Driving in the Rain in Dublin

kluivert

I remember reading a post which stated that rain can cause back logs in Dublin. I didnt believe it till yesterday. I still cant believe it.

Is it true that they make big expensive cars without indicators or lights such as Merc's BMW's and the likes. Driving into the city yesterday afternoon and there this huge black Merc driving in the bus lane and decides to push his way in on me. Nearly pushin me on to the on coming traffic w****r!!

Some day i am going to get a jeep, stick bull bars on the front a rail anyone that does that. It happens alot, no indicators no lights no signs no nothing just drive where ever they want because they pay bigger road tax.

Back to the rain thing - I couldnt believe even coming down the motorway - people dont like travelling in water spray. Fair enough but a majority of people where travelling in the fast lane thus slowing traffic up.

O yeah if your driving in the rain at speed you will spray the car behind you with water - will you put on your lights so the person behind you has the increase chance of seeing you. Its called road safety.

Am not surprised this country has a poor rep for driving. You just need to drive on the roads and count the asses that are driving beside you.

Big Nelly

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=302297

Was me complaining but I was shot down so left it where it lies....I still believe everything on that thread!!

Oh yeah dont really have bull bars on jeeps anymore....they are against the law because if you do hit anyone with them on they have no chance to live,.....more if you dont have them.,....was brought in a few years ago!!! used to drive an old 98 trooper with a bull bar on it the size of a gate!!

Zynks

You are definitely right there. A driver education program is badly needed. Most people don't seem to understand what a fast lane is, driving on wet surfaces is a joke and drivers stopping on yellow boxes blocking traffic is widespread. Either an education program or the penalty points should apply to these kind of infringements.

My only remark refers to the bull bars. I am strongly against them. In Australia, where they originate from, they exist to ensure that if the car hits one of those suicidal Kangaroos, that the car is not damaged. Here in Ireland the closest thing to kangaroos are children... Cars today are designed to reduce damage if a person is hit, which is clever. Bull bars are a criminal threat to kids. Spread the word!

kluivert

Id love to see city drivers on a country road they wouldnt stand a chance with the lumps and bumps and hedges and cows on the road. I mean real country roads.

I better shut up i have to leave for Dublin again at four. The sun is shining so therefore the traffic will be free flowing.

Big Nelly

kluivert wrote:

Id love to see city drivers on a country road they wouldnt stand a chance with the lumps and bumps and hedges and cows on the road. I mean real country roads.

I better shut up i have to leave for Dublin again at four. The sun is shining so therefore the traffic will be free flowing.

Well D15 it sunny now but some serious showers at times...also doing up Blanch bypass and nobody has a clue how to use it so the traffic is mental......gas to drive up there and see everyoen all over the shop......

kluivert

Please understand am against bull bars as well.

If i change what i said let me re phase it - some day id luv to get a TANK a rail anyone down who does that again.

Id luv to see someone cutting someone else up and ending up with damage to their car and no damage to the innocent driver.

ciarsd

kluivert wrote:

Fair enough but a majority of people where travelling in the fast lane thus slowing traffic up.

i like to call it the 'overtaking' lane. the sooner more people call it and use it as that, the sooner some of the backlog will cease

also had the misfortune of commuting into and back out of the deepest darkest streets of the city centre yesterday evening rush hour. what would usually take 20mins off peak (is there such a thing anymore?), usually takes 45ish mins during rush hour but ahh no, 1hour AND 15mins in rush hour in rain. i could not cope with that everyday for work.

for anyone that does, i dont know how you put up with it!

Funxy

Yea i had to drive from dublin to waterford yesterday at 4 and i couldnt believe the motorway, it was such a mess and even worse is the way ireland cant even build a motorway right. The outside lane was covered in pools of water, talk about extremly dangerous :mad:

Allthough it wasnt as bad as entering the city on saturday. Seeing as i was parking in temple bar for the weekend and i couldnt even get there because of that damn protest. Then going into jervis st the q inside to park took an hour :eek:

miju

i never knew there was a fast lane on the motor way always thought it was for overtaking :-)

Gandhi

A lot of cars now have daytime running lights (front lights on all the time) and drivers that are blissfully unaware that in many models only their headlights (and not tail lights) are on all the time. The tail lights are the ones that are vital in the rain (and dark for that matter) to avoid someone smashing into you.

A lot of States in the US have a law that states "Wipers on, Headlights on", which works well when people obey it. Of course, one message board I saw had some simpleton posting how apalled he was that "New Jersey now forbids you to use your wipers unless your headlights are on!!!".

Alun

Gandhi wrote:

A lot of cars now have daytime running lights (front lights on all the time) and drivers that are blissfully unaware that in many models only their headlights (and not tail lights) are on all the time.

Are you sure of that? Sounds a bit crazy to me. Could this be a US thing?

Gandhi

Alun wrote:

Are you sure of that? Sounds a bit crazy to me. Could this be a US thing?

I drive a 2000 VW and that is how mine works. I only noticed it by accident one day. A friend of mine was driving (another VW) with no back lights on for years until I told him he should check it out. Also my daytime running lights turn off when the handbrake is up. According to the car's manual, that is exactly what they are supposed to do.

I agree it is insane.

ciarsd

most scandanavian cars have this feature as standard too, well I've noticed it on some Volvo's. Also hear its on the Saab's too?

prospect

I usually turn on my dipped lights in moderate to heavy rain, fog or generally poor conditions. I have been doing this since I started driving, I really don't see the harm in it.
I remember years ago (oooohhh I feel old now ) i was driving a Citroen BX near portarlington, and it was misty/drizzley weather, I had the lights on and passed an old guy coming in the opposite direction. He started waving and pointing frantically at my headlights! I checked if the full beams were on, they wern't. I even pulled over and got out and checked the front of the car, but it was all A1. The old dude obviously could not comprehend why I had my lights on during the day. :rolleyes:
It cant do any harm having them on, and i quite like the idea of Wipers On / Headlights On.

PaulieC

yeah, I got an 05 Volvo S40 and lights (front and rear) come on automatically when the ignition is on. The weird thing is that they are switched off and to use the full beams at night you have to switch the lights on, even though they are already on. I don't drive much outside the city and I don't ever remember switching the lights on in my car. I'll be in trouble when I change it next year

Big Nelly

Why not do what loads of women do!!! leave fog light on non stop!! then when you flash them they slam on breaks and spend 2-3 mins searching around dash trying to find the resolution!!!! only way is to get out and roar at them "turn the f**kin fogs light off!" and still you get a look of bemusement and they drive on! at this stage I just leave it but was strange once I actual seen a cop pull a girl over and tell her to turn them off!! a great day it was!!

Bluetonic

Today Weatherdial
Heavy rain and gale force Southerly winds gusting 80 to 100 km/hr in places will sweep Eastwards across the country this morning and early afternoon

Big Nelly

Bluetonic wrote:

Heavy rain and gale force Southerly winds gusting 80 to 100 km/hr in places will sweep Eastwards across the country this morning and early afternoon

Tis windy and wet!! strange weather for Ireland

DeDuDe

ciarsd wrote:

i like to call it the 'overtaking' lane. the sooner more people call it and use it as that, the sooner some of the backlog will cease

Unfortunately we don't have the luxury of it being an 'overtaking only' lane on many of our roads. The M50 in particular. If people only used it to overtake the backlog would be twice as bad.

Hagar

Zynks wrote:

Bull bars are a criminal threat to kids. Spread the word!

Keep your kids off the road. Spread the word!

No, I'm not being flippant. It's the toss of a coin whether a child lives or dies if struck by any moving vehicle at any speed even a 50cc moped. The front of a bus or artic is none too child-friendly either.

Keep you kids safe, don't look for someone else to blame.

Seth Brundle

DeDuDe wrote:

Unfortunately we don't have the luxury of it being an 'overtaking only' lane on many of our roads. The M50 in particular. If people only used it to overtake the backlog would be twice as bad.

It *is* referred to as the 'overtaking lane'. The general rules of the overtaking lane are that you only drive in it whilst performing an overtaking manouvre or whilst driving in congested traffic.

ciarsd

DeDuDe wrote:

Unfortunately we don't have the luxury of it being an 'overtaking only' lane on many of our roads. The M50 in particular. If people only used it to overtake the backlog would be twice as bad.

i understand where your coming from. i'm only quoting what I learned from the 'Rules of the Road' book, many years ago! The N4, N7 and M50 offpeak is the best place to witness the 'fast lane brigade', improper use of motorways/dual carriageways and the like.

Silvera

I heard it mentioned on RTE that the National Safety Council is grossly underfunded - hence thats why there are no ads on tv re road safety ! :mad:

Imagine if the NSA had got that €50 million that was wasted on the electronic voting machines .......would have paid for quite a few ads methinks !!


Re: Dipped headlights during daytime .....
I recall reading years ago in a UK mag about the 'wipers on, healights on' tip - have been doing so ever since.
(Actually ever since the 'Lights On' campaign by Dublin City Council a few years ago, I've noticed a lot more drivers doing likewise! )

Though it still annoys me when I see motorbikes about with no lights on during the day (in rain or otherwise) :mad:


.......wait til I start patrolling the 'highways and byways'

Zynks

Hagar wrote:

Keep your kids off the road. Spread the word!

No, I'm not being flippant. It's the toss of a coin whether a child lives or dies if struck by any moving vehicle at any speed even a 50cc moped. The front of a bus or artic is none too child-friendly either.

Keep you kids safe, don't look for someone else to blame.

I am the father of two youg kids, and I find your comments very disturbing. Here is some information you really need to become aware of (just a sampler, there is MUCH more evidence and reports about this subject).

A 1998 study by Australia's University of Adelaide found that the damage to a child's head when struck by a vehicle equipped with a small-diameter steel bull bar was 10 to 15 times worse than damage inflicted by a vehicle without one. "In practical terms, a pedestrian hit by a vehicle equipped with a steel bull bar will be seriously hurt or killed at speeds much lower than those that are usually fatal," said Jack McLean, one of the study's authors.

"Research from Germany shows that 95 percent of children would be expected to survive the impact of a crash at about 20 miles per hour, but a vehicle fitted with bull bars would inflict life-threatening injuries on all children if it were travelling at 12 miles per hour, and that they could possibly die even at 10 miles per hour.

By the way, I was hit by a car on my way to school when I was a child. I have no doubts that if that car had bullbars I wouldn't be writing this. I was hit at the pedestrian crossing.

Seeing your comment "Keep you kids safe, don't look for someone else to blame.", I should probably be forced to pay for the damage my head made to the bonnet, or something like that, right?

Big Nelly

Zynks wrote:

Seeing your comment "Keep you kids safe, don't look for someone else to blame.", I should probably be forced to pay for the damage my head made to the bonnet, or something like that, right?

I think the point he was trying to make is that so many people in this country try to blame someone else instead of taking responsibility....e.g.....ahh poor wee jonny was knocked down, f**kin bast**d of a driver should have seen him and stopped...but when you check parents where prob off somewhere not looking after the child in the first place but of course it wasnt there fault.....

I have a kid as well but I look after him and make sure he isnt near road and have been teaching him since young about dangers of the road.....problem is that so many parents out there dont bother and then when kid is knocked down all they cry is sue and how great a parent they are!!!

Zynks

Big Nelly, I see your point. I agree there is a silly culture of law suits in Ireland, but I wasn't even thinking about that. I am talking about basic, common-sense prevention. Bull bars are extremely dangerous, and that is a fact.

Hagar's comments sound like he doesn't care, or he has bull bars, or he doesn't have kids, or the three together.

Whether some people may not be looking properly after their kids is another issue, but I can't understand why that should undermine a no-bull bars point.

Big Nelly

Zynks wrote:

Big Nelly, I see your point. I agree there is a silly culture of law suits in Ireland, but I wasn't even thinking about that. I am talking about basic, common-sense prevention. Bull bars are extremely dangerous, and that is a fact.

Hagar's comments sound like he doesn't care, or he has bull bars, or he doesn't have kids, or the three together.

Whether some people may not be looking properly after their kids is another issue, but I can't understand why that should undermine a no-bull bars point.

yeah but as I mentioned at the start of the thread bull bars are now illegal in thius country....if you buy a new jeep they wont have one on them....or if they do it is tiny and just to protect radiator......where as when I was first driving an old Izuzu, around 98 model, the bull bar on front was across the whole front and wrapped around the side of the jeep....this thing was huge....also when the mother(women :rolleyes: ) hit some ice one day and went straight into a telephone pole it busted the pole and didnt damage the front of the jeep at all...problem was she manage to roll it then into the ditch and down a 5 ft drop into a field....no damage to engine thou and just bull bar bent a bit....imagine wat that mofo would do to a kid......

Hagar

Zynks wrote:

Hagar's comments sound like he doesn't care, or he has bull bars, or he doesn't have kids, or the three together.

You couldn't be more wrong if you tried. I do care, I don't have bull bars or approve of them and I have two kids.

Nelly picked up on the point i was trying to make.

All vehicles are dangerous, I agree that bull bars make vehicles more dangerous. There are vehicles with bull bars on the roads right now.

A child who is struck by a vehicle, with the safest design, at the most moderate speed, will be in danger of losing its life if it goes under the wheels ,hits his head off the roadway or a kerb or is knocked into the path of another vehicle. Don't look for someone to blame afterwards or statistics or reports to back up your case. It won't bring back a dead child.

It'a a horrible picture I know, that why I said

Keep your kids off the road. Spread the word!

layke

Nicely put Hagar.

99% of the accidents i've ever heard of involved a stupid pedestrian walking out onto a road without looking. Yet it's the drivers fault regardless because he was supposed to be able to do a dead stop even IF he was sticking to the speed limit. Silly really. (I know this doesn't apply to speeding).

Cars today have a low front so you go over the car when struck rather then being plowed into. Honda were the 1st to come up with that design, now they are all at it.

At the end of the day, if I hit you with a raised 4x4 or bus it's lights out regardless of the bull bars.

As for the rules of the road, well anyone who did their test more then 3 years ago should re read them. A LOT HAS CHANGED

Oh and my mate got rear ended last month by a pick up with bull bars (he drives a corolla). He got out and all the bull bars had folded in on the truck, he didn't have a scratch. lol.

Zynks

Oh and my mate got rear ended last month by a pick up with bull bars (he drives a corolla). He got out and all the bull bars had folded in on the truck, he didn't have a scratch. lol.

That would be funny alright

You couldn't be more wrong if you tried. I do care, I don't have bull bars or approve of them and I have two kids.

OK, I was under the impression you were trying to make the point on bull bars look irrelevant. I stand corrected.

Bottom line is that s**t happens, but there are things we can do to minimise the effects, whether that means being more cautious with our kids, removing the existing bars and so on.

In the meantime, my campaign continues...

DubTony

Yesterday afternoon, in the rain, came around Orwell roundabout heading for Spawell and a teenage girl, head down, stepped off the kerb at the pedestrian lights. The lights for me were green and the "man" was definitely red, not that she could see because she never looked up.

She had her iPod buds in her ears and her mobile phone in her hand. It looked like she was writing a text message. I noticed her as I approached the crossing and was far enough away to stop without any drama. But what the hell ... let's create some drama. The horn on the Volvo has a lovely tone and is nice and loud. I held it down for the mandatory 2.5 seconds required when a ped steps out . The thick bitch didn't even look around. She just strolled across the road oblivious to the world around her.

I'm thinking boy sending text, girl sending text, blue van, brains on ground, funeral, girl crying. Maybe this particular teenager doesn't watch a lot of television.

PaulieC

It kinda makes you think that having jaywalking be a crime is a good idea, although over here it just wouldn't be enforced and people would ignore it. Or we could go the whole hog, like California, and introduce the pedestrian right of way law, where as soon as a ped steps out onto the road, all vehicles have to stop and let him cross

Seth Brundle

Jaywalking is a crime here but given that the gardai do it, they cannot really enforce it!

Victor

prospect wrote:

I remember years ago (oooohhh I feel old now ) i was driving a Citroen BX near portarlington, and it was misty/drizzley weather, I had the lights on and passed an old guy coming in the opposite direction. He started waving and pointing frantically at my headlights! I checked if the full beams were on, they wern't. I even pulled over and got out and checked the front of the car, but it was all A1. The old dude obviously could not comprehend why I had my lights on during the day. :rolleyes:

The reverse of this is me as a pedestrian pointing at people (oddly, mostly women ....) with no lights at nights, only to have their boyfriend defend their honour by giving me the finger and making rude faces at me.

Victor

cambo_gueno wrote:

Or we could go the whole hog, like California, and introduce the pedestrian right of way law, where as soon as a ped steps out onto the road, all vehicles have to stop and let him cross

Actually, that is the law here in Ireland too.

Oh and my mate got rear ended last month by a pick up with bull bars (he drives a corolla). He got out and all the bull bars had folded in on the truck, he didn't have a scratch. lol.

New bull bars are designed to collapse.

99% of the accidents i've ever heard of involved a stupid pedestrian walking out onto a road without looking.

I suppose all those walls, gate posts and poles suddenly jumped off the kerb also.