M50 - Irish people are unable to drive on motorways!!!

LegacyUser

I am being unreasonable or does the above statement apply to the majority of drivers?

I’m unlucky enough to drive southbound from the Red Cow to Sandyford on a daily basis, and I could almost write a book on some of the dangerous things I’ve seen people do. (OK, before people react, it could be a hell of a lot worse, I could have to travel northbound on the same road, which would send me over the edge )

Motorists seem unable to unable to execute basic tasks when driving on a motorway:

1. Merge onto the M50 at the speed limit, OR at the same speed that the traffic is travelling. Too often I see cars coming off the bottom of the ramp at 70/80 km/h, when the motorway traffic is travelling at 100/110 km/h. Merging car tries to merge, causing much heavy braking and swerving.

2. Use the outside lane for what it is ideally designed for – OVERTAKING. People cruising along at 20-30 km/h below the speed limit on a motorway at all, but especially in the outside lane, drives me up the wall. I’m completely in favour of a speed limit, and I stick to it, and also believe that motorists travelling at excessive speeds, even if the road is empty, should be punished accordingly. But people on the road who seem to think they are the moral guardians of the speed limit by causing a line of traffic in the outside lane behind them as they toddle along at 100km in a 120km zone, deserve a MILLION penalty points!

I know that there are several problems with the M50, as regards exit ramp design flaws, the toll bridge etc., but I think that if the motorists were able to efficiently travel on this motorway, it would certainly help alleviate some of the completely unnecessary tailbacks we see on a daily basis. I would even go as far as saying that a minimum speed limit, say 10-20km/h below the maximum, should be considered to ensure that the traffic can travel across the motorway in a way it was originally envisaged. People who are uncomfortable or feel unable to travel in this was are free to take alternative routes across the city.

/End of rant

bru

landser

i drove in france and the uk recently. they're the same there. you get idiots wherever you go

Hagar

Don't forget that a large proportion of the drivers using the M50 should not even be on it as they are driving on Provisional Licences.

Most of them don't have enough driving experience and are driving un-accompanied.

HelterSkelter

landser wrote:

i drove in france and the uk recently. they're the same there. you get idiots wherever you go

Try driving in Italy,now the Italians know how to use motorways. They only have crappy 2 lane ones like ours but NOBODY hogs the outside lane. If you do you will have somebody up your arse, and I mean 3 or 4 inches from your rear bumper flashing lights and blowing their horn. Once or twice being the stupid lost tourist I stayed in the overtaking lane a little too long and was subjected to this treatment! Teaches you quickly that the outside lane is for overtaking only!

Alun

Everybody on here usually rants about how fast people drive on the motorways here, usually in some thread about NI drivers. But I agree, in many cases that isn't the problem, it's people driving too slowly!

We've had a couple of visitors recently one from France and one from Germany, and one of the first things they mentioned about driving here (apart from the general crappy standard of driving) was how slowly some people drive on motorways.

I regularly drive on the M11/N11 and on particular sections you'll see whole queues of cars in the inside lane doing about 80km/h for no apparent reason. It makes getting into that lane in order to turn off a real pain, because they're usually also driving far too close to each other too.

And don't get me started on people here not having a clue how to merge onto motorways ...

BrianD

The problem with lane driving has actually been worsened by the NRA themselves. The new signage on the southern end of the M50 encourages drivers to drive in the overtaking lane. How inept are these people???

Given the introduction of new motorways in the past few years the Government, NRA and NSC should do the following:

1. Produce material to educate drivers especially young drivers.
2. Erect signage on dual carriageways stating "Keep left unless overtaking"
3. Stop the NRA from designing any future signage
4. Tell the Gardai to start enforcing the law.

Garibaldi

bruachain wrote:

I’m completely in favour of a speed limit, and I stick to it, and also believe that motorists travelling at excessive speeds, even if the road is empty, should be punished accordingly.

BEJABBERS!! :eek: A talking Gatso camera!!

HelterSkelter

BrianD wrote:

The problem with lane driving has actually been worsened by the NRA themselves. The new signage on the southern end of the M50 encourages drivers to drive in the overtaking lane. How inept are these people???

Given the introduction of new motorways in the past few years the Government, NRA and NSC should do the following:

1. Produce material to educate drivers especially young drivers.
2. Erect signage on dual carriageways stating "Keep left unless overtaking"
3. Stop the NRA from designing any future signage
4. Tell the Gardai to start enforcing the law.

BrianD, I agree with you for once!!!

Although I would change your first point to "Produce material to educate drivers especially middle-aged male drivers and female drivers of all ages"!!

LegacyUser

Garibaldi wrote:

BEJABBERS!! :eek: A talking Gatso camera!!

I suppose you think it's ok to do 160 or 170 km/h across the M50 if the roads are clear! :rolleyes:

Zaph0d

€17 billion spent on roads over the last decade
another €16 billion planned for the coming 10 years

nothing additional to be spent on driver testing or education apart from those snuff movie ads with poignant music

180 unnecessary road fatalities per year

I think the problem is that there's no money for private industry in reducing road deaths.

Guy:Incognito

I was going to create a new thread for this but it'll do here. It's not limited to motorways but what is it with women and indicating. This grates me when I have the misfortune to have to get a lift with my mother or when I'm in the car with my ex. They will be pootlign along in the inside lane (or merging onto the road), they are constantly looking around for a gap, up down around for ages then eventually a gap appears and they jump in.

You may have noticed a vital piece of information missing from the above paragrph. can ya tell what it is yet? (best rolf Harris voice).




........thats right folks , indicators. They go along for ages without them, waiting for a gap. H~OW THE HELL ARE PEOPLE SUPPOSED TO KNOW YOU WANT TO CHANGE LANES IF YOU DONT INDICATE? They flick them on as they change lanes briefly, but the have already started moving to the other lane whats the point of that.

Zaph0d

Women are safer drivers than men and this is reflected in their insurance premiums.

BrianD3

Alun wrote:

Everybody on here usually rants about how fast people drive on the motorways here, usually in some thread about NI drivers. But I agree, in many cases that isn't the problem, it's people driving too slowly!

We've had a couple of visitors recently one from France and one from Germany, and one of the first things they mentioned about driving here (apart from the general crappy standard of driving) was how slowly some people drive on motorways.

I regularly drive on the M11/N11 and on particular sections you'll see whole queues of cars in the inside lane doing about 80km/h for no apparent reason. It makes getting into that lane in order to turn off a real pain, because they're usually also driving far too close to each other too.

Very good point. Why drive on a motorway at all if you're only going to do 80 km/h. I understand that people need to drive slowly in certain conditions or if they are driving a vehicle with a speed limiter such as a truck. But on relatively quiet stretches of motorway it is amazing how you get convoys of cars plodding along in the inside lane at well below the speed limit. The result is that drivers who want to make progress tend to stay in the overtaking lane, causing queues and hogging and reduced efficiency of traffic flow.

Ever notice how the dawdlers plodding along at 80 on motorways travel at the same speed through 50 and 60 km/h zones :rolleyes: They are completely oblivious to speed limits and other road users. Basically, they drive like braindead zombies.

Hagar

Zaph0d wrote:

Women are safer drivers than men and this is reflected in their insurance premiums.

There may be statistics to back this up but...

Anytime we travel as a family I invariably drive.
My wife never drives if I am available. So in fact my wife drives very little.
I would estimate that I drive 4 to 5 times more miles per annum than she does so why is her insurance premium not 20-25% of my premium?

If this is a common practice, and I think it is, women are actually overpaying for insurance on a mile for mile basis.

Zaph0d

Hagar wrote:

Anytime we travel as a family I invariably drive.
My wife never drives if I am available. So in fact my wife drives very little.
I would estimate that I drive 4 to 5 times more miles per annum than she does so why is her insurance premium not 20-25% of my premium?

What's the difference in premium between you being insured on the car alone and her being insured additionally? 20-25%?

Hagar

Two car family.
One insured in her name with me as a named driver and vice versa.

HelterSkelter

Zaph0d wrote:

Women are safer drivers than men and this is reflected in their insurance premiums.

They have less serious accidents than men. I think over-cautious and indecisive is a better description than safer.

HelterSkelter

BrianD3 wrote:

Ever notice how the dawdlers plodding along at 80 on motorways travel at the same speed through 50 and 60 km/h zones :rolleyes: They are completely oblivious to speed limits and other road users. Basically, they drive like braindead zombies.

I think these kind of drivers are basically selfish and inconsiderate. They don't care about other drivers, they just decide that they are not in a hurry and are going to dawdle along at a nice relaxed pace and fúck everyone else. They don't care about other drivers stuck behind them who may be delivery drivers with a schedule to keep, people running late for an appointment, etc etc.

savoyard

bruachain wrote:

1. Merge onto the M50 at the speed limit, OR at the same speed that the traffic is travelling. Too often I see cars coming off the bottom of the ramp at 70/80 km/h, when the motorway traffic is travelling at 100/110 km/h. Merging car tries to merge, causing much heavy braking and swerving.


bru

I don't drive in Ireland but are you sure the speed limit on the ramp is the same as on the motorway? You can't get up from 70 to 110 instantaneously (well, not in my car).

I know where I am in France, the slip road is 70kmh and the motorway 130kmh.

HelterSkelter

savoyard wrote:

I don't drive in Ireland but are you sure the speed limit on the ramp is the same as on the motorway? You can't get up from 70 to 110 instantaneously (well, not in my car).

I know where I am in France, the slip road is 70kmh and the motorway 130kmh.

Yup, same speed limit, once you get onto the ramp there are signs for 120kmph. The ramps are long also, no problem getting from 60 - 120kmph before you merge.

LegacyUser

savoyard wrote:

I don't drive in Ireland but are you sure the speed limit on the ramp is the same as on the motorway? You can't get up from 70 to 110 instantaneously (well, not in my car).

I know where I am in France, the slip road is 70kmh and the motorway 130kmh.

There are speed limits posted at the beginning of exit ramps, usually for 60 or 70 km/h, but from the top of the entry ramps to the actual merging point of the motorway there is ample distance to accelerate to the speed limit.

The Sisco Kid

What am I supposed to do?

If I want to overtake a slow moving line of traffic that is travelling at 80kph and I want to overtake them travelling at 100kph (or whatever the limit is). Then someone comes up behind me. Am I supposed to move in to the slower lane, slow down to 80, let them pass and then move out to the overtaking lane to continue overtaking? Why shouldn't the driver behind slow down to 100 and wait until I've overtaken the cars and have pulled into the inside lane.

Undoubtedly there's bad driving out there and too many people drive too slowly in the inside lane but there's also a lot of aggressive drivers on the roads.

Calina

The indicator problem is not solely an issue with female drivers, frankly. I see more men guilty of it than women.

I'm with the OP on the subject of drivers on motorways - particularly in the Dublin commuter belt, ie M50 and M7 down as far as Kildare or so. Past Kildare to Port Laoise, it's not usually so bad.

No lane discipline. Inability to exit off at Junction 6 on the M50 correctly and causing traffic in the lefthand lane to come to a standstill as they try to queue jump (white vans in particular are guilty of this). Speed limits don't apply to them (expensive cars, as a general rule). Inability to signal lane change intentions. Speed limit on the bridge really needs a camera on it.

I loathe other drivers. You can't trust them.

mackerski

The Sisco Kid wrote:

If I want to overtake a slow moving line of traffic that is travelling at 80kph and I want to overtake them travelling at 100kph (or whatever the limit is). Then someone comes up behind me. Am I supposed to move in to the slower lane, slow down to 80, let them pass and then move out to the overtaking lane to continue overtaking? Why shouldn't the driver behind slow down to 100 and wait until I've overtaken the cars and have pulled into the inside lane.

Depends - if the faster vehicle is visible to you before you pulled out, you should wait for it to pass. But if, say, you're overtaking several cars, such that there is time for a car to Appear From Nowhere, then the driver can wait until you complete your legal and proper use of the overtaking lane. By the same token, if there's a gap that you could reasonably drive into at your current speed, you should clear the overtaking lane, whether or not there's a car behind you.

Dermot

LegacyUser

The Sisco Kid wrote:

What am I supposed to do?

If I want to overtake a slow moving line of traffic that is travelling at 80kph and I want to overtake them travelling at 100kph (or whatever the limit is). Then someone comes up behind me. Am I supposed to move in to the slower lane, slow down to 80, let them pass and then move out to the overtaking lane to continue overtaking? Why shouldn't the driver behind slow down to 100 and wait until I've overtaken the cars and have pulled into the inside lane.

Undoubtedly there's bad driving out there and too many people drive too slowly in the inside lane but there's also a lot of aggressive drivers on the roads.

Are you talking about if you're travelling in the inside lane or the overtaking lane? I've never been one to flash people in front of me, but more and more I feel like doing it if they're taking the piss!

saobh_ie

I am definitely not a fan of the M50. At certain times of the day better progress is made straight through the city center (including the bit where I get lost after entering the south side from the east link).

The think I hate about the M50 is that you’d often go onto it in light traffic, yet everyone is doing 100km/h to 130kmh in the offside lane, while the nearside lane has one car in it doing the same speed. I find it really, really hard not to under take in that situation, (on the offside there’s a meter wide strip of road, it can be seriously tempting but I never go for it because hitting the grass in excess of 120kmh would have you in a heap, and if you were going to shoot past somebody in that gap you’d really want to be going 200kmh so as not to give them the opportunity to teach you a lesson).

In contrast, on the M1 generally people keep to the near side and if you come up behind them they move over promptly. If your coming up so fast that they don’t have time to see you or your behind them for more than sixty seconds stick on your right indicator and they’re over into the near side in seconds. So to say Irish people can’t drive on motorways is inaccurate.

The M50 however is absolutely choked. While on the M1 for a few minutes during your trip the next car might be a dot in the distance on the M50 there is always a car within fifty meters in front of you and behind you except really late at night when you pass a car on the inside or outside every half mile, and not doing entirely ballistic speeds.

I think the fact is that people on the M1 are on a journey or drive on a proper motorway everyday. People view the M50 as just another street where they have to battle for there inches. Protect their space by driving on each other’s bumpers etc.

So

M50 – Irish people are unable to drive on motorways!!!

Should read

M50 – Irish people are unaware its supposed to be a motorway!!!

~

And some bollix beeped at me at the toll bridge the other day, sorry mate but it takes about five minutes to get the cash out. And longer if you beep because then I have to look around to see whats going on and figure out who was beeping incase you catch up with me and try something.

The toll bridge is another reason why people don’t like the M50.

M1 you’ve travelled over fifty kilometres as a minimum, you hit a toll booth, stop, wait for three cars to go through, pay yourself and you’re gone, accelerating straight away back to speed, merging in with other traffic with loads of time and room.

M50, you queue for the toll bridge for five kilometres of your eight-kilometre M50 trip. Of course you have to continually creep creep brake creep, for the whole hour this takes. Then you pay and you’re ejected into this funnel that gives you and eighteen other lunatics 200mm to get into two lanes and up to 130kmh.

Of course while your trying to accelerate, all the people from the far right are slowly down and pulling across in front of you so they can get up the N4…

Töpher

This evening was a great example of speed doing my head in, slow speed:

Driving southbound, on the inside lane as usual doing the limit, come upon a load of cars doing about 50km/h, and the traffic in the outside lane was so thick I couldn't pull into it, yet it was flying along at about 100km/h. Does my fcuking head in!

Garibaldi

bruachain wrote:

I suppose you think it's ok to do 160 or 170 km/h across the M50 if the roads are clear! :rolleyes:

No, I believe in humans (Gardai) making a judgement call based on road conditions for the sake of driver safety, and not just dependence on various unreasoning automated devices of severely limited range and use.
And attaching rocket engines to bicycles. That's also good. :rolleyes:

bungeecork

Stekelly wrote:

........thats right folks , indicators. They go along for ages without them, waiting for a gap. H~OW THE HELL ARE PEOPLE SUPPOSED TO KNOW YOU WANT TO CHANGE LANES IF YOU DONT INDICATE? They flick them on as they change lanes briefly, but the have already started moving to the other lane whats the point of that.

This gets me too. And every time it gets me, I quietly say "You should be indicating, the nice people wont let you in if you keep it a secret!".

I think I know where it comes from. When you are parked at the side of the road and want to pull out, you're not supposed to indicate until just before you pull out (when you see a safe gap). I think this is mistakenly being applied to moving lane changes.

bungeecork

bruachain wrote:

Motorists seem unable to unable to execute basic tasks when driving on a motorway:

Believe it or not - there were (practically) no motorways in the ROI 15 years ago, and there were no roundabouts 30 years ago. The VAST majority of Irish drivers have never been instructed on motorway etiquette and maybe half were never instructed on roundabout etiquette.

The last time I was on holidays in Ireland I was bombarded by TV, radio and press adverts regarding a referendum. I never saw anything like it. So here is my idea - this country needs a National Road Safety Week with an avalanche of road rule / motorway rule / roundabout rule adverts, with community based (but garda supported) random breath tests ending with a "National IQ Test" style TV special. You saw the "National English Test" on BBC TV a few weeks ago? Well instead of Greengrocers, Surgeons and Receptionists, the Irish Road Test version could have Taxi Drivers, Truck Drivers and, erm, Receptionists.

And what is a "community based (but garda supported) random breath test"? Well, instead of promoting hatred of the Garda by having them carry out random breath tests during the National Road Safety Week, the Garda could supervise community figures who could carry out the breath tests by saying "Hi there, I'm a father of three and I live in this area, and tonight we are carrying out random breath testing as we've had 4 deaths on this road in the last 2 years as a direct result of Drink Driving. We're trying to promote responsible motoring in a bid to save 180 Irish lives lost every year in drink related traffic accidents - could you blow into this tube please? - thank you, here is a lolly pop, please never ever drink and drive"

What do you all think ?:o

mackerski

bungeecork wrote:

Believe it or not - there were (practically) no motorways in the ROI 15 years ago, and there were no roundabouts 30 years ago. The VAST majority of Irish drivers have never been instructed on motorway etiquette and maybe half were never instructed on roundabout etiquette.

Well, there were three short stretches of Motorway, and 30 years ago there most certainly were roundabouts. Though you are spot on with the info campaigns. In the late 70s/early 80s they used to have (what seemed like) 5-minute spots about subjects as basic as seat belts and how to drive over an automatic level crossing. Oh, and there was one about signalling on roundabouts too.

Dermot

mise_me_fein

I had a vert bad accident on the weekend there and I could have been killed easily.

It wasn't on a motorway.

We're ok drivers on motorways I think.

Nobody really gets killed on motorways here, there may be a few but most accidents occur on the crappy roads.

The limit is 120 km/hr it's not what's meant to be driven.

If you've been on a motorway or freeway in the States you'd soon see we're not that bad.

It's our crappy roads that's causing the accidents.

Alun

mackerski wrote:

Well, there were three short stretches of Motorway, and 30 years ago there most certainly were roundabouts. Though you are spot on with the info campaigns. In the late 70s/early 80s they used to have (what seemed like) 5-minute spots about subjects as basic as seat belts and how to drive over an automatic level crossing. Oh, and there was one about signalling on roundabouts too.

As has been pointed out many times here before, there was a rash of these on the TV somewhere in the last 4-5 years. I can be certain of this because I've only been in Ireland for that amount of time Anyway, there was one on correct lane usage on motorways, and another on roundabout usage ... believe it or not, for all the good it seems to have done.

Alun

Oh yes, another pet peeve of motorway usage here ... people who don't indicate before turning off. This is particularly annoying when they're one of the 90km/h brigade and I've come up quickly behind them, with my indicator flashing away, thinking I'll just nip up inside them when they're past the start of the exit lane, and what do they do? Yes, drift across into the exit lane in front of me without a care in the world. Marginally less annoying are those who do actually indicate, but do so at the exact point at which they start turning the wheel to turn off.

loz

HelterSkelter wrote:

I think these kind of drivers are basically selfish and inconsiderate. They don't care about other drivers, they just decide that they are not in a hurry and are going to dawdle along at a nice relaxed pace and fúck everyone else. They don't care about other drivers stuck behind them who may be delivery drivers with a schedule to keep, people running late for an appointment, etc etc.

If your late - you should have left earlier
if you had have left earlier - you wouldn't be in a hurry


120 is the MAX - not the expected speed. - i can drive at what is confortable for me - in no hurry - cause i left in plenty of time.

Same goes when i have a row of peole beeping behind me as i trval at 50 kph on normal roads. - sorry for not being in a hurry in the school rsh - as i erm - leave early.

Hagar

loz wrote:

If your late - you should have left earlier
if you had have left earlier - you wouldn't be in a hurry


120 is the MAX - not the expected speed. - i can drive at what is confortable for me - in no hurry - cause i left in plenty of time.

Same goes when i have a row of peole beeping behind me as i trval at 50 kph on normal roads. - sorry for not being in a hurry in the school rsh - as i erm - leave early.

A voice of sanity crying in the wilderness.
Damn fine post.

HelterSkelter

loz wrote:

If your late - you should have left earlier
if you had have left earlier - you wouldn't be in a hurry


120 is the MAX - not the expected speed. - i can drive at what is confortable for me - in no hurry - cause i left in plenty of time.

Same goes when i have a row of peole beeping behind me as i trval at 50 kph on normal roads. - sorry for not being in a hurry in the school rsh - as i erm - leave early.

Hmmm, exactly the selfish attitude I'm talking about.

loz

HelterSkelter wrote:

Hmmm, exactly the selfish attitude I'm talking about.

rubbish,

i still have to leave the house at 730 to get my child to school for 845 travel from blanch to glasnevin - 8 miles max ?

so i get up and leave early so i dont get stressed - or have to rush - and endager my childs life.

if your "stuck" behind me doing 45/50 kph - then tough - 50 is the max - i stay a little below it.

same for motorway driving. why should i do 120 just cause its the max - why should i burn more fule for an unequal gain in time ? - also why shoul hi have to execced 120 KPH to overtake - just cause it'll piss off thet merc driver or ranger rover who need to do 120MPH !

Maskhadov

The way I see it is this, most of ireland is a bog. There are very few decent roads in the countryside. The vast majority of people are comfortabale on roads with one lane either way. Poor driving will continue until proper roads are built.

HelterSkelter

loz wrote:

rubbish,

i still have to leave the house at 730 to get my child to school for 845 travel from blanch to glasnevin - 8 miles max ?

so i get up and leave early so i dont get stressed - or have to rush - and endager my childs life.

if your "stuck" behind me doing 45/50 kph - then tough - 50 is the max - i stay a little below it.

same for motorway driving. why should i do 120 just cause its the max - why should i burn more fule for an unequal gain in time ? - also why shoul hi have to execced 120 KPH to overtake - just cause it'll piss off thet merc driver or ranger rover who need to do 120MPH !

If you're so worried about burning more fuel why are you sending your child to a school 8 miles away? Why not send them to the local school and let the child walk?

HelterSkelter

loz wrote:

Same goes when i have a row of peole beeping behind me as i trval at 50 kph on normal roads. - sorry for not being in a hurry in the school rsh - as i erm - leave early.

Are you the kind of person who won't pull into the hard shoulder to let the row of cars overtake?

LegacyUser

HelterSkelter wrote:

If you're so worried about burning more fuel why are you sending your child to a school 8 miles away? Why not send them to the local school and let the child walk?

Good point;

Loz, are you telling me that you would canter along in the overtaking lane at 80/90 km/h on the M50?

loz

HelterSkelter wrote:

If you're so worried about burning more fuel why are you sending your child to a school 8 miles away? Why not send them to the local school and let the child walk?

Because shes 5. ( plus i want her to go to a decent school )

Calina

loz wrote:

same for motorway driving. why should i do 120 just cause its the max - why should i burn more fule for an unequal gain in time ? - also why shoul hi have to execced 120 KPH to overtake - just cause it'll piss off thet merc driver or ranger rover who need to do 120MPH !

Many drivers who exercise the right to drive at 100kph on a motorway exercise that right in the righthand lane, when traffic in the lefthand lane is also moving at 100kph.

You may consider this to be acceptable, but holding up faster moving traffic - which is legally entitled to drive at 120kph - in this way can be construed as dangerous driving.

You do not have to do 120kph if you don't want to. I've seen people ambling along the M50 at 60kph which would lead me to wonder why they bother using the road at all. But you do have to avoid unnecessarily holding up faster moving traffic and a considerable number of drivers - not necessarily you - do so whilst sitting in the overtaking lane.

Your point of view depresses me. You don't have to exceed 120kph to over take. If the car you are over taking is doing 120kph then you don't have to overtake it at all.

No one is suggesting here that you have to break the speed limit, or indeed even use it. Most people's concerns about motorway driving in Ireland relate to 1) lane discipline 2) causing near collisions when accessing the motorway and 3) indicating intentions.

loz

HelterSkelter wrote:

Are you the kind of person who won't pull into the hard shoulder to let the row of cars overtake?

hard shoulder is for broken down cars isn't it ?

wouldn't it be highly dangerous for me to swerve into it to let someone overtake me ?

loz

bruachain wrote:

Good point;

Loz, are you telling me that you would canter along in the overtaking lane at 80/90 km/h on the M50?

no i try to overtake as quick as possible within the speed limit - afterall the overtaking lane is for overtaking isn't it !

loz

Calina wrote:

Many drivers who exercise the right to drive at 100kph on a motorway exercise that right in the righthand lane, when traffic in the lefthand lane is also moving at 100kph.

You may consider this to be acceptable, but holding up faster moving traffic - which is legally entitled to drive at 120kph - in this way can be construed as dangerous driving.

You do not have to do 120kph if you don't want to. I've seen people ambling along the M50 at 60kph which would lead me to wonder why they bother using the road at all. But you do have to avoid unnecessarily holding up faster moving traffic and a considerable number of drivers - not necessarily you - do so whilst sitting in the overtaking lane.

Your point of view depresses me. You don't have to exceed 120kph to over take. If the car you are over taking is doing 120kph then you don't have to overtake it at all.

No one is suggesting here that you have to break the speed limit, or indeed even use it. Most people's concerns about motorway driving in Ireland relate to 1) lane discipline 2) causing near collisions when accessing the motorway and 3) indicating intentions.

maybe reread my post then edit yours.

i said "also why shoul hi have to execced 120 KPH to overtake - just cause it'll piss off thet merc driver or ranger rover who need to do 120MPH "

note 120 MPH. - ie exceeding greatly the speed limit

HelterSkelter

loz wrote:

hard shoulder is for broken down cars isn't it ?

wouldn't it be highly dangerous for me to swerve into it to let someone overtake me ?

Let me clarify, I am talking about driving on a standard national primary road, not a motorway. If the speed limit is 100kmph and you choose to drive at 80kmph, would you pull into the hard shoulder to let the row of cars behind you pass?

Calina

HelterSkelter wrote:

Let me clarify, I am talking about driving on a standard national primary road, not a motorway. If the speed limit is 100kmph and you choose to drive at 80kmph, would you pull into the hard shoulder to let the row of cars behind you pass?

You're optimistic. I was stuck in a train of cars at 60kmh coming from Limerick to Nenagh yesterday evening. I'd've been delighted to make it up to 80kmh.

loz

HelterSkelter wrote:

Let me clarify, I am talking about driving on a standard national primary road, not a motorway. If the speed limit is 100kmph and you choose to drive at 80kmph, would you pull into the hard shoulder to let the row of cars behind you pass?

i make room - but not pull onto the shoulder

Garibaldi

Point of Information:

According to the Rules of the Road:
Single broken yellow line along the edge of the roadway - indicates the edge of a carriageway where a hard shoulder is normally provided. The hard shoulder is not an extra traffic lane and should not normally be used as such by traffic other than cyclists or pedestrians.

(If a driver wishes to allow a following vehicle to overtake, use can be made temporarily of the hard shoulder in order to move out of the way if there are no cyclists/pedestrians already using it).