Taking things a bit far?

Padraig Mor

Here's the story:

Yesterday evening I'm on my way home. I'm stopped at traffic lights. (For Cork heads: I'm at the lights on Pouladuff Rd where it intersects Pearse Rd). There's a car in front of me and a motorbike in front of him. Lights at the perpendicular side go red - couple of cars keep going...nothing new there. Lights at 'my' side go green. Motorbike takes off......and very narrowly avoids (by standing on brakes) idiot in Yaris coming from our right who has broken red light by 5 - 7 seconds. She goes straight through junction apparently completely oblivious.

I turn left and am now travelling behind the Yaris, who is punting along at under 25 MPH. We come to next junction. Lights turn red well in advance; another car (in front of Yaris) stops at lights. Yaris overtakes car, goes through red light and attempts to turn right.....directly across the path of a car coming from their right (i.e. the 'green' side) who is also forced to brake. This person, understandably, gives them a good blast of their horn. Yaris sits, quite literally, in the middle of the junction until she gets green and turns off right. I keep going straight and see no more.

I was absolutely shocked. This person (90% sure it was a woman) went straight through two red lights (and 'properly' broke them - she wasn't running the amber light), nearly caused accidents both times and continues merrily on her way. The impression I took was that she didn't even see the lights - whether through drunkeness or (literally) partial blindness or something else I don't know. This is reinforced by the fact that she was going at a steady speed the whole time - i.e. not speeding up to make lights.

Today, I go to Garda station and report her for dangerous driving (noted reg). Never done this before! Garda gives me two options:
(a). Give him details and Gardai pay her a visit and caution her about her driving.
(b). I come back next week and give a sworn statement. She is then brought to court on charges, with me as 'star witness'.

I go with option (b). So, my question: am I doing the right thing or am I taking things a bit far? Would a caution be more appropriate or likely to have an effect at all? Should I mind my own business as she didn't cut me up? Your thoughts, please.

FX Meister

Go with option B. It's about time that spas like this get what's coming to them. I doubt she would listen to a caution. Next time she might kill someone.

oli_ro

Maybe she had mental problems or she/he was stoned.

hmmm

Padraig Mor wrote:

I go with option (b). So, my question: am I doing the right thing or am I taking things a bit far? Would a caution be more appropriate or likely to have an effect at all? Should I mind my own business as she didn't cut me up? Your thoughts, please.

I think you're doing the right thing and thanks for having the balls to go through with it. Someone like that will kill someone eventually.

greglo23

i think your doing the right thing. from what you describe she almost blew the guy on the bike away so maybe tomorrow she might kill or maim some poor unfortunate whose reactions arent so good. good on you for reporting her.

bbbbb

hmmm wrote:

I think you're doing the right thing and thanks for having the balls to go through with it. Someone like that will kill someone eventually.

Second that. Hopefully you're not going to get dragged through a long drawn out process. Let us know what happens.

Anan1

I agree. It's going to be a bit of hassle for you, but you may save someone's life. Even hers.

gerrycollins

i agree with plan b and have done it twice myself never regretted it for a min

DoctorEdgeWild

Fair play to you for doing it - Think about how hard it would be should a loved one be knocked down in the near future and you didn't do anything! Hopefully that won't happen though obviously! It happened to Peter Parker though and he lived to regret it!

I know the junctions you are talking about, not excatly dead roads with no traffic either! Hopefully all goes well in court.

Turner

B

She needs to be taken off the road.

bazz26

Breaking the red traffic light seems to be a very common occurrence these days here and it is getting worse.

Isn't there junctions where the traffic lights have cameras mounted on them to catch these drivers breaking red lights or is it still on the list of things do?

Turner

1 i think at Kilmainham in Dublin.

unkel

Chief--- wrote:

1 i think at Kilmainham in Dublin.

They've been there for many years. Last time I saw it flash was at least 3 years ago though (anybody see it flash more recently?). I still take extra care not to get the wrong side of amber there

bazz26

I remember a good few years back a set of traffic lights down my way had cameras on them. They were new at the time and the cameras were there to judge the traffic flow at each junction. Most people thought they were there to monitor traffic breaking the red lights. It did make people think twice about it at the time alright.

While it is probably impossible to put cameras up at every traffic light junction in the country, maybe a few well placed fake camaras and well posted signs at junctions might deter some of these idots from breaking the lights. It would be hard to tell which is real and which is fake, at the very least it might make them think twice.

junkyard

I don't think your taking things too far and you may save someones life but consider this, there are some serious nutters out there who may take issue with you taking the case to court, namely her family or friends. Secondly, for all your efforts you may find that the legal system will fail you miserably when push comes to shove if she has a good legal Representative and they are very good at turning the table and make you out to be the one at fault who has a grudge against their client. My advice is to let it go as you are the one to be inconvenienced but this is only my opinion.

Esel

(b) for sure.

This person is dangerous. Has probably caused (but probably not been involved in) a few accidents already. Imagine a cyclist, pedestrian or motorcyclist actually being hit by this idiot.

Be sure to make some notes about the incident while it is fresh in your mind. The court case could be a while.

Fair play to you.

Henry Ford III

b/. just do it. You may be saving a life sometime in the future.

miju

Definitely option B

my hat goes off to you as well, idiots like her badly need to be taken off the road, if eveyone started doing this the courts would get even more clogged up and then maybe fianna failure might actually come up with a coherent roa d strategy

The OP

Option B - 100%. Well done.

kluivert

Option B - 100% fully behind you on this one.

I am a firm believer that people should be servely punished for this sort of stupidity.

Very lucky that person on the bike wasnt killed. Only for that person's quick reactions you could have witnessed another road death.

Similiarly going home from work i saw something not as bad, behind a car approach a roundabout (no traffic lights roundabout) and there is traffic coming from the right, however the car infront of me ploughs on regardless and a Mazda 3 had to stand on the brakes and i mean just missed hitting are stupid friend.

I think its time in this country that we start speaking up and ringing the Garda's about this sort of carry on because people who do this dont care and think sure no one will ring the Garda's anyway.

kluivert

junkyard wrote:

I don't think your taking things too far and you may save someones life but consider this,.... My advice is to let it go as you are the one to be inconvenienced but this is only my opinion.

This is what i mean... Ok say he lets this one go and the same person does the same thing again and kills someone...No sorry its not worth it.

phoenix_nights

Padraig Mor wrote:

Never done this before! Garda gives me two options:
(a). Give him details and Gardai pay her a visit and caution her about her driving.
(b). I come back next week and give a sworn statement. She is then brought to court on charges, with me as 'star witness'.

I go with option (b). So, my question: am I doing the right thing or am I taking things a bit far? Would a caution be more appropriate or likely to have an effect at all? Should I mind my own business as she didn't cut me up? Your thoughts, please.

Congrats mate. I never thought the guards would take a complaint of bad driving so seriously. I have seen some truly dangerous driving but didnt know that the guards would act upon a complaint without proof.

Next time i will follow up with the guards as if it prevents some family getting some bad news about a loved one it will be worth it.

Easy to complain about dangerous driving but we all here should act on it. Whats that saying. Bad things happen when good men do nothing.

Kinetic^

oli_ro wrote:

Maybe she had mental problems or she/he was stoned.

Then definately go with option B.

bennyc

(b). I come back next week and give a sworn statement. She is then brought to court on charges, with me as 'star witness'.

I go with option (b).


Fair play to ya, this idiot and idiots like them need to be stopped, mate got rear ended last week from another muppet running lights who was to busy looking either side to see if they would make it and ran up behind them, causing a three car bender. My mate has to pay for the car in front :mad:

crosstownk

Go with B for definite. Drivers like this need to be off the road and not contributing to the ever increasing deaths on our roads.

MrPudding

Option "B" for sure. Well done and good luck.

I have been overtaken a couple of times on the N11 after stopping at the red light. On one occasion the car behind me also stopped and then the driver changed his mind, pulled out past me and went through the light.

I have also had a couple of times where I was second in the queue at the lights and after it turned green we both set off and someone running the red light passed between us. Never got any numbers though to busy trying to avoid them.

Get them off the road.]

MrP

johnnyrotten

B. Fair play to you

daymobrew

B. Fair play.

I've made two reports to the Gardai and neither time have they followed through (one was a red light runner and the other someone who nearly rear ended me as I cycled through a roundabout, scared the hell outta me!).
I've made tons of other requests for cautions but I've given up because the attitude of the Gardai is very inconsistent, mostly uninterested. I've written to the Garda Commissioner about the inconsistency and had the local Superintendent visit me to encourage me to continue.
Padraig Mor's action might encourage me to start again.
Litter Wardens on the other hand are always interested in reports.

Padraig Mor: write the details down now so that it is all clear when you go to make your statement.

mayotom

Take her off the road for good.

There should be better licencing laws.
I think people like this should be made resit the test every few years. there are too many people on the roads who haven't go a clue. privatise the licencing system asap.

franksm

Good on ya if you go for B.

You never know, maybe she has had some warnings in the past and yours will be the straw that breaks the camel's back ie. points & fine.

Padraig Mor

Thanks for all the support! TBH I expected at least a few people to be sending abuse my way so am pleasantly surprised. To clarify the situation, I have already gone for 'Option B'. Apparently I will receive a call next week. I can give the statement in the station or they will call to me at home. According to the Garda, she will be given the opportunity to get legal advice (no surprise really) before it goes to court.......which is where it'll probably get bogged down and forgotten about!

I could be wrong here but I got the impression that the Garda wanted me just to go with the caution - he certainly wasn't pushing me towards court. Maybe I picked up the wrong signals though. One thing which is worrying me though, and was mentioned by one poster, is the possibility of psycho family/friends etc being none too pleased - she could be from a family of drug dealers or something!