Irish drivers.

There is a lot of bad driving here in Ireland and I am not talking about speeding. Red light breaking stopping in the middle of junction, blocking up roundabouts, lane merging, using indicators

I'm surprised that's all you encountered. The last time I drove in torrential rains on the M50, and there was cars crawling along doing 50km without any lights on their cars. Couldn't see them until you were on top of them. Or you'd have someone in the overtaking lane doing about 140km. I actually had to pull in to get off the motorway due to idiots.

I honestly don't think people know how to use them or even where they are in their car. Don't think they learn about it in the driving test or lesson so could be the reason behind it.

I would disagree on L plates. Yes, magnetic would be suitable for a hatchback or suv in the rear, but totally unsuitable for flat bonnet in the front. Better have a pouch on the inside where you could insert and remove L plates.

But, given the hassle doing all this I don’t think anyone would bother.

I was losing patience the other day on N4. First lane - empty as far as I could see. Second lane - moving at 75-80. Third lane - slow at 70 or below. So I joined the queue and waited to align with a lane hogger in third lane to give them a friendly beep and a waive to free it up for offers. They moved away later and I carried on and moved into first lane where there was still no cars! Mind bogging and I see this every single evening!

You see the people who are using their fog lights have them on all the time because in their minds they have to pull the level before turning it to get their lights on in the first place.

What cracks me up is seeing "modern" cars with no lights on when its dusk. I'm assuming that all cars have the "always on" technology and I'm surprised people would switch that off. Are they "saving the bulbs"?

If Guarda could enforce it... One Sunday morning, I followed a student with their instructor. As soon as they entered the dual carriageway, went straight to the right hand lane and stayed there. It was only the 2 of us on that road.

You do know that's not what the hard shoulder is, legally, there for don't you?😉

well aware of that but a bit of common courtesy and pragmatism would make a great difference- no one is suggesting to do anything dangerous but there’s absolutely nothing unsafe about briefly and safety pulling over to let off traffic behind you. Especially where the road is wide and straight

Every sane tractor or agriculture vehicle would pull left onto hard shoulder and wave cars to pass. Ever driven outside Dublin? Common sense and good situational awareness. Nothing dangerous here about short use of the hard shoulder when visibility front and back is few km. Not blocking any emergency or anything.
I would not however expect same from someone who is idiotic enough to hold the line of cars behind them without realising they are a problem for others.

Overall Irish driving is bad. Courtesy and patience is something else, but you also have the inability to correctly manouvere a mechanically propelled vehicle in a reasonable manner. And that's the main issue in this country. You get courteous and patient drivers elsewhere in Europe too, that's not special. In Cork specifically the courtesy and patience is a result of crappy streets, that are often too narrow for two way traffic. I did 1700km one way in April on the continent, France Germany etc. It suddenly somehow all "opened" right after arriving to France. Cork is claustrophobic in comparison. Drove through good few towns on the continent, not a bother. Traffic flowing freely all the time everywhere, all other people driving in basically same manner. No stupid situations like in Cork. It felt good, because I didn't have to be extra vigilant expecing somebody to do something stupid. Relaxing drive.

Here's one of many examples of something that's daily occurence on the roads in Cork city. Tuesday 2nd June around 1pm. Medicall ambulance reg 232-D-5001.

First of all he is approaching the roundabout in the wrong lane ok? He's turning right, he should be in front of the red Aygo at this stage.

Then he turns on the right indicator and moves his van right in front of the red Aygo in the lane next to him. Did he check the mirror? Who knows… Aygo at this stage is slowing down because the ambulance is right in front of him.

Continues driving into the other lane in front of the Aygo.

Only to return to the left lane when exiting the roundabout. Not indicating left when doing so.

Stupid driving, Cork classic. Unusual? Absolutely not, this is just standard stupid driving in Cork city.