Threatened with Dangerous Driving by Angry Garda!

madeupname

Hi all,

I had a bit of a run in with an unmarked, plain clothes angry Garda which might result in a court summons for dangerous driving: Can I get your opinion on the incident. I’ve detailed it as best and honestly as I can.

I was driving in right lane of Wyattville Road, heading towards Church Road. At Church Road, left lane traffic and right lane merged into one lane on the left. I proceeded up right lane until road markings indicated that traffic merged to left. Traffic in left lane was moving very slowly; starting and stopping as vehicles from right lane merged into left lane.

I was stopped in right lane, and indicated my intentions to merge into left lane. I was not intending to skip a queue of traffic in left lane as both right lane and left lane were crawling along at same speed. I just wanted to get into correct lane. I yielded to a number of vehicles in the left lane. Then there was a 2 car gap directly to my left, between a vehicle to the front of my car and a red car to the rear of my car. It later turned out that the red car was an unmarked Garda car.

As traffic began to move slowly forward the red car in left lane to my rear was still stopped. I believed the driver of red car had seen my indications to merge with left lane and was allowing me to enter lane. I began to slowly manoeuvre into left lane at a speed of approximately 5-10Km/h, as I was half way through completing manoeuvre the driver in red car accelerated and the front of his car became positioned between pavement and rear of my car, nearly colliding with the rear passenger side of my car. I was not in a position to move back into the merging right lane as I believed this could result in hazard with other road users using this lane to merge.

I adjusted slightly to ensure a straight approach to single left lane, the red car was now directly behind my car and we where both in the single merged lane on Church Road. I flashed my hazard lights as a courtesy to the driver of red car for letting me merge into left lane. At this stage it appeared to me that the driver of red car was becoming aggressive; he began to beep his horn, tailgate my car to within inches of my rear bumper and was also weaving left and right in an agitated manner. The driver of red car then crossed from my rear across the single lane to right side of my vehicle; still while beeping horn and now gestating with his arm. It was my opinion that the driver was very aggressive and was suffering from road rage. My female passenger was frightened by this show of aggression from the driver of red car.

As I drove in the merged lane of Church Road the red car now came back to the rear of my car, it was only at this stage did we see the small flashing blue lights below the head lamps of the red car. It was only then did I understood this to be a Garda vehicle, when I was sure that I could pull-over without causing hazard or obstruction to other road users, I parked safely on the left side of road.

The driver of the red car disembarked his vehicle and put on a jacket, which only had a Garda sign sewed into left side of chest, therefore I do not know the name or badge Identification number of this Garda. He approached my car from driver side and pulled the driver’s door open and ordered me out of the car in an aggressive and intimidating manner, which again was a cause of concern for my female passenger.

The Garda accused me of cutting across his vehicle to enter the left merging lane. I tried to explain that I had believed that he saw my intentions to move into lane and that he was allowing me to do so, I also explained to him that I adhered to the rules of the road as best I could, considering the circumstances of our encounter. But the Garda was very irate and dismissive of my opinion. The Garda then threatened to “see to it that I never drove again”. Despite his attitude I remained courteous, helpful and responsive to his enquires regarding tax, insurance, licence, and address details.

After the Garda had written down my details, he moved back towards the driver door of his red car. I was standing on the pavement at passenger side of my car. From his door he shouted across to me that he would pursue this matter under a dangerous driving act, unfortunately he did not elaborate on the details of this charge or how it applied to this situation.

I can’t believe I got pulled-over because of this. Looking at the situation I wouldn’t even class it as careless driving- if anything I feel that Garda was causing a danger to road users! It makes me wonder how these detectives justify there big wages and generous pensions.

If I am summonsed to court can they really do me for dangerous driving?
If they do me for dangerous or careless driving will I get a large number of penalty points and what kind of fine should I expect?
In your opinion could I be able to defend if it is brought to court?
Have any of you found yourself in a similar situation? Or have any advice on the legalities of this charge?

seamus

No need to post threads twice.
Thanks