Dangerous Garda Speed Check M7 this morning

pistolpetes11 · 19-04-2011 11:01AM #1

Coming along the inside lane on my way to work this morning from J12 Newbridge to Dublin at about 9.15AM.

Just after J11 I spot a Garda Car (Volvo Estate) parked in the hard shoulder , could not believe my eyes , The Front of his bumper was parked flush to the Yellow hard shoulder line(making a perfect T shape) and I reckon 40-60 Mtrs on from the on ramp at the J11, his driver door was basically facing the oncoming traffic, complete suicide mission if you ask me.

Just as I was about to indicate to pull into the outside lane to allow merging traffic in , the clowns blowing down the outside spot the Garda car and hit the anchors, blocking any path I had to get into the outside lane.

This in turn meant that the traffic looking to join the motorway were now blocked by the cars in the inside lane and were quickly running out of room and heading for the hard shoulder which the garda car was parked in.

This resulted in the car behind me panicing and trying to swerve in to the tightest of spots on the outside lane and nearly taking two cars out of it , and traffic on the on ramp looked like it had come to a stand still and someone sitting on there horn, which I hope was aimed in the direction of the AGS.

Makes a bit of a mockery of the new RSA adds abouts never stopping on a motorway or hard should unless you have not other option, I would not mind but about 5KM down the road there is a raised Garda platform in from the hard shoulder for doing speed checks safely.

giz_a_job · 19-04-2011 11:39AM

Saw something similar on Sunday morning.

Westbound on the N4, about 2km before the turn off for Kilcock/Enfield, Garda car/jeep parked on left, at right angle to the road, with a speed gun point out his window facing traffic. I'm ok with the speed trap, but his position was stupid.
Nose of the car was very near the yellow shoulder marking, meaning the hard shoulder was blocked by the from 1/2 of his vehicle.
(no sign of them eastbound around 6pm when I saw many dangerously fast speeders!)

As you say, so much for the RSA promoting safe use of the shoulder, when the cops sit there, lead by example ?

BTW - anyone noticed, speed traps on N32, every Sunday morning around 10am, when its really quiet. Seems like easy pickings to get there numbers up to target.

Also - saw a great pic of one of those new GoSafe camera vans - clamped !!

doOh · 19-04-2011 11:44AM

Yeah i was coming from LIMERICK last night and same story ... damn bastards some1 could crash into them

bazz26 · 19-04-2011 11:53AM

giz_a_job wrote: »

BTW - anyone noticed, speed traps on N32, every Sunday morning around 10am, when its really quiet. Seems like easy pickings to get there numbers up to target.

I'd hazard a guess that they were probably looking to bag drivers who were out on the sauce the night before and still over the legal limit to drive.

stevenmu · 19-04-2011 12:13PM

I'd suggest that if you see this kind of thing that you ring the Gardaí and complain about a dangerous obstruction on a motorway.

I'd be pretty sure that they would actually respond and sort it out. I've personally seen one Garda chew out another (much more senior) Garda just for using a bus lane

Le King · 19-04-2011 12:20PM

pistolpetes11 wrote: »

Coming along the inside lane on my way to work this morning from J12 Newbridge to Dublin at about 9.15AM.

Just after J11 I spot a Garda Car (Volvo Estate) parked in the hard shoulder , could not believe my eyes , The Front of his bumper was parked flush to the Yellow hard shoulder line(making a perfect T shape) and I reckon 40-60 Mtrs on from the on ramp at the J11, his driver door was basically facing the oncoming traffic, complete suicide mission if you ask me.

Just as I was about to indicate to pull into the outside lane to allow merging traffic in , the clowns blowing down the outside spot the Garda car and hit the anchors, blocking any path I had to get into the outside lane.

This in turn meant that the traffic looking to join the motorway were now blocked by the cars in the inside lane and were quickly running out of room and heading for the hard shoulder which the garda car was parked in.

This resulted in the car behind me panicing and trying to swerve in to the tightest of spots on the outside lane and nearly taking two cars out of it , and traffic on the on ramp looked like it had come to a stand still and someone sitting on there horn, which I hope was aimed in the direction of the AGS.

Makes a bit of a mockery of the new RSA adds abouts never stopping on a motorway or hard should unless you have not other option, I would not mind but about 5KM down the road there is a raised Garda platform in from the hard shoulder for doing speed checks safely.

I saw that too about 20 past 9 this morning. Couldn't believe it. Why do it there as you said there is the raised platform for the Gardaí to perform the whole operation safely.

Wish I had of taken the reg number. It would be very hard to believe he was sanctioned to do it there.

Paddysnapper · 19-04-2011 12:28PM

1st rule: If you don't speed there will be no need to panic and you won't get caught. Simple!

Would you like me to repeat it "very slowly":)

trellheim · 19-04-2011 12:31PM

way to miss the thread title; its not about speeders its about AGS vehicles in dangerous positions.

There are several little ramps just for AGS on the motorways. No idea why they do not use them ( how often do you see them occupied ? )

voxpop · 19-04-2011 12:31PM

Paddysnapper wrote: »

1st rule: If you don't speed there will be no need to panic and you won't get caught. Simple!

Would you like me to repeat it "very slowly":)

Jesus :rolleyes:

Well done on missing the point of the whole thread

MIRMIR82 · 19-04-2011 12:32PM

I heard last week (not sure how true it is) that your life expectancy goes down to 50 minutes if you pull over on a motor way:eek:

Gary ITR · 19-04-2011 12:33PM

Paddysnapper wrote: »

1st rule: If you don't speed there will be no need to panic and you won't get caught. Simple!

Would you like me to repeat it "very slowly":)

This thread has nothing to do with speeding though. It's about a dangerously parked Guard conducting a speed check. Do you need me to repeat that slowly for you?

Atomic Pineapple · 19-04-2011 12:49PM

Paddysnapper wrote: »

1st rule: If you don't speed there will be no need to panic and you won't get caught. Simple!

Would you like me to repeat it "very slowly":)

jimmycrackcorm · 19-04-2011 12:53PM

I'm missing something here. Basically a car was parked in the hard shoulder - which they do sometimes so the problem is that because it is a Garda car, people speeding along are hitting the brakes. Presumably they are seeing the Garda car too late.

-Chris- · 19-04-2011 12:57PM

As I understand it, a Garda car was parked in the hard shoulder, perpendicular to the flow of traffic, with their bumper nearly in line with the yellow dashes dividing the hard shoulder and main carriageway.

i.e. if someone was driving in the hard shoulder or had to swerve into it, they'd hit the Garda car broadside.

mcwhirter · 19-04-2011 01:00PM

These guards are probably some weather beaten potato head muck savages from the outskirts of any normal civilised town and who have never seen a motorway before nevermind been on one.

Now wheres me tractor for the motorway.

BronsonTB · 19-04-2011 01:00PM

If anyone come across this with a passenger on board...get them to take pics, put on the web & send to the rsa. This needs to be highlighted so everyone becomes aware of it...Sounds dangerous by all accounts....

Wonder is it some kind of new policy since the camera vans have been deployed?

Esp now we have all those motorway ads been shown on TV at the mo...

-Chris- · 19-04-2011 01:04PM

mcwhirter wrote: »

These guards are probably some weather beaten potato head muck savages from the outskirts of any normal civilised town and who have never seen a motorway before nevermind been on one.

No more of this.

Cmar-Ireland · 19-04-2011 01:19PM

Could have parked there because everyone that uses the motorway regularly knows where the raised garda speed check platforms are. So the belt along until they are within range of the platforms and then slow it down to the legal limit. Maybe this guy was trying to catch the platform dodgers?

langdang · 19-04-2011 01:54PM

-Chris- wrote: »

As I understand it, a Garda car was parked in the hard shoulder, perpendicular to the flow of traffic, with their bumper nearly in line with the yellow dashes dividing the hard shoulder and main carriageway.

and importantly -within 100m of an on ramp - so, given the merging abilities of the average turnip, a very irresponsible place to be.

jjmcclure · 19-04-2011 02:56PM

Report it to the Garda Ombudsman. Simple.:)

overshoot · 19-04-2011 03:42PM

Cmar-Ireland wrote: »

Could have parked there because everyone that uses the motorway regularly knows where the raised garda speed check platforms are. So the belt along until they are within range of the platforms and then slow it down to the legal limit. Maybe this guy was trying to catch the platform dodgers?

im sure that is what he was doing but you could argue the garda just as dangerous as anyone speeding.
it could be done safely by a unmarked on the road... although is there any unmarked used for speed checks? never noticed one

user1842 · 19-04-2011 04:00PM

Cmar-Ireland wrote: »

Could have parked there because everyone that uses the motorway regularly knows where the raised garda speed check platforms are. So the belt along until they are within range of the platforms and then slow it down to the legal limit. Maybe this guy was trying to catch the platform dodgers?

The raised garda speed check platforms will never be used with hand-held speed cameras as it requires two garda to use them. One in the driver seat and the other outside with the camera.

The reason why the garda was parked the way he/she was on the motorway was so they could use the speed gun while in the driver seat and easily start up the car and chase the speeder.

alias no.9 · 19-04-2011 04:05PM

overshoot wrote: »

im sure that is what he was doing but you could argue the garda just as dangerous as anyone speeding.
it could be done safely by a unmarked on the road... although is there any unmarked used for speed checks? never noticed one

The ironic thing is that if there was a death as a result of this kind of speed check (heaven forbid), even if there was no speeding involved (even at 20km/h below the limit a side swipe of a stationary 1.5 tonne Volvo will result in carnage), the response would be to target the stretch of road for more speed checks.

Vertakill · 19-04-2011 04:24PM

I've noticed a crazy number of speed vans and garda on bikes doing speedchecks around the N7/M7 and Newbridge (near Toughers petrol station) in the last month.
Must've seen 6 in that space of time (and the one @ Toughers caught me :mad:).

Wossack · 19-04-2011 04:27PM

could you imagine the maneouver he would have taken to get in that position in the first place?

boggles

dudara · 19-04-2011 04:40PM

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

I'm missing something here. Basically a car was parked in the hard shoulder - which they do sometimes so the problem is that because it is a Garda car, people speeding along are hitting the brakes. Presumably they are seeing the Garda car too late.

It's not even people speeding along. Irish people have a terrible tendency to slam on the brakes and slow right down when they see a police car, even if they were on or below the limit to start.

Then you need to add in the fact that a lot of Irish drivers lack the ability to merge at speed or with confidence.

The scenario described by the OP sounds like an accident waiting to happen. I'd definitely make a complaint with the Traffic Corps.

pistolpetes11 · 19-04-2011 05:37PM

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

I'm missing something here. Basically a car was parked in the hard shoulder - which they do sometimes so the problem is that because it is a Garda car, people speeding along are hitting the brakes. Presumably they are seeing the Garda car too late.

No the problem is the way he was parked to conduct this speed check , His front bumper sitting on the yellow line and way to close to the J11 Ramp to join the motorway .

My paint skills aint the best but I think they show what I was getting at

joegriffinjnr · 19-04-2011 05:40PM

Just after J11 I spot a Garda Car (Volvo Estate)

AFAIK the Volvo Estate cars belong to the ERU (Armed Gardai). I have yet to see any Volvo Estates (marked) with traffic corps. Are you sure it was a Volvo and not one of the new Toyoya Avensis estates??

guil · 19-04-2011 05:47PM

joegriffinjnr wrote: »

AFAIK the Volvo Estate cars belong to the ERU (Armed Gardai). I have yet to see any Volvo Estates (marked) with traffic corps. Are you sure it was a Volvo and not one of the new Toyoya Avensis estates??

those volvos are RSU regional support unit

guil · 19-04-2011 05:49PM

dmclean1842 wrote: »

The raised garda speed check platforms will never be used with hand-held speed cameras as it requires two garda to use them. One in the driver seat and the other outside with the camera.

The reason why the garda was parked the way he/she was on the motorway was so they could use the speed gun while in the driver seat and easily start up the car and chase the speeder.

why have i passed a few along the m7 between monasterevin and portlaoise with the driver holding the gun

user1842 · 19-04-2011 05:52PM

guil wrote: »

why have i passed a few along the m7 between monasterevin and portlaoise with the driver holding the gun

How is he holding the gun? Out the window facing backwards? Fair play to him, bring on Garda neck creek claims in the future

I have never seen one of these platforms used with a hand held device.

Dangerous Garda Speed Check M7 this morning

Comments