illegal driving, so an incompetent driver.

A good driver drives to the road conditions and legal requirements.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122008841#Comment_122008841

Ah here the correct speed for the road is whatever the sign tells you.

BobMc

I'll give this a watch, IMO its lack of enforcement and fear of being caught, watched one of those motorway cop shows on UK tv recently, they accept and prosecute dash cam footage, 10,000 submissions and over 5000 prosecutions was a fact stated

Imagine, and fines need to be increased, if caught (big IF) the pocket has gotta be hit really really hard, nail em thrice, the ticket, the points, and lastly the insurance when renewal comes round !

ArrBee

Very rarely, speed will contribute to an accident happening.
In general, the focus on speed is to reduce the impact of the accident that happens due to all the other reasons.
Some people get a bit annoyed that speed is targeted as the "reason" and "solution" to traffic deaths in a disproportionate way.

The real cause of an accident is far more likely to not be speed, with the final outcome being governed more so by speed.

I, for one, don't think anyone having a target of "zero deaths on the road" is going about it the right way.
As I heard somewhere else, The optimal number of road deaths per year is not zero. (yes, the ideal might be zero, but not the optimal)

creedp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122008837#Comment_122008837

More Garda should set good example and not be using the phone while driving their squad car.

redunited

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122008801#Comment_122008801

If the driver can't control the speed then he is driving recklessly to being with.

Most cars can do over 120km per hour, but most drivers stick to the speed limit because that is the law, they are competent drivers. However we have all witnessed idiots flying past doing well over the speed limit, is it the speed that makes them a bad driver or is it them?

Speeding is certainly dangerous, but only if the driver is incompetent. A component driver in most cases knows when to slow down and drive to the correct road conditions.

For example, who would you trust to sit beside more on a motorway doing 120km? Someone who has just passed their test, or someone who has years of driving experience, never had an accident, and is very competent at driving?

Macy0161

Speeding, texting, banned drivers, learner permits etc etc all ultimately come down to enforcement. We are decades behind other States when it comes to Cameras (fixed and static), ANPR, Portals for camera footage (that don't need a whole load of other action). At various periods when we've introduced and extended penalty points, we've seen what the fear of enforcement can do (which is why a portal is crucial imo).

The whole GDPR "issue" is a red herring anyway - that whole debate is about excuse making for people driving, blaming infrastructure rather driver behaviour.

The traffic corp and/or cameras would pay for themselves with speeding, handheld mobiles, HGV's in overtaking lanes, red light jumping, yellow box compliance, bus lane compliance even on a bright Friday morning going on my own commute today.

creedp

Ah here the correct speed for the road is whatever the sign tells you.

You obviously have never experienced a cart track boreen with grass up the middle and an 80kph sign at the beginning or driven in fog when the 80/100/120kph speed sign is completely obscured until just before you collide with it

magicbastarder

one of the main reasons there's a focus on speed is that it's a simple metric to measure. you can't easily measure or prove driver distraction, so focus on the one thing that's a simple physical measurement.

Norrie Rugger Head

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122006750#Comment_122006750

This needs to be banned, on an EU level.

Buttons, stalks, and switches. Having to go into GUI interfaces to access climate control (etc) is so bloody dangerous

redunited

It should also be pointed out that the population of Ireland has exploded over recent years, and we have far more foreign drivers on the roads also.

The more drivers we have, the more accidents that are going to happen, its a simple numbers game.

Anaki r2d2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122008851#Comment_122008851

Don't think I was reacting to your post.

Another poster said speed is not a contributing factor to road deaths.

You call it whatever you want "incompetent driver, driving excessively fast" ....bit of a mouthful. "Speeding" same thing just succinct.

I beg anyone to argue (successfully) that excessive speed does not contribute to road collisions.

NIMAN

Didn't bother watching the show, as I know the angle it was going to take.

As for speeding, we all do it. Some do it worse than others. I have calmed my speed down as I've gotten older, or since I started having kids in the car, but do I still do 90 in an 80 zone. Yes I do. We all do. At times, when weather is good and the road is clear, 90 isn't dangerous driving. But rules are rules, and we all break them.

On a different point, I recently watched a series on BBC about surgeons. A few of the episodes are about trying to fix people after car crashes. If you see the huge damage that can be done to the human body by simply crashing a car at 50mph, you'd slow down too.