Cork drivers: the most dangerous in Ireland?

shoegirl · 22-10-2003 2:28pm #1

For the unteenth time since moving to Cork last year, I've again been nearly killed by a dangerous maniac behind the wheels. This time I was crossing a road in the city when out of the blue (from around another corner actually), sped a large saloon, the driver gesticulating at me while he overtook me on the wrong side of the road. When I gesticulated back, he eventually braked (about 100 yards down the road as he was seriously speeding), reversed back, and roared expletives and abuse at me in a distinctively English accent!

Now I'm not saying that Cork people are bad drivers, but this city seems to have a huge number of dangerous maniacs who are either a) unaware of other road users b) semi-aware but often "forget" what they don't look for and c) people who are well aware of other road users but abuse the power of the vehicle and experience on the road to run other cars, pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists off the road. Needless to say the majority are male, middle aged and driving large cars less than 5 years old.

My favourite one are the motorists in Cork who don't understand what a red traffic light means. They also sail through pedestrian lights and dare anybody try to cross the pedestrian lights . . .

Anyway I am just about to buy a digital camera and was thinking of standing on Brian Boru Bridge some time (not while its closed, of course) and photographing all the motorists who break the red lights, and putting them up on a website (with reg plates obliterated - or is that just letting them off the hook?) Any other suggestions of a way to actively start exposing the rotten motorists of Cork city?

dudara · 22-10-2003 2:35pm

You've got to remember in cork that pedestrians rarely obey traffic lights themselves. so it's no fun driving in cork city.

anyway, tipp drivers are by far the worst. They just don't know where the dims are.

scojones · 22-10-2003 2:36pm

The driving in every city is crap. That's nothing new. I have a comment and it's sorta on topic. The roads in west cork are brutal! So i don't really blame the drivers for the deaths there. I've lost a few friends on the west cork roads, maybe it might have been their fault, i'll never know. But something must be done about the state of those roads.

deRanged · 22-10-2003 2:39pm

is Brian Boru bridge the one by the bus station - cos I've lost count of the number of times I've almost been creased by cars turning right through the red light as I'm crossing on the green. It's not a camera I'd like to shoot them with ...

parsi · 22-10-2003 4:39pm

.. maybe its the English drivers who are the problem ?...

.. driving down Oliver Plunkett Street (or Pana) is a major pain - pedestrians just walk wherever they want...

dahamsta · 22-10-2003 4:42pm

Originally posted by shoegirl
For the unteenth time since moving to Cork last year, I've again been nearly killed by a dangerous maniac behind the wheels.

Sorry about that shoegirl, I was in a hurry to get home from the pub -- those twelve pints went through me like a feckin Porsche!

When I gesticulated back, he eventually braked (about 100 yards down the road as he was seriously speeding), reversed back, and roared expletives and abuse at me in a distinctively English accent!

That can be bloody scary, especially when the person in the car is obviously totally freaking out. I have to admit to having done this myself in the past, but for the same reason you started this thread -- because I was right and they were wrong. Unfortunately, the red rag of road rage tends to blur the difference sometimes. It's not something I'm proud of, and I hope I won't be doing it again.

Now I'm not saying that Cork people are bad drivers, but this city seems to have a huge number of dangerous maniacs

I find Dublin just as bad to be honest, if not worse in some circumstances. The concept of lanes seems to have lost all meaning up there; much like the general Irish cluelessness you get when it comes to the overtaking lane (known in common parlance as "de fast lane"). Personally speaking, I think that in most case it's not deliberate, it's quite simply a genuine inability to drive and understand the rules of the road, which demonstrates that the testing system just doesn't work. But there are other factors too, like the Kinsale Road roundabout, the designer of which should be taken outside and shot. In Dublin a major problem is and always has been road signs. Woeful.

My favourite one are the motorists in Cork who don't understand what a red traffic light means.

I see this, but not with the regularity you imply.

thinking of standing on Brian Boru Bridge some time ... and photographing all the motorists who break the red lights, and putting them up on a website (with reg plates obliterated - or is that just letting them off the hook?)

I think you'd be opening a pretty big can of worms there shoegirl. Fairly hefty chance of getting sued I'd say, although that's not always a bad thing. If you're serious about this, the very first step you should take is to ask about the legal implications on the Irish Law mailing list.

Any other suggestions of a way to actively start exposing the rotten motorists of Cork city?

I don't have "another" suggestion, but I do have a general one: Don't do this unless you genuinely intend following it through, and by that I mean trying to get the law changed in some way. I would suggest that the change that needs to be made is in the testing system, but if you have a better idea, think it through and write it up. Then start a campaign, including this if you think it will be successful. But in all honesty I can't see this suggestion on it's own doing anything more than annoying people, and possibly getting yourself sued.

I'd support a well-developed campaign by the way, if that's any good to you.

Best of luck,
adam

shoegirl · 22-10-2003 4:43pm

Yup, you're quite right, Brian Boru bridge is the one by the bus station.

I actually didn't really take much notice until some ignorant bastard nearly killed my mother, whose had 4 knee operations and has great difficulty walking. The pedestrian light was green and this ignoramous nearly killed her.

I was just thinking that perhaps if I took photos and maybe showed evidence of the problem it might be easier to act on it.

Actually I took my rules of the road out of its dusty bookshelf where its vegetated since I passed my driving test and it says that "Motorists should never endanger the safety of pedestrians." It also says that if a pedestrian has already started to cross then the motorist has NOT got the right of way. I was very disturbed when taking my younger brother out (he'd only recently learned to drive) that he didn't actually know that pedestrians already crossing had the right of way. Somehow I would be interested to see how many drivers know that.

DukeDredd · 29-10-2003 5:43pm

I think both are to blame. I drive around the city regularly and the pedestrians are a bloody disaster - walk out in front of cars no problems at all. I remember standing at traffic lights outside Finns corner waiting to cross and one man said to another "C'mon we'll cross away - sure the cars never hit anyone, they won't pay for the higher insuranceif theres a claim"!!! That said - motorists around are pretty bad also. One example i see nearly everyday is driving down the mardyke towards town and at the left turn to the mercy the lights are red but it's green to go straight ahead, but people take the left turn anyway thinking its safe - the green man is on when they take the turn heading towards the mercy. Anyone else from Cork will know this corner i reckon.

daveirl · 30-10-2003 12:40am

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deRanged · 30-10-2003 5:40pm

that's the problem at Brian Boru bridge too - I think that people
genuinely don't realise there're different lights.
Doesn't make me feel any better when I almost get hit (twice this week so far).

Kold · 05-11-2003 9:34pm

THE WORST EVER. I must thank these people for contributing to at least a one grand insurance hike

shoegirl · 05-11-2003 10:07pm

I'm interested in the fact that there is another set of slip lights on the other side of the city. I live northside so I only know the brian boru bridge ones.

Actually I am amazed at the fact that so many people don't seem to understand that these lights are separate. If you do your driving test in Cork you are probably going to be taken down to the church in Turners cross where there is yet another set of these lights (there's one light for going straight on and a separate light for going left if you are going towards the city). I was taken out there for my driving test (which I passed easily). Surely anybody who misses this light arrangement would fail their driving test? I would assume that this is a "grade one" = automatic failure fault.

I think part of the problem is that usually where the the road leads into separate lanes for turning the lights are after the slip lane and so the lights are in a different position. But surely, surely people are not so stupid that they cannot distinguish when the light applies to them? Roll on the day when penalty points are extended to red light offences!

PS I do actually have a full B licence and about 38,000 miles driving experience over 6 years.

DukeDredd · 06-11-2003 9:49am

I reckon most of the problem is (and i've seen it at Turners cross too) is that a person does know the correct thing to do but some idiots behind them don't and start beeping like hell and force them to take the turn.

daveirl · 07-11-2003 11:46pm

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Cork drivers: the most dangerous in Ireland?

Are Cork city motorists the most dangerous in Ireland? 12 votes

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