Irish drivers.

In many ways N drivers are the worst of them all.

Not learners anymore, but with little or no experience, assuming they're done with the process of learning how to drive.

Ireland is a doozy compared to most places in the world. The worst I experienced in the EU was driving in Sicily, and many Italians from north Italy were impressed that I gave it a go.

I did live in north west England for a few years and like the M50 the M60 around Manchester seems to create its own bad behaviour patterns, but then the further you went north the more easy going and relaxed everyone got.

When we moved to Dublin the m50 felt easy compared to the M60, and then when we moved to the south coast that felt way more relaxed driving than Dublin! But ask a Cork driver and they'll tell you Cork drivers are the worst in the world.

The most terrifying trip I took was an overnight bus in Vietnam where they were racing eachother, overtaking on corners etc..

having lived and driven in canada (and the us on a good few occasions) for the last few years, i would say the general standard of driving is much, much better and safer in ireland (although not perfect obviously)

others have mentioned lack of use of indicators in ireland - 'blinkers' in NA might as well be non-existent and when they are used, they are usually turned on halfway through the actual maneuver rather than indicating the intention.

roundabouts are actually quite common where i am but i think i am yet to see one being used properly (exaggerating of course).

some of it is down to street/road design too and not necessarily the fault of the driver themselves - 4 way stops are the most stupid invention ever and some of the placement of pedestrian crossings belies belief. i also find parking is allowed way too close to corners/ junctions which, combined with the larger sizes of cars in general, can make visibility almost impossible

the one thing i will say that generally works better here (in my opinion anyway) is the etiquette around emergency vehicles - rather than pulling to the left/ out of the way, everyone just stops (unless in a dangerous position or if obviously blocking their path) and the vehicle is able to weave through traffic pretty easily or drive the 'wrong' way down the street if needed.

i'll be driving briefly in spain next week so i'm interested to see how that will compare

@sprucemoose

Those bloody four junctions are a real nuisance, thankfully not a thing here.

Anytime I introduce a yank to a roundabout for the first time I can sense their brain losing traction.

For comparison purposes, what is your home country?

The extra courtesy letting people out is just ridiculous! My local shop is off the main road and the entrance is where the main road bends. The island for turning right into the shop is for 1 car and a lot of people would stop well in advance and waive people out exiting the shop. They don’t even realize that when exiting the shop it is impossible to see behind them because of the bend. And if those cars decide to exit they risk an accident because the cars on the main road move at full speed not realising the idiot turning right decided to let out someone.

I see that all the time. Likewise, driver on the main run of a crossroads beckoning drivers on the minor roads to proceed before they then make a right turn by cutting the corner instead on taking the turn as it's intended to be taken.

Ireland drivers lack a lot of things. I'd say around 80 percent of the population that can drive in Ireland don't know how to use the motorway correctly. Like the outside lane is not for sitting in for to begin with. The next issue dispute the amount of signs about no tractors, L plates and Cyclists you will still spot them from time to time.

Country roads may have a speed limit of 80km, this does not mean you need to go that speed constantly and the lack of awareness is just amazing. I've went for one walk with my daughter since has been born around the area of which I live in and it was more of anxiety filled rollercoaster compared to a nice evening stroll. Between cars flying around bends that they can't see around and not giving enough space either.

And then there's the biggest issue on Irish roads at the moment. Distracted driving and people on their mobiles. I honestly think this is out of control now and it is only going to get worse until something is actually done about it. I've seen literally everything in my morning commutes to men shaving themselves in their car whilst stopped in traffic, to women applying makeup in their mirrors and to people watching tiktok/youtube whilst driving their car.

Having lived in Germany for five years, I can confidently say they are the best drivers in Europe. We lived in western Germany, and in comparison, the Belgian drivers are aggressive and the Dutch have no road awareness. Since I've come home, I find that many Irish drivers have no lane discipline. Theres also a disregard for for the law here with tailgating and mobile phone use that you don't see in Germany for example.

Tractors on motorways with the drivers on the phone are a uniquely Irish experience, as are car trailers with no lights and items not secured properly.

Its funny though how the problem is perceived as 'driving below the speed limit'. No issues with driving above it, which happens a lot more frequently.