So the Guards set up a checkpoint on the M50 last night...

Ursus Horribilis · 08-01-2017 04:43AM

I wonder did anybody miss a flight because of this stunt?

GrumpyMe · 08-01-2017 08:58AM

The only possible dangerous thing out there are the people in the drivers seats!

The M50 is never guaranteed to be clear of obstructions.

The same rules apply - drive at a speed where you can stop in the distance you can see to be clear!

If you suddenly come across an obstruction that you can't stop for then you were driving carelessly and too fast!

AndyBoBandy · 08-01-2017 09:41AM

TallGlass wrote: »

Out of interest. What wild accusations did I throw out about the ES? Don't remember mentioning any 'wild accusations' about the ES.

I don't know, maybe the bit where you said the Garda put all those people in danger of death, and that the checkpoint was 'down right stupid'

TallGlass wrote: »

Down right stupid and quite surprised members went ahead and done it. Could have easily killed someone.

TallGlass wrote: »

I personally think some posters here, yourself included have completely taking my posts up entirely the wrong way in that people think I am having a pop at the Gardaí doing there job.

But you did have a pop at the Garda for 'doing their job'

fullstop · 08-01-2017 10:56AM

TallGlass wrote: »

Looking at that video, I will have to take back my previous posts to be quite honest with regards the checkpoint. Cannot argue with that video, well set up and very professional. I was basing my post on a previous video I had seen from the other side which looked a lot different.

But in all fairness some posters on this site need to chill out, people are allowed options and I see I was accused of Gardaí bashing by fullstop, which would be highly comical if you knew me and to answer your question,
I have no problem with any checkpoints of any sort or Gardaí, if it's cars or drivers off the road that are breaking laws, they can have them where ever they like and to be honest, I would rather see more than less, just once they are safe for everyone Gardaí included.

Deep contempt :pac::pac::pac:

Also seemingly you now need a degree to comment on things on Boards.

I questioned the safety of the checkpoint based on it's location. Get told I am basically a looney tune who hasn't got a clue as I haven't got a degree who is clutching at straws (when I never even mentioned that!) and a Garda basher with a deep contempt. Stay classy boards!

So basically you went on a rant using deeply emotive language saying how stupid the guards are and how multiple people could have been killed by their stupidity but now you realise you were completely wrong and it's the people who called you out on your original nonsense posts that are the problem and not you wading in to have a go without knowing the facts in the first place? Got it :rolleyes:

Big Bag of Chips · 08-01-2017 11:06AM

Were there any accidents/injuries/near misses leading up to the checkpoint? It's unclear. If there weren't, then outrage at how ridiculously dangerous setting up such a checkpoint is is a moot point.

It sounds like it was well organised and managed with no traffic issues other than a bit of a delay, which you'd have at any checkpoint. It's a 100kmph road. There are checkpoints all over the country on main 100kmph roads, at night, very regularly without such complaining. Are Dublin drivers really that delicate that they can't handle something slightly out of the ordinary?

cython · 08-01-2017 12:16PM

pillphil wrote: »

I think the flute crossing three lanes specifically to film the checkpoint was the most dangerous thing there.

Indeed, between distraction of rubbernecking, waving around a handheld camera (possible even his phone?), and crossing the hatching on joining the motorway only to probably slow down for the purposes of all this while in the overtaking lane - kind of Darwin award driving that could probably have resulted in a similarly visible incident on the southbound carriageway :mad::mad:

KwackerJack · 08-01-2017 12:21PM

Their right......to many lunatics on the roads.

The M50 is dangerous enough without a drunk asshole driving around.

The traffic would have slowed down as if it always has during the daily crash on the M50

It's a road and the Gardai have a right to ensure drivers are responsible.

The speed limit is 100km and on some national roads its the same and they have regular check points

Expect the unexpected, if you can't slow down or see a hazard in front of you then get the bus

RedorDead · 08-01-2017 08:00PM

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

So everyone was speeding? Breaking the law?

Good job the Guards were there slowing everyone down.

So at 9.30 at night you have never broken 100kph on the m50?

bear1 · 08-01-2017 08:51PM

TallGlass wrote: »

Down right stupid and quite surprised members went ahead and done it. Could have easily killed someone. Motorways are no place for checkpoints or any type of stoppage they are designed for high speed.

Sure they only done one side, some rubber necker could have caused a massive accident the other side. The m50 is packed most times of the day.

Usualy pro Garda but this time, I cannot back this. Downright stupidity of the highest order. If it's a regular thing it will only be a matter of time before something serious happens.

I hope either the minister for justice or transport makes sure it is never seen again, all it takes is one person or fog or smoke and you've a massive pile up on your hands.

Only in Ireland!

Not only in Ireland, I've seen it done a few times on Austrian motorways.
And there they close a lane and move traffic to move through rest stops.
Saw that twice and once where they just set up shop on the motorway and checked if the vignette was paid.

Wheeliebin30 · 08-01-2017 08:53PM

bear1 wrote: »

Not only in Ireland, I've seen it done a few times on Austrian motorways.
And there they close a lane and move traffic to move through rest stops.
Saw that twice and once where they just set up shop on the motorway and checked if the vignette was paid.

Seen a video of the m50 one.

It was as you said, set up miles away to narrow down to one lane same way if road works are happening.

If someone crashes it's because their driving carelessly. It's no different to if an accident happened and only one lane is open.

People always have to piss and moan at everything.

AndyBoBandy · 08-01-2017 09:02PM

RedorDead wrote: »

So at 9.30 at night you have never broken 100kph on the m50?

No, I set cruise control to 100 km/h (GPS).

theres no point but much risk going above the speed limit, if I do 105 or 110, I might get to my junction 1/2 minutes quicker, but risk being done for speeding, thanks but no thanks.

I got done speeding in 2004 twice on the N/M7, paid my fine, took the points, and decided never again.

John_Rambo · 09-01-2017 12:02AM

It's good practice for the Gardai, a big operation slowing down a three lane urban motorway and safely vetting drivers. Sounds like they did a good job, and a good PR job. I don't drink and drive so I'm ok with it. I've been breathalised a few times on my way home late from work and twice in the morning heading in to Dublin city centre.

I'm not ok with drink drivers though and I'd like to see the Gardai clamping down on drink driving in areas were drink driving is very prevalent. Where major accidents are happening, where death and injuries take place.

And realistically... it's not on the M50.

jackofalltrades · 09-01-2017 12:40AM

Seems to be mainly a PR exercise to show that no road is safe.
Anything that makes criminal gangs think twice about using motorways can only be welcomed.
It didn't yield a lot in terms of catching drivers though.
And I'm not a fan of checkpoints on motorways either.
Would be great to see the ANPR cameras on the toll bridge hooked up to a tax/NCT/insurance database.
And a fleet of Garda cars to chase down offenders.

GrumpyMe wrote: »

If you suddenly come across an obstruction that you can't stop for then you were driving carelessly and too fast!

Yeah that's just not true at all.

FunLover18 · 09-01-2017 02:23PM

RedorDead wrote: »

So at 9.30 at night you have never broken 100kph on the m50?

The point is, you can't complain about it being hair brained and dangerous if you were breaking the limit and ignored warning signs.

09-01-2017 02:46PM

I can see the point if they are attempting to catch someone specific.

But I don't get the idea that we need checkpoints on the M50 because otherwise people can drive around without worrying about them. What two places can you get from and to entirely on the M50? Are there any at all? Not that I can think of.

ironclaw · 09-01-2017 02:52PM

pfx1942 wrote: »

Overhead gantrys had messages on them, slow down, roadworks ahead and merge left.

That's even worse. So now when I read these signs, it could be roadworks or a checkpoint? Roadworks on a motorway I'm not expecting a dead stop as traffic will have to be allowed to flow as per contracts. A checkpoint, likely a dead stop. Two entirely different situations. I should be advised of queues or slow moving traffic, not a situation that doesn't exist.

Bet some top brass thought he was in the CIA with that misinformation and misdirection. We really are an utter joke of a country.

Also, how many Gardai did it take to set this up? Surely they could have had two cars on every ramp and breathalyzed people going to, coming from and going across the M50? Boggles. Absolutely boggles what goes through some peoples heads as joined up thinking.

Vamp369 · 09-01-2017 03:11PM

Some of the responses here are nuts.

If you are driving and can't stop when you see stopped traffic up ahead then you are a crappy driver. Expect the unexpected and drive at a speed that means you can still stop safely if traffic slows or stops suddenly.

Dr_Bill · 09-01-2017 03:37PM

On the no car tax and insurance surely all of this information is stored in a centralised database to which the Guards have access?

It would seem only appropriate that a video camera setup on the M50 (or any road for that matter) either as a fixed or mobile unit could use number plate recognition to check the database and issue fines or have vehicles clamped or seized accordingly. The technology should be in every Garda car.

Why are we sticking bits of paper to the windscreen that might get checked in a blue moon? Data protection issues my arse!

ironclaw · 09-01-2017 03:59PM

Vamp369 wrote: »

Some of the responses here are nuts.

If you are driving and can't stop when you see stopped traffic up ahead then you are a crappy driver. Expect the unexpected and drive at a speed that means you can still stop safely if traffic slows or stops suddenly.

I don't expect an association and body that is committed to Road Safety to deliberately stop traffic on the busiest road in the country on a Friday night.

Take a look at some of the horror stories (And indeed videos) of trucks being driven by distracted drivers slamming into lines of slow / stopped cars on the motorways in the UK and Europe.

'Sorry Ms. Jones, your loved one was killed by a careless driver'

'Why was the traffic stopped, perhaps an accident and someone being saved by the emergency services?'

'No, we deliberately stopped and slowed traffic at 9:30pm on a Friday night on the busiest road in the country to undertake activities that can be done when the traffic is moving.'

Don't know about you, but I'd never get over that utter stupidity. A needless loss of life.

Its not you that you have to worryabout, its that one driver who's just not quite paying attention.

PAKNET · 09-01-2017 03:59PM

Dr_Bill wrote: »

On the no car tax and insurance surely all of this information is stored in a centralised database to which the Guards have access?

It would seem only appropriate that a video camera setup on the M50 (or any road for that matter) either as a fixed or mobile unit could use number plate recognition to check the database and issue fines or have vehicles clamped or seized accordingly. The technology should be in every Garda car.

Why are we sticking bits of paper to the windscreen that might get checked in a blue moon? Data protection issues my arse!

Quite a few of the Garda cars do have ANPR on-board which could, at least from a technical capability perspective, do exactly that.

The entire M50 and much of the M1, M4/M6, M7/M8/M9 and M11 also have ANPR cameras on the overhead gantries - primarily to drive the display boards which show the travel times - but could technically be used by the Gardai as well.

Ironically it seems it is the insurance companies themselves that can't provide the Gardai with accurate and up-to-date data which is why ANPR isn't actively used.

It was trialled a year or two back and the ANPR flagged pretty much every reg as having no insurance so it was abandoned.

RayCun · 09-01-2017 04:06PM

ironclaw wrote: »

Its not you that you have to worryabout, its that one driver who's just not quite paying attention.

So if a driver wasn't paying attention and crashed into a car in front at a checkpoint you'd blame the gardai? Surely that applies to any checkpoint - M50, N11, any road anywhere where gardai have stopped traffic.

Vamp369 · 09-01-2017 04:11PM

ironclaw wrote: »

Its not you that you have to worryabout, its that one driver who's just not quite paying attention.

The same applies to every road in the country. That is always a risk. But If Gardai didn't do any checkpoints then what would happen? More and more people will take chances, use phones while driving, drink driving will.go up etc.

If people think they might get caught then they might think twice and not do something stupid.

ironclaw · 09-01-2017 04:22PM

RayCun wrote: »

So if a driver wasn't paying attention and crashed into a car in front at a checkpoint you'd blame the gardai? Surely that applies to any checkpoint - M50, N11, any road anywhere where gardai have stopped traffic.

Yes, but your risk profile is less as 1) Speed is likely to be lower, 2) Less people involved and 3) Less volume of traffic overall.

Vamp369 wrote: »

The same applies to every road in the country. That is always a risk. But If Gardai didn't do any checkpoints then what would happen? More and more people will take chances, use phones while driving, drink driving will.go up etc.

If people think they might get caught then they might think twice and not do something stupid.

All of this, and more, in enforceable while traffic is moving. Do you think someone is going to continue to talk into their phone as they rock up in a 30 min queue to a checkpoint? You're drunk driver could ditch the car on the hard shoulder and take a run for it, well out of sight of the checkpoint.

Its nigh impossible to avoid a proper countrywide ANPR system. Free up the Gardai to patrol as required. I have nothing against checkpoints, but you'll actually catch more people if you set them up on approach roads to motorways, why? Its a natural bottle neck to get on to, off or across a belt that rings the capital city.

This exercise is headline grabbing and ego massaging, strategically its the Bay of Pigs.

RayCun · 09-01-2017 04:25PM

ironclaw wrote: »

Yes, but your risk profile is less as 1) Speed is likely to be lower, 2) Less people involved and 3) Less volume of traffic overall.

But still, the same thing could happen. Someone driving along at 80km/h, isn't paying attention, and crashes into the back of people stopped at a checkpoint.

Either it's the fault of the gardai for stopping people 'unnecessarily', or its the fault of the driver for not paying attention.

Vamp369 · 09-01-2017 08:21PM

ironclaw wrote: »

All of this, and more, in enforceable while traffic is moving. Do you think someone is going to continue to talk into their phone as they rock up in a 30 min queue to a checkpoint? You're drunk driver could ditch the car on the hard shoulder and take a run for it, well out of sight of the checkpoint.

This exercise is headline grabbing and ego massaging, strategically its the Bay of Pigs.

While the phone users may cop on and put the phone away the same can't be said for someone who has had two drinks and thinks "I'm grand". If someone dumps thier car then that's a success that can be followed up on.

"Headline grabbing" can be a useful tool. What people will take away from it is that no road is safe from a checkpoint so people think twice about doing something they shouldn't. It's proactive enforcement.

Amanda.ie · 09-01-2017 08:55PM

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

I wonder did anybody miss a flight because of this stunt?

If anyone did miss a flight if wasn't because of the checkpoint,it was because they left it to late to head to the airport.

uck51js9zml2yt · 09-01-2017 10:16PM

Looking at the video, it seems to be very well organised. Just a pity they didnt do it on both sides of the M-way.

The_Kitty · 22-06-2017 06:45PM

What happens at these checkpoints? Do they stop people, check windows and watch the plate reader to stop people or not stop people and use the data recorded from plate reader to issue fines for tax etc? Do people need to be stopped to be fined?

So the Guards set up a checkpoint on the M50 last night...

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