speed checks on N4 over Easter weekend

robertob

Got a phone call in work today from the missus. She'd received a notice to say she was speeding on the N4 on Easter Saturday. Was a bit of a shock coz she never speeds. The Garda van was on inbound side at Woodies, 10 metres from the change from 50mph to 40mph. But she was recorded doing 55mph :eek: If it had been 50mph I'd fight it cos I don't believe an accurate reading could have been taken with the angle of the camera and the change of zones.

I had seen the Garda van there Good Friday to Easter Sunday. I was wondering if anyone else got caught.

Why there was a damn van there I do not know. I don't recall an accident let alone a fatal one on that road in the 10 or so years I'm in Lucan. There was an accident earlier this week outbound about 400 metres away, but this was in rush hour and speed would not have been a factor (5-10mph).

Now she feels nervous about driving. She was over the limit on this stretch of road, but it's a fricking dual carriageway. Speed limit was 60mph before Liffey Valley shopping centre opened while underpass was being built. Why haven't the speed limits been restored? Who sets the limits? NRA?

Near her parents' house down the country the speed limit is 60mph on a lane the width of one car and with grass down the middle. Bends all over the place? Where is the logic in this? I read yesterday that the introduction of metric speed limits won't happen on 1 Oct as originally planned due to a shortage in production. JAYSUS! can they do anything right?

This so-called "enforcement" is bullsh.

Seth Brundle

there was a fatality on that road about 2 years ago when a squad car killed someone.
Govt / Gardai managed to stifle the reports in the media also - was nothing about it on the radio / tv the following morning.
Rest assured that your wifes speeding 'conviction' will go towards investment in Horse Riding Centres or whatever and will also sound good when the plod release crime prevention stats!

BrianD3

Putting a Gatso van 10 metres from a change in speed limit is unfair alright

I was driving on that road on Easter Saturday. I didn't spot the Gatso which is unusual for me as I'm normally very wary of them and can spot them a mile off. Must have been daydreaming. Now I'm worried that I'll be receiving some points in the post!

However I disagree with your comments about the speed limit being inappropriate. I don't live in Lucan yet I have seen several accidents on that road including a few side impacts at the median crossover point (near the golf club) Plus, the exit from the Texaco garage in the same general area is extremely dangerous and I'd be very surprised if there haven't been a few crashes there.

The speed limit may have been 60 mph before Liffey Valley opened but now there's the added complication of a busy shopping centre located nearby. IMO 60 mph is far too fast now. I think the 40 mph limit is about right.

BrianD3

Pimp Ninja

Originally posted by robertob
Near her parents' house down the country the speed limit is 60mph on a lane the width of one car and with grass down the middle. Bends all over the place? Where is the logic in this?

By 60 mile per hour I am assuming you mean one of these signs

This sign doesnt mean drive at 60 MPH
Officially it means End of Speed Limit or National Speed limit (60 MPH applies)

I have taken it to mean, and been taught that it means
The road conditions ahead are so variable that it is up to the driver to decide and use an appropriate speed limit.

sceptre

Originally posted by Pimp Ninja
I have taken it to mean, and been taught that it means
The road conditions ahead are so variable that it is up to the driver to decide and use an appropriate speed limit.

That's not quite true Pimp (or if it is it's true of everywhere). The "speed limit" doesn't mean you have to drive at that speed, it means you have to drive below that speed (stating the obvious for public consumption, you obviously know this). It's always up to the driver to choose an appropriate speed, regardless of whether the limit is 30 or 60. There's nothing unusual about these areas (remember, the urban limits are the exception rather than the rule). If the sign meant "crazy road ahead, beware how you go", we'd have a specific sign for that.

robertob

@Pimp, yes I do know that 60mph is a _limit_ not a _target_
However this is not the common understanding. The SO's neighbours "know the road" so they can drive at 60mph [/sarcastic tone] Even though they're all farmers and know sheep and cows get onto the road. In fact they seem to try and drive like the rally car drivers who use it once a year and have stewards all over the place to minimise the hazards you and I see in every day driving.


@kbannon the Garda RTA you mentioned; were the guards in pursuit? If so, while it's very sad to see/hear someone dying, it wasn't a normal situation either.


I accept that the Texaco / Hermitage golf club crossing is not great. There a have been moves to close it off but the lazy feckers in the golf club couldn't be bothered driving down to Liffey Valley sliproad and using the underpass. Well it might take them 10 minutes extra to get home! However the slip road does get busy at weekends with shopping traffic. Traffic lights haven't helped the cars. Better for the buses during the week.

Seth Brundle

Originally posted by robertob
@kbannon the Garda RTA you mentioned; were the guards in pursuit? If so, while it's very sad to see/hear someone dying, it wasn't a normal situation either.

There was some mystery about it based on what I read in the phoenix - the car came from harcourt St. to I think was a minor investigation, that could have been dealt with by local plod.
I'll try and find the article again.

I accept that the Texaco / Hermitage golf club crossing is not great. There a have been moves to close it off but the lazy feckers in the golf club couldn't be bothered driving down to Liffey Valley sliproad and using the underpass. Well it might take them 10 minutes extra to get home! However the slip road does get busy at weekends with shopping traffic. Traffic lights haven't helped the cars. Better for the buses during the week.

It usually takes longer to cross the road than to go down to Liffey valley!
K.

Jip

Originally posted by robertob
Was a bit of a shock coz she never speeds. The Garda van was on inbound side at Woodies, 10 metres from the change from 50mph to 40mph. But she was recorded doing 55mph :eek:

Well you just contradicted yourself, even if she was clocked in the 50mph zone she was still speeding wasn't she ?

Anyway, I agree with you about the speed limits in that area being ridiculous, I too a couple of years ago got clocked doing around the same speed as your wife by the Gatso very early on a Sunday morning heading outbound though. I saw the van but never realised it was a 40mph zone, there were a few cars ahead of me and more behind all doing the same speed so I'd say we all got done !

BrianD3

However the slip road does get busy at weekends with shopping traffic. Traffic lights haven't helped the cars. Better for the buses during the week.

True. And sometimes when the Liffey Valley exit ramp (heading east) gets very busy, the traffic backs right up onto the main road, even though the main road itself is moving freely. This is another dangerous situation and the way the road is marked out doesn't help. If the traffic backs up, basically you have two options 1) sit staionary in you car on the main road waiting to be hit from behind by some muppet who isn't paying attention 2) move left into the bus lane, blocking it and breaking the law but staying relatively safe.

BrianD3

bop1977

brian d u should really use the exit and bus lane as a climbing lane until its safe to pull out. the worst thing u could do joining a dualcarriage way is stop and wait. u need to build up speed and then join the dual carraigeway.

BrianD3

bop1977, I was talking about driving along the main N4 (heading east) and then taking the turnoff for LV. I wasn't talking about pulling out or merging into traffic etc.

Anyhow, even if you are pulling out of a side road and merging into traffic, if the road is properly designed with an appropriate speed limit which people are sticking to, there should be no need to use a bus lane as an "acceleration lane" If you need to use the bus lane, then something is amiss.

BrianD3

Kermitt

to bop. I use that texaco garage that is the real problem three or four times a week, and it's lethal to come out of. The filter lane is an exit ramp, and cars pull into it before the garage, and you've only got 150 yds to get speed up. Now I don't know what you drive, but my VW polo doesnt set the world alight with speed over that distance.

As regards accidents on that road, they can and have happened anywhere. i got held up behind one, inbound between celbridge interchange and village exit. A small truck and a car made ****e of one another. 50 is plenty to be doing around there, and 40 around Liffey Valley is more than enough. Get a bit of common sense, Its about tie this country got round to the idea that speed and people are a bad combination. I'm 20 by the way, we're not all feckin boy racers.
End of Rant

Our man in Havana

Originally posted by Jip
Well you just contradicted yourself, even if she was clocked in the 50mph zone she was still speeding wasn't she ?

The Gatso Radar has a proven 10% error.

Andrew Duffy

The Gatso Radar has a proven 10% error.

Source?

One thing that certainly has an error is the speedometer in the car. I very much doubt that a radar check used by law enforcement has anything like that margin of error, especially seeing as the readout is in tenths of a mile per hour.

BrianD3

I use that texaco garage that is the real problem three or four times a week, and it's lethal to come out of. The filter lane is an exit ramp, and cars pull into it before the garage, and you've only got 150 yds to get speed up. Now I don't know what you drive, but my VW polo doesnt set the world alight with speed over that distance.

It's lethal alright. If you're coming out of the garage the safest thing to do is go onto the N4 exit ramp, take the exit and then drive straight back onto the N4. You shouldn't have to do this though. It's appalling road design/planning. Did good ole George Redmond have something to do with it?

In any case, I never go into that garage anymore - and the dangerous exit is the reason. The petrol in that garage is quite cheap, but I prefer to go to a dearer garage which is in a safer location.

BrianD3

Seth Brundle

Good ol' George had something to do with this I believe.
What S. Dublin CC should do is extend the divide between the slip road & the N4 past the entrance to this filling station - they have enough roon on the road to do this - just needs some re-alignment of the lanes also.
While they are at it they should also block the crossover opposite the entrance to it.

Stevie G

GAtso does have 10% error its for fairness when recording speeding offences
ie if it's set to 60 mph then the gatso won't record unless your doing 66mph give or take that said it will never record under the set speed so this means any thing under 64/5 you should be safe thats not the bible so don't complain if you get a ticket doing 61mph its not my fault!
it's the same as a gaurd not pulling you for doing 65mph, that said i've heard it happening but they have that right it's the law. they are not there to rob you but they are there to help keep speeds down and save lives

Andrew Duffy

There's fairly radical plans for this section of the N4, involving local collector/distributor roads and fully grade-seperated D3 from the M50 to the M4:

http://www.sdcc.ie/index.aspx?pageid=982

Was it not Liam Lawlor that got those median openings put in?

Seth Brundle

Liam / George - what does it matter? Birds of a feather and all that!

Victor

Originally posted by BrianD3
Did good ole George Redmond have something to do with it?

Yes, one of them, not sure which one.