Are the Irish bad drivers?

dgt · 05-12-2012 06:41PM

I make mistakes, I'm not perfect. I keep them to a minimum

Others deem it appropiate to:

Drive needlessly slow
Drive up my arse
Pull out of a side road when I'm very close
Stop in the yellow box
Drive on my side of the road
Overtake in a dangerous manner
Keep the same speed, everywhere
Use HIDs in reflector lamps
Bully out and go nowhere
Hog motorway lanes
Take an hour to park a fúcking micra

UGHHH!!!! :mad::mad::mad:

Cungi · 05-12-2012 06:43PM

Compared to the rest of the world, we're not that bad. More inconsiderate or lazy i'd say.

Enforcement is the biggest issue. People will learn to drive properly if they are fined for bad driving.

Example. today on the M50 heading northbound at around 13:30
Me in the left driving lane cruising along at 100kph. Everyone else decides to drive in the two overtaking lanes all doin 100kph So basically we have a rolling roadblock.
In the middle of this in OT lane 2. A big Garda van. Seemingly quite content to drive this way.

listenup · 05-12-2012 06:47PM

dulpit wrote: »

I've been noticing a whole heap of poor driving habits all over the place, which leads me to believe that the Irish as a whole are bad drivers. Things I am referring to are:
People not indicating - ever

People who do not know how to use a roundabout (wrong lanes/wrong indicators/etc)

Not using lights in fog/rain/dark

Using foglights when no fog (?)

Sitting at lights for ages before moving off when lights go green

Blocking up junctions/yellow boxes (this happens near my home all the time - grrrrrrr)

This is a random list off the top of my head, but I see people doing these things each and every day. Why is the standard of motoring by a (sizeable) minority so bad? Is it our licensing laws? Enforcement of rules? Something else?

I'm guessing your from galway
Galway city drivers WORST in Ireland I have to encounter all the examples you name every single day navigating galway city

NFD100 · 05-12-2012 06:49PM

Cungi wrote: »

Compared to the rest of the world, we're not that bad. More inconsiderate or lazy i'd say.

Enforcement is the biggest issue. People will learn to drive properly if they are fined for bad driving.

Example. today on the M50 heading northbound at around 13:30
Me in the left driving lane cruising along at 100kph. Everyone else decides to drive in the two overtaking lanes all doin 100kph So basically we have a rolling roadblock.
In the middle of this in OT lane 2. A big Garda van. Seemingly quite content to drive this way.

I hear Ya +1

Holsten · 05-12-2012 07:00PM

Most common I see are; driving slow in the overtaking lane, and not speeding up when merging.

Does my head in, yes I think Irish people are bad drivers.

Samba · 05-12-2012 07:24PM

What irks me is the number of drivers who don't know how to use the motorway correctly, thankfully it's mostly just down to ignorance.

Our learner driver and licensing system needs a bit of an overhaul but look....

I won't rabble on about them, the general standard of driving in Ireland probably isn't as good as our continental counterparts, but I feel ten times safer driving on Irish roads.

I'm currently living in France, they may be technically better drivers, but they're far more aggressive, with their aggression levels you see some veritable acts of lunacy on the roads over here, people risk their lives to gain a meter on the road, tailgating is like a national past time and there's a near equal number of bad drivers over here too.

They may be better drivers, but that doesn't necessarily equate to safer drivers.

whomitconcerns · 05-12-2012 07:31PM

on a long straight with an 80 limit today car in front doing 50. No traffic coming other way, i indicate, pull out he moves to the right of his lane wheel over the line, country road so I have no longer got room to get past, make a polite beep, he doesnt move to the left (even the centre of his lane would have done!!), flash lights, nope...gave up and had to pull back in behind him....

Very annoying...

joe 77 · 05-12-2012 07:33PM

I don't think that we are necessarily bad drivers as such, I think that people just don't care about other road users anymore, Its a 'I'll do what I like and feck you " attitude. You will experience something similar if you walk down a busy street in any town in Ireland, people will walk into you, push against you and never say excuse me or sorry ! When was the last time someone help a door open for you ?

dr.fuzzenstein · 05-12-2012 07:53PM

whomitconcerns wrote: »

on a long straight with an 80 limit today car in front doing 50. No traffic coming other way, i indicate, pull out he moves to the right of his lane wheel over the line, country road so I have no longer got room to get past, make a polite beep, he doesnt move to the left (even the centre of his lane would have done!!), flash lights, nope...gave up and had to pull back in behind him....

Very annoying...

Used to meet these fools all the time. In his mind he is a gallant warrior of the road, protecting the world from dangerous lunatics who want to go as fast as 80 km/h, the madness!
I always used to find an inch either side to get past, you will be amazed how capable they suddenly are to keep up with you at any speed, flashing, beeping, swerving, gesturing, etc...
I used to give them a polite 4 way flash as if to acknowledge his flashing lights as a "you're welcome" gesture, drives them really batsh*t crazy.

Yes, I think the Irish are bad drivers, but safe.
Sounds like a contradiction?
The plan is to slow everyone down to a speed where we can have all the accidents we want, but no one gets killed, due to progress in car safety.
So once we all trundle along at 60 km/h, lane discipline, overtaking, traffic lights or following any rules of the road whatsoever won't make a difference. Therefore attrocious and safe.
That is why we have thousand of speed cameras and the Gards can concentratre on their breakfast roll in peace. Because as long as you don't speed, it doesn't matter what you do.

GTE · 05-12-2012 08:31PM

Deleted User wrote: »

People not indicating - ever
I indicate. Always.

People who do not know how to use a roundabout (wrong lanes/wrong indicators/etc)
I use roundabouts perfectly

Not using lights in fog/rain/dark
I use dipped beams all the time.

Using foglights when no fog (?)
Never do this.

Sitting at lights for ages before moving off when lights go green
Always gone in an instant

Blocking up junctions/yellow boxes (this happens near my home all the time - grrrrrrr)
Never do this

Guess what? I'm Irish

So am I and I answer the same as you given those questions but the two of us or even the hundreds of Boardsies who say they are good drivers on this particular section don't outweigh the crap we see on the roads by at least a slim majority from indicating problems to much more serious examples. So wink or no wink, whether you wish to point out you are a member or not of whatever camp, the Irish as a whole like the OP was asking about are on the bad side of below average for me.

I thought living between Belfast and Dublin solidified that for me but after living in the North West of England for 8 months, it's concrete now.

MickFleetwood · 05-12-2012 08:32PM

people who block up the yellow boxes should be castrated.

dmc17 · 05-12-2012 08:38PM

Sofiztikated · 05-12-2012 08:53PM

Regarding roundabouts.

It's not a bit of wonder noone can use a roundabout in Ireland. They're all designed differently.

I can think of numerous examples of where

Left lane for left turn only, meaning right lane for straight on or turn left.
Or
Left lane for left and straight on, and right lane for right turn only.
or
Both left and right for straight on, and left for left and right for right.

Or road markings on a roundabout are either non existant or confusing.

I can think of a RSA approved driving school that teaches people to drive with fog lights on.

My main annoyance is the complete LACK of enforcement of basics. I've never seen anyone pulled on the lack of lights. I've never seen anyone pulled for driving in the wrong lane. I've never seen anyone pulled tailgating.

These are all basics that people should be able to do, but don't. Yes, the Gardi should have better things to do, but policing is policing.

mhigh86 · 06-12-2012 12:18AM

loveisdivine wrote: »

The main problem for me is people not knowing how to use roundabouts.
On a daily basis, I encounter people putting themselves in the left hand lane even though they are going right at the roundabout.
Or it's people that pull up to a roundabout and then stop, even though they have right of way, and wait until there's no cars around at all to pull off.

It's alright saying concentrate on your own driving, but somebody else's mistake could kill you, so I feel ok about getting a little wound up sometimes.

Ahhhhumm give way to the right on a roundabout You must of meant, otherwise You'll end up with a ford focus or the like on You're lap.....

Bruthal · 06-12-2012 12:26AM

Deleted User wrote: »

People who do not know how to use a roundabout (wrong lanes/wrong indicators/etc)
I use roundabouts perfectly

Just about everyone would say that, and they wouldn`t be lying, they would genuinely believe it.

ASVM · 06-12-2012 12:42AM

Think on the whole we are okay as drivers and not too rude on the roads.What does bug me is how people can move out in front of you very suddenly with no indicator or how people use the wrong lane on roundabouts or no indicators I find HGV drivers to be very courteous on the road and probably to be the best drivers. I also like when people put on their hazards to say thank you on the road.All in all I love driving.

Bruthal · 06-12-2012 12:49AM

ASVM wrote: »

Think on the whole we are okay as drivers

Some of the cluelessness seen at times absolutely defies belief.

Its either something about driving a car that baffles the normally intelligent, or its people who are stupid in general, and its on public display when they are driving.

Iwannahurl · 06-12-2012 01:02AM

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

The plan is to slow everyone down to a speed where we can have all the accidents we want, but no one gets killed, due to progress in car safety.

I see what you did there.

Hick1sfm wrote: »

just keep women and old people off the road and there will be no problem

The problem being...?

Lingua Franca · 06-12-2012 01:04AM

I used to think so but then I was a passenger in a car in Italy and Thailand and yeah, we're alright.

F*king Italy. :eek: I was in such a state of mild panic at all times that I wouldn't even look out of the window, let alone offer to take the wheel.

ASVM · 06-12-2012 01:09AM

Lingua Franca wrote: »

I used to think so but then I was a passenger in a car in Italy and Thailand and yeah, we're alright.

F*king Italy. :eek: I was in such a state of mild panic at all times that I wouldn't even look out of the window, let alone offer to take the wheel.

Yeah, totally agree a friend from Italy living here used to break red lights and thought it was just normal. I was shocked but amused - wrong I know but the Italians have a way of normalising these things!

unkel · 06-12-2012 01:18AM

On roundabouts: please indicate left if you're going left and right if you're going right!

Only country where a very significant minority indicates left when going right :rolleyes:

(I know it is called first exit and third exit officially, I'm just using left and right to make things clear. Maybe the official terms are too complicated for some people

)

dr.fuzzenstein · 06-12-2012 01:34AM

unkel wrote: »

On roundabouts: please indicate left if you're going left and right if you're going right!

Only country where a very significant minority indicates left when going right :rolleyes:

(I know it is called first exit and third exit officially, I'm just using left and right to make things clear. Maybe the official terms are too complicated for some people )

Except it isn't really by exit number, since exit two could be going right on some roundabouts, people should indicate left for any exits before the straight ahead position and right for any exits after the straight ahead position.
I thought that was settled after the last mega roundabout thread.;)
On indicating on roundabouts in general, I see a lot of people approach a roundabout in the left lane, go around the entire roundabout indicating left and taking the last exit.

stoneill · 06-12-2012 07:38AM

Ahh sure you know what they say - 90% of drivers are above average.

Cookie_Monster · 06-12-2012 08:01AM

robbie7730 wrote: »

Some of the cluelessness seen at times absolutely defies belief.

Its either something about driving a car that baffles the normally intelligent, or its people who are stupid in general, and its on public display when they are driving.

this is what I've noticed when back in Ireland, people just do stupid things, not generally dangerous, just down right idiotic

mikemac1 · 06-12-2012 08:16AM

We are meek lambs compared to the Italians :eek:

Stuck in traffic in Rome, hey just lean on the horn, wave your hands around and shout.
If you are a pedestrian be nervous crossing the road as red lights are optional.
Kamikaize scooter riders in their shorts and flips flips zipping around through non existant gaps. I owned a scooter but I had the jacket, gloves and gear.

It's crazy

lazeedaisy · 06-12-2012 08:31AM

I dont think you can generalise that much -

PLUS

with the amount of foreign nationals who have moved to this country - a lot of them are not use to roundabouts - so how do you know they are Irish?

Fog lights - to be honest - I live in a rural area and I rarely have a problem with people NOT using them - they never turn them off and its just ignorance on their part - people dont know how to use them, I get it all the time - educate them at the test

Sitting at lights for ages before moving off when lights go green - never see this -

Blocking up junctions/yellow boxes - depends on the situation - but yes - I notice peopel just dont want to get caught it the light s change. Happened this morning to a taxi driver outside Heuston - idiot thought he could sit on the Luas line! the box is yellow for a reason!

I realy dont think we Irish are bad drivers - have you driven in Spain - LOL it manic

Personally - I find the drivers in the US good - AND the only reason I can attribute it to is the road signs - they are are well signed and in advance - not like here. I have been driving in the states for a few years and there are no real surprises - I was pleasantly surprised with the driving there - plus I love the turn right on red - they are so accommodating and its a great system.

But its not just women drivers, irish drivers, bmw drivers - I always let one pe rs on out in front of me - I think its polite when I can - if a person shoves out in front of me - I wont let them -

Driving - Like verything else we do in society required manners - you dont got that! you got nothing!

dulpit · 06-12-2012 10:05AM

listenup wrote: »

I'm guessing your from galway
Galway city drivers WORST in Ireland I have to encounter all the examples you name every single day navigating galway city

Cork actually..

Iwannahurl · 06-12-2012 10:54AM

unkel wrote: »

On roundabouts: please indicate left if you're going left and right if you're going right!

Only country where a very significant minority indicates left when going right :rolleyes:

(I know it is called first exit and third exit officially, I'm just using left and right to make things clear. Maybe the official terms are too complicated for some people )

Not any longer!

http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Road%20Safety/Leaflets/Leaf_booklets/Roundabouts_DL_2012_v3.pdf

06-12-2012 11:01AM

On the way home last night a front headlamp in the car I was driving blew, so rather than have only one light on, I stuck on the fogs.

I wasn't feeling quite so smug then :pac:

Iwannahurl · 06-12-2012 11:12AM

stoneill wrote: »

Ahh sure you know what they say - 90% of drivers are above average.

True that. In surveys of drivers' attitudes and perceptions, a majority typically regard themselves as being better than average. For example, in one New Zealand study, between 85% and 90% of drivers claimed to drive slower than the 'average driver'. Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9805525

It's called "self-enhancement bias" in that study, but is also known as optimistic bias and the above-average effect.

There's nowt as queer as folk.

Are the Irish bad drivers?

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