Galway to Dublin Autobhan?

galway_lad · 18-12-2020 9:11am #1

Around about this time of year, I'd often find myself "driving home for Christmas" (ha!) along the Dublin to Galway motorway. I was thinking, should we copy the German system and have no speed limits on sections where it makes sense? Most of that road is fine for much higher speeds than allowed for.

Also it could link the two sides of the country in a more meaningful way. I do know people who often commute from county Galway to Dublin, imagine if we made it much easier. It would alleviate the housing crisis in the capital, and be more fun.

I'm sure other sections around the country could do likewise. Seems like a winner to me?

Ubbquittious · 18-12-2020 9:14am

galway_lad wrote: »

Around about this time of year, I'd often find myself "driving home for Christmas" (ha!) along the Dublin to Galway motorway. I was thinking, should we copy the German system and have no speed limits on sections where it makes sense? Most of that road is fine for much higher speeds than allowed for.

Also it could link the two sides of the country in a more meaningful way. I do know people who often commute from county Galway to Dublin, imagine if we made it much easier. It would alleviate the housing crisis in the capital, and be more fun.

I'm sure other sections around the country could do likewise. Seems like a winner to me?

Yep good plan. Speed limits only for risk averse dullards this country seems to be full of

COVID · 18-12-2020 9:15am

Wir fahren, fahren, fahren auf der Autobahn

Mimon · 18-12-2020 9:19am

galway_lad wrote: »

Around about this time of year, I'd often find myself "driving home for Christmas" (ha!) along the Dublin to Galway motorway. I was thinking, should we copy the German system and have no speed limits on sections where it makes sense? Most of that road is fine for much higher speeds than allowed for.

Also it could link the two sides of the country in a more meaningful way. I do know people who often commute from county Galway to Dublin, imagine if we made it much easier. It would alleviate the housing crisis in the capital, and be more fun.

I'm sure other sections around the country could do likewise. Seems like a winner to me?

Would still get numpties sitting at 100 in the overtaking lane or see a lorry a kilometre ahead so refuse to move in and let faster traffic past until they slowly catch up with the lorry and take 5 mins to pass him.

B.A._Baracus · 18-12-2020 9:19am

COVID wrote: »

Wir fahren, fahren, fahren auf der Autobahn

Hes+a+nazi+get+him+_75c89fb05e60635250816b54a2820c21.jpg

whisky_galore · 18-12-2020 9:28am

Lads would still drive tractors on it.

galway_lad · 18-12-2020 9:29am

whisky_galore wrote: »

Lads would still drive tractors on it.

I think we'd definitely need more of a Gardai presence on the roads.

Stark · 18-12-2020 9:34am

galway_lad wrote: »

I think we'd definitely need more of a Gardai presence on the roads.

In Ireland, tractors are legal on motorways as long as they can do 50km/hr. (Yes I know, madness)

18-12-2020 9:39am

I think it's a great idea, having driven on that road and on German motorways with no limits, I think it is an ideal candidate, particularly once you get an hour outside Dublin and beyond Athlone.

I just fear we in Ireland might be better suited to draconian laws rather than being given discretion to judge the risks accordingly. We generally don't do self-regulation very well as a people. Sorry to tell the truth.

branie2 · 18-12-2020 9:46am

Sounds like a good idea

ShatterAlan · 18-12-2020 10:17am

Terrible idea. The germans have discipline. The Irish don't. Just imagine the numbers of boy racers tearing down that road having races and swerving from lane to lane. I know these knobhead drag race on various road but with an autobahn they'd be able to do so LEGALLY.

Ubbquittious · 18-12-2020 10:22am

ShatterAlan wrote: »

Terrible idea. The germans have discipline. The Irish don't. Just imagine the numbers of boy racers tearing down that road having races and swerving from lane to lane. I know these knobhead drag race on various road but with an autobahn they'd be able to do so LEGALLY.

Feck it I can't stand this self loathing about the Irish and praising the Germans. It's this line of thought that set the stage for bailing out the banks and being stuck paying for the damned thing the next 100 years.

biko · 18-12-2020 11:28am

I propose we make the limit 160 for G cars and it remains 120 for D cars.

Halenvaneddie · 18-12-2020 11:31am

Ubbquittious wrote: »

Feck it I can't stand this self loathing about the Irish and praising the Germans. It's this line of thought that set the stage for bailing out the banks and being stuck paying for the damned thing the next 100 years.

Oh, did you not hear the news?
According to Mehole Martin the banks weren’t bailed out

Sam Hain · 18-12-2020 11:32am

galway_lad wrote: »

Around about this time of year, I'd often find myself "driving home for Christmas" (ha!) along the Dublin to Galway motorway. I was thinking, should we copy the German system and have no speed limits on sections where it makes sense? Most of that road is fine for much higher speeds than allowed for.

Also it could link the two sides of the country in a more meaningful way. I do know people who often commute from county Galway to Dublin, imagine if we made it much easier. It would alleviate the housing crisis in the capital, and be more fun.

I'm sure other sections around the country could do likewise. Seems like a winner to me?

Good man youself.

darragh o meara · 18-12-2020 11:55am

Something like that would require a multilane motorway, too many numpties who sit in the overtaking lane all the way, imagine coming up on one of them at 100mph.. Good idea but I dont think we are fully there yet.

Atlantic Dawn · 18-12-2020 11:57am

A law allowing seizure and crushing of any car improperly using the overtaking lane (de fassssscccchhhhttt lane for thickos) would be better.

Your Face · 18-12-2020 11:59am

Doesnt matter how fast you'd drive on your Autobahn you'd still be over an hour crossing Galway City.

Dumbest city planning ever.

18-12-2020 12:00pm

Ubbquittious wrote: »

Feck it I can't stand this self loathing about the Irish and praising the Germans. It's this line of thought that set the stage for bailing out the banks and being stuck paying for the damned thing the next 100 years.

Jesus i wish Galway-Dublin were linked as quickly by an autobahn as you rushed to link that utterly unrelated topic

ELM327 · 18-12-2020 12:00pm

darragh o meara wrote: »

Something like that would require a multilane motorway, too many numpties who sit in the overtaking lane all the way, imagine coming up on one of them at 100mph.. Good idea but I dont think we are fully there yet.

Germans have 2 lane autobahns. The difference is, there, there is a requirement to check your rear mirror. Even if you're doing 200km/h to overtake someone doing 180km/h , someone could be approaching at 250km/h behind you.

Everyone keeps right.

pgj2015 · 18-12-2020 12:01pm

Ubbquittious wrote: »

Feck it I can't stand this self loathing about the Irish and praising the Germans. It's this line of thought that set the stage for bailing out the banks and being stuck paying for the damned thing the next 100 years.

I 100% agree with Shatter, Irish people would not be suited to a no speed limit road, There would be a large amount of deaths from idiots thinking they are in a formula 1 race.

18-12-2020 12:02pm

It takes about 2 hours to get from Dublin to Galway!
In fact, the country is so small it only takes a few hours to go anywhere.
We hardly need massive autobahns with no limits to travel a few hundred kilometers.

PhilOssophy · 18-12-2020 12:07pm

ELM327 wrote: »

Germans have 2 lane autobahns. The difference is, there, there is a requirement to check your rear mirror. Even if you're doing 200km/h to overtake someone doing 180km/h , someone could be approaching at 250km/h behind you.

Everyone keeps right.

Therein lies the problem. We'd have Paddy and Seamus sitting in the right hand lane the whole way and woe betide he would move in.

Germans (and most other countries) drive totally differently on a motorway. The right-hand lane is solely for overtaking, you don't sit there for miles on end.

The only places I have been where lane discipline is as bad as Ireland are Italy and the USA.

It would never work because we don't do any lessons on motorway driving either, we're just too pig-headed and stupid and "everybody else is in the wrong lane except me"

Blondini · 18-12-2020 12:07pm

Galway is a kip. Who'd be in a hurry to get there?

ELM327 · 18-12-2020 12:10pm

PhilOssophy wrote: »

Therein lies the problem. We'd have Paddy and Seamus sitting in the right hand lane the whole way and woe betide he would move in.

Germans (and most other countries) drive totally differently on a motorway. The right-hand lane is solely for overtaking, you don't sit there for miles on end.

The only places I have been where lane discipline is as bad as Ireland are Italy and the USA.

It would never work because we don't do any lessons on motorway driving either, we're just too pig-headed and stupid and "everybody else is in the wrong lane except me"

Agree, with one point of correction, the US has a "stay in your lane" type of law on the motorway/highway. So the expected behavior is exactly what happens, as there's no notion of an overta=king lane.

Also agree wholeheartedly re Italy. Have been on the road there with 5 cars wide on a 3 lane motorway!

ELM327 · 18-12-2020 12:10pm

Blondini wrote: »

Galway is a kip. Who'd be in a hurry to get there?

The hurry is to get out of there.

Feisar · 18-12-2020 12:22pm

"Dublin to Galway, 11seconds. I focking floored it Fintan"

MrMusician18 · 18-12-2020 12:24pm

biko wrote: »

I propose we make the limit 160 for G cars and it remains 120 for D cars.

It's that not it already?

o1s1n · 18-12-2020 12:26pm

ShatterAlan wrote: »

Terrible idea. The germans have discipline. The Irish don't. Just imagine the numbers of boy racers tearing down that road having races and swerving from lane to lane. I know these knobhead drag race on various road but with an autobahn they'd be able to do so LEGALLY.

Youtube autobahn crashes to see how 'disciplined' Germans are.

galway_lad · 18-12-2020 12:27pm

Sam Hain wrote: »

Good man youself.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas!

bubblypop wrote: »

It takes about 2 hours to get from Dublin to Galway!
In fact, the country is so small it only takes a few hours to go anywhere.
We hardly need massive autobahns with no limits to travel a few hundred kilometers.

I remember the bad old days before the motorway. Bus would take 4+ hours. Bus driver would pull over a few times for a fag and for people to have a piss. If it were up to the likes of you, it'd still be like that! Think to the future.

JasonStatham · 18-12-2020 12:45pm

Blondini wrote: »

Galway is a kip. Who'd be in a hurry to get there?

Let me guess, you're from that bastion of civilization... Dublin haha

PhilOssophy · 18-12-2020 12:50pm

ELM327 wrote: »

Agree, with one point of correction, the US has a "stay in your lane" type of law on the motorway/highway. So the expected behavior is exactly what happens, as there's no notion of an overta=king lane.

Really? I didn't know that, and by the lane-changing which was going on on most motorways I was on, nobody else seemed to know that either!

18-12-2020 1:03pm

galway_lad wrote: »

I remember the bad old days before the motorway. Bus would take 4+ hours. Bus driver would pull over a few times for a fag and for people to have a piss. If it were up to the likes of you, it'd still be like that! Think to the future.

Did I suggest having no motorway?

beggars_bush · 18-12-2020 1:19pm

I'd prefer them to just extend the dual carriageways as far as Carrick on Shannon on the N4 and Cavan town on the N3

kippy · 18-12-2020 1:26pm

Christ. The autobahn isn't this magical place of brilliant drivers and safe driving. Plenty accidents happen and plenty idiots drive it.

In fairness lads, were you to go back twenty years ago when it would regularly take three or four hours to do eastern side of Galway to Lucan with plenty traffic bottlenecks and passing through every town and village on the way, you'd be absolutely delighted with the current setup of the motorway.
It's pointless trying to please everyone though.

CrabRevolution · 18-12-2020 1:26pm

German style speed limits are like Swiss style referendums in that people claim we're backwards for not copying them, but they also can't name a 2nd example of a country who has adopted them.

If it's such an inarguably great idea, why has not one other country on earth adopted it?

rock22 · 18-12-2020 1:29pm

The Dublin to Galway road is not really to motorway standards. It was opened and upgrades promised - they never came

Thelonious Monk · 18-12-2020 1:37pm

Galway is hilarious. This fancy motorway goes all the way and then thousands of cars all stuck in and around a small enough town. The lack of planning for Galway and its surrounds is a disgrace. Ribbon development everywhere total car dependency. If they do ever get the ring road they want it'll just pave the way for more ribbon development and car reliance.
Also the last thing we need on our motorways is less restrictions, too many poor and careless drivers.

beggars_bush · 18-12-2020 2:28pm

rock22 wrote: »

The Dublin to Galway road is not really to motorway standards. It was opened and upgrades promised - they never came

apart from Athlone bypass and the stretch going into Galway city, it is motorway standard

ShatterAlan · 18-12-2020 3:52pm

Ubbquittious wrote: »

Feck it I can't stand this self loathing about the Irish and praising the Germans. It's this line of thought that set the stage for bailing out the banks and being stuck paying for the damned thing the next 100 years.

It's neither self-loathing of the Irish nor praise for the Germans. The German penchant for conformity is something I despise at time as it show them to be automatons. Take for example crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing. You could be there at 4am and not a car in sight and the signal is red and they will stand there like robots until it turns green I just cross when I see that it's safe to do so. I don't need a machine to tell me when I can cross a fcuking road.
In Germany they have machines where you can get a newspaper. You put in the money and take one out.....all the newspapers are there and the Germans just take the one. If that system was available in Ireland people would take all the newspapers out for the price of one and try to sell them. It's just a fact.

And our bailout of the banks wasn't necessarily the fault of the Irish despicable as it was.. IT was done under threat from Timothy Geithner. Granted we could have grown a pair and told him to FOAD like the Icelanders did but we didn't unfortunately.

Muahahaha · 18-12-2020 3:55pm

beggars_bush wrote: »

apart from Athlone bypass and the stretch going into Galway city, it is motorway standard

yeah but it is likely designed for a top speed and beyond that it is dangerous. Would presume autobahns are designed for 200kph+ whereas Irish motorways are not.

ShatterAlan · 18-12-2020 4:00pm

o1s1n wrote: »

Youtube autobahn crashes to see how 'disciplined' Germans are.

I said they were disciplined. I didn't say they were immune to accidents.

Atlantic Dawn · 18-12-2020 4:01pm

beggars_bush wrote: »

apart from Athlone bypass and the stretch going into Galway city, it is motorway standard

Will they ever upgrade this part?

pgj2015 · 18-12-2020 4:05pm

ShatterAlan wrote: »

It's neither self-loathing of the Irish nor praise for the Germans. The German penchant for conformity is something I despise at time as it show them to be automatons. Take for example crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing. You could be there at 4am and not a car in sight and the signal is red and they will stand there like robots until it turns green I just cross when I see that it's safe to do so. I don't need a machine to tell me when I can cross a fcuking road.
In Germany they have machines where you can get a newspaper. You put in the money and take one out.....all the newspapers are there and the Germans just take the one. If that system was available in Ireland people would take all the newspapers out for the price of one and try to sell them. It's just a fact.

And our bailout of the banks wasn't necessarily the fault of the Irish despicable as it was.. IT was done under threat from Timothy Geithner. Granted we could have grown a pair and told him to FOAD like the Icelanders did but we didn't unfortunately.

My first night in Germany a few years ago, all of us Irish, We all went out to the smoking area leaving all our drinks in another room. when we came back all our drinks were still there untouched, we hadnt even started to drink some of the drinks. we were amazed no one had taken our drinks, this was a student bar. we laughed about it the next day and agreed in a half joking way that Irish people are knackers as all the drinks would have been taken in Ireland.

18-12-2020 4:08pm

Most folk on the autobahns don't do over the recommended 90mph or so.
I did Munich to Stuttgart return in a Golf Gti and was travelling at 140mph for parts of the spin but it's sobering enough to realise how a seemingly straight road isn't that straight when you are travelling at 100mph+.

Long story short, all considered 120kph limit here is best left as is IMO.

18-12-2020 4:11pm

Blondini wrote: »

Galway is a kip. Who'd be in a hurry to get there?

2 hours Dublin to Galway @ 120 km/h

another hour spent getting through the Galway roundabout "system"

18-12-2020 4:13pm

Good book actually.

ShatterAlan · 18-12-2020 5:10pm

pgj2015 wrote: »

My first night in Germany a few years ago, all of us Irish, We all went out to the smoking area leaving all our drinks in another room. when we came back all our drinks were still there untouched, we hadnt even started to drink some of the drinks. we were amazed no one had taken our drinks, this was a student bar. we laughed about it the next day and agreed in a half joking way that Irish people are knackers as all the drinks would have been taken in Ireland.

Take their system of marking your beer mat in pencil with the number of beers you've had. Try that in Ireland. Guy has 10 pints, then gets a new beer mat, takes out his pencil, marks one or two on it and pays and staggers out the door.

whisky_galore · 18-12-2020 5:17pm

rock22 wrote: »

The Dublin to Galway road is not really to motorway standards. It was opened and upgrades promised - they never came

There are main routes in this country that are barely up to boreen standards.

We rip up our railways and have barely adequate or non existent bus services and say our country is too small for rail freight and public transport yet we're stuck behind lumbering artic lorries on winding roads, sections of which have barely changed from days of horses and carts.

pgj2015 · 18-12-2020 5:19pm

ShatterAlan wrote: »

Take their system of marking your beer mat in pencil with the number of beers you've had. Try that in Ireland. Guy has 10 pints, then gets a new beer mat, takes out his pencil, marks one or two on it and pays and staggers out the door.

I said it to someone before about the lack of stealing drinks in Germany, the guy said that the staff will be watching and if they see someone steal a drink, they will be kicked out. Irish bar staff wouldn't care if they saw a drink being stolen.

CrabRevolution · 18-12-2020 5:26pm

pgj2015 wrote: »

I said it to someone before about the lack of stealing drinks in Germany, the guy said that the staff will be watching and if they see someone steal a drink, they will be kicked out. Irish bar staff wouldn't care if they saw a drink being stolen.

Maybe you just hang out in rougher pubs but I've never heard of people having drink stolen from their table in a pub. More likely the bar staff thought they were gone and just cleared the table.

Maybe at a party or event (wedding etc.) where people are moving around a lot or going from table to table, but I've no idea where you get this notion that people go to pubs to steal unattended pints on a huge scale.

Galway to Dublin Autobhan?

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