Meanwhile on the Roads...

gooseman12 · 20-10-2025 10:17AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123920672#Comment_123920672

ya fair point on the mars bar, there is reasonable doubt, but the 127 in a 100, there is an excuse but no legitimate or legal reason for a strike that I can see. The judge just seems to have decided an outcome, which is the judges right, but does seem to make an appeal an option.

I remember other cases with speed vans where judges have decided the van placement was unfair or "dangerous" so striked all cases.

I never hear anything regarding appeals in any of these cases though, where there does seem to be case for appeal and it doesn't seem to be actioned. It looks to me like the DPP just leave them go

hesker · 20-10-2025 10:32AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123920672#Comment_123920672

Would there not be greater weight on the Garda testimony. He was fairly adamant about what he saw

blackwhite · 20-10-2025 11:00AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123920842#Comment_123920842

I posted a number of years ago on here about being stopped by a Garda whilst driving along the north quays in Dublin. He was adamant he'd seen me on my phone, right up until the point that I offered to show him where my phone was and opened the boot of the car and retrieved the phone from my golf bag. Even at that, he started to claim I must have a second phone somewhere in the car, until his colleague told him to stop wasting their time.

loyatemu · 20-10-2025 11:18AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123920935#Comment_123920935

keep a dummy phone in the boot - got it!

Paddigol · 20-10-2025 11:24AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123919726#Comment_123919726

Yep, I've said it so many times. This issue isn't with Joe Garda, it's with the legislature and the executive (the judiciary will fall into line once the structures are in place). But to call a spade a spade, zero s**ts are given and nothing is going to change in the short or medium term. That's just a fact (IMO 😁 ).

MojoMaker · 20-10-2025 11:32AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123920842#Comment_123920842

Cough.

magicbastarder · 20-10-2025 12:04PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123920992#Comment_123920992

just keep a spare mars bar wrapper beside the drivers seat.

JMcL · 20-10-2025 12:16PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123920672#Comment_123920672

It's immaterial anyway, he shouldn't have been eating a Mars bar in the first place while driving "Distracted driving includes talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking…" (https://www.garda.ie/en/crime-prevention/crimecall-on-rte/crimecall-episodes/2022/25-april-2022/traffic-distracted-driving.html).

Yes, you can say everybody does it, but that falls into an equivalence to everybody treating the Macroom bypass like a motorway

blackwhite · 20-10-2025 12:26PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123921197#Comment_123921197

Absolutely right - but in that case the fault lies with the Garda, not the judge. He should have issued the FCPN for "driving without reasonable consideration" which, based on the driver's own admission, would have been much more difficult to dispute.

The judge can't convict someone of an offence they weren't charged with.

On the Macroom one (much like the "unfair" camera locations cases), I can't understand why these aren't appealed by the prosecuting Gardaí / DPP.

It's not the role of District Court judges to set the speed limits, or to try and rewrite legislation.

Large bottle small glass · 20-10-2025 12:30PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123921197#Comment_123921197

It's not immaterial to the specific charge of driving while holding a phone.

If the charge was careless driving you would be correct.

There's substantial evidence on the effect all kinds of common behaviours have on driving attention; sat nav, hands free phone use, music selection etc etc but no one wants to go there.

I'm frequently with my work in all kinds of new cars. The screens get bigger and bigger. The new Peugeot 3008 must be 400-500mm wide. It must be detrimental to attention

JMcL · 20-10-2025 12:35PM

Fair points on the charge, and the guard should have copped it and charged him with that instead since he was admitting it

magicbastarder · 20-10-2025 12:52PM

I'm frequently with my work in all kinds of new cars. The screens get bigger and bigger. The new Peugeot 3008 must be 400-500mm wide. It must be detrimental to attention

we recently changed car, to a 2022 hyundai. definitely more distracting, the extra info you've to contend with, not just on the centre console but on the main driver display too.

blackwhite · 20-10-2025 02:59PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123921261#Comment_123921261

Colleague has recently bought a new BYD.

He has already "sideloaded" youtube onto the interface so he can watch it when stuck in traffic…….

khamilton · 20-10-2025 03:35PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123921793#Comment_123921793

That's not a modern car problem, I see people with phones in windscreen cradles playing videos all the time when driving in traffic in the dark.

It's a driver problem.

magicbastarder · 20-10-2025 04:40PM

i've seen several examples recently where drivers have phones mounted to cradles attached to the middle of the windscreen with suction cups. it's not just wilfully obstructing the centre of the windscreen, it's doing so with a device which by its nature is intended to be interacted with. they really need to update the legislation to stipulate that such use is treated the same as holding it in your hand.

i mean, even when you're handholding a phone you can put it down. those cradles don't disappear when the phone is not in use.

blackwhite · 20-10-2025 06:21PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123922117#Comment_123922117

It's not unusual to see more than one of those cradles mounted also (cough taxi drivers cough)

Kaisr Sose · 20-10-2025 06:49PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123922117#Comment_123922117

I was driving my mates car last week. He has one of those cradles dead centre of the driver side of the dash. If a phone was there, my view forward would be significantly impaired. Nothing should obstuct the drivers view forward.

JMcL · 21-10-2025 11:43AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123922498#Comment_123922498

Always assuming the driver is even bothering their h**e to look out the windscreen in the first place. Given the current (lack of) driving standards, you'd be forgiven for thinking many don't.

zell12 · 21-10-2025 11:50AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123922117#Comment_123922117

My fave is the video-playing phone lengthwise covering rearview mirror, with two elastic bands affixing it

Seth Brundle · 21-10-2025 02:42PM

Apparently Gardai in Kilkenny stopped an "escooter" user who was travelling in a cycle lane faster than all other traffic. It had two speed limit modes: 70km/h and 100km/h and was able to easily exceed both (the photo from the garda test shows an indicated 120km/h)

Sized for having no insurance on a mechanically propelled vehicle...

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1127910872861915&id=100069290376628

Cabaal · 21-10-2025 03:44PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123924763#Comment_123924763

I could cycle down High Street in Kilkenny on an avg day and be moving 'faster then all other traffic' by just going 10km/hour 😂

But seriously, anyone with an escooter capable of those speeds has a deathwish.
Fast speeds + tiny wheels = death.

Timesheet · 21-10-2025 05:34PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123924953#Comment_123924953

Fast speeds and tiny wheels....

Can I add bonus points for no lights now that the dark evenings are coming in

Paddigol · 22-10-2025 12:26PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123921356#Comment_123921356

It definitely is, I've found the same. Funny how you never hear that mentioned alongside various victim-blaming "if it would save just one life" suggestions. We managed to drive for decades with just the essential information on the driver's display.

But still, the motor industry have cars to sell so best to throw on a hi viz and say a few Hail Marys.

Morris Garren · 22-10-2025 10:07PM

Kildare locals object to 'pointless' cycle path https://www.rte.ie/news/regional/2025/1022/1539838-kildare-cycle-paths/

Meanwhile, this absolute monstrosity in South Kildare has made the National headlines. Budgeted for €1.6 million it is currently north of €2 million and counting. And it's only October. It has to be seen to be believed, and without any hyperbole or moral panic, I dont think any right thinking cyclist should go near this. The local dissatisfaction has turned to genuine anger, made worse by a county councillor from Naas, not even from the local area, turning up to tell the locals that they should be glad to have such safe cycling infrastructure! The hubris, arrogance and wasting of public money here is only going one way

Wildly Boaring · 23-10-2025 10:45PM

The quoted councillor, the won who actually cycles, is positive about it.…

"Absolute monstrosity " ??

Morris Garren · 24-10-2025 09:20PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123932235#Comment_123932235

'The won who cycles..' ??

He's well known for liking the soundbites of his own voice; he hasn't once been to the area to look at what is being built and look at what is happening, until the chance to appear on telly arose. Not a single local councillor from the district, nor the local Government Minister who lives there, chose to comment. They all know this is a clusterfcuk accident waiting to happen.

There is significant and cogent opposition to the location, design, construction standard and ultimate purpose of this project (supposedly a 'pilot') from numerous local interest groups.

If you have a particular insight that everyone else has missed, please let us know what it is.

p15574 · 28-10-2025 09:29AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123934721#Comment_123934721

I know nothing about this project so can't comment on its design (but hate when councils use active travel budgets as a cover to resurface roads), but "significant and cogent opposition to the location, design, construction standard and ultimate purpose of this project (supposedly a 'pilot') from numerous local interest groups" often just means "NIMBY" for motorists - look at the opposition to the proposed Strand Road (still nothing built) and to the Deansgrange cycle path, specifically to protect kids cycling to school.