Road Safety Ads

WindSock

faceman wrote:

the ads dont work, people always think it would never happen to them.

It's true, studies have found that nobody reckons they are as bad a driver as the ones on the ads.

afatbollix

they do work i now allways make anyone who gets in the car with me put on there seat belt... i wont move untill they do.... im not going to get killed by someone in the back of my own car.....

spurious

A little bit of subtle brainwashing early on in the primary schools would fix the seatbelt issue.
"Oh daddy/mammy, PLEASE wear your seat belts and put ours on, I don't want to die!!!!"

Mind you, I still see children in the launch position, standing in the rear, head between the two front seats. A Tarantino-esque ad with the child flying by its parents at 30mph with glorious technicolour slow-motion coverage of their child's face and body as it flies into the windscreen might be an effective ad.

Agamemnon

The problem with these ads is that, although they are very effective the first time you see them, most people change channels when they come on again, so the impact is quickly diminished.

Mushy

Sorry to say this but I feel that the general Irish public do not know how to drive.

So very true. My opinion is based on the driving at roundabouts. The standard of driving there is shocking. Roundabout near my school, very busy, just off the N11...I have no idea how somebody hasnt been killed there. The amount of people who drive in the wrong lane coming onto the roundabout is ridiculous. They go into lanes to: 1)continue on, but swing dangerously across towards the motorway, or 2)in the lane to turn off at first exit, then continue on. The other day, cyclist comes onto the roudabout perfectly, woman in car uses number 1 there, and nearly kills him. She bipped him, but I also said quite loudly to my friend that "that stupid b****" was in the wrong. Ive one month left to go in school, I can just sense that I will finally see something happen there, be it pedestrian vs. car, car vs. car etc.

That ad is shocking though, it'd make me think if I drove

fricatus

Deliverance wrote:

The main accidents occur on roads that are fast roads motorways and so on. Not in built up areas with 30 mile an hour limits.

You are right about fast roads, but totally and utterly wrong about motorways. Motorways are the safest roads by far. I'm heading out the door now, so I've no time to dig up statistics. However I recall hearing that the M1 Dublin-Border has about one seventh the number of fatalaties of the old N1 road, despite the extra traffic. Look on the NRA website, I know there's plenty of information there.

If you just think about it anyway, look at how much traffic uses the M50 and M7, as a couple of examples. I think you could count on your fingers the number of fatalities on those over the past two years.

Most fatalities occur on non-motorway rural roads, be they national, regional or local roads. The lower speeds in urban areas mean that there are fewer serious accidents and therefore fewer fatalities.

Of course when motorway accidents occur, they're catastrophic. However, the likelihood of being killed or injured on a motorway is much lower than on other types of road.

WindSock

That ad just tells me to plough into the dog.

Capt'n Midnight

fricatus wrote:

Of course when motorway accidents occur, they're catastrophic. However, the likelihood of being killed or injured on a motorway is much lower than on other types of road.

I supprised that we haven't had a major accident on our motorways yet. Look at the ones in the recent fog with people travelling at 70mph in whiteout.

There is a 20-30 death disaster waiting to happen out there.



Replacing the drivers airbag with a harpoon would be a low tech way of enforcing the most important and basic rule of road safety.
"drive at such a speed that you are able to stop the car within the distance you can see to be clear "

cson

boreds wrote:

That ad just tells me to plough into the dog.

Yeah, what is it with most Irish drivers innate need to preserve animal life at all costs? I find running over the dog much more palatable than being in a mangled wreckage. Its not cruelty, its common sense.

afatbollix

boreds wrote:

That ad just tells me to plough into the dog.

if you served while doing your driving test you'd fall.... only kids count during your test god damed :rolleyes:

JackKelly

grasshopa wrote:

Bull.

Our current government wants to look like they're doing something.

Right now there's people driving around on second provisionals who have never had to do a driving test to get on the road. Nothing but the theory test and the eye test has qualified them to be on our roads.

If they actually WANTED to tackle the problem they'd

• Put a lot of resources into clearing the waiting list for the full driving list.
• Partially subsidise driving lessons (which are very expensive in Ireland).
• Abolish 2nd provisionals, nobody should be on the road unsupervised who hasn't done a test.
• Enforce the law that 1st provisional drivers should be accompanied by drivers (I know first hand that it's overlooked).

As is stands they're all about making an impression, Gay Byrne fronting the Road Safety Authority, the ads on TV and putting guards out to tackle drink driving. The last two are useful but they're only being done because it visibly looks good for the government.

Abolishing second provisionals wouldn't sit well with the Auld Biddy Electorate who have been on them for a very long time, same with enforcing the 1st provosional law (which wouldn't sit well BECAUSE of the length of the driving test waiting list).

Try as I might I can't find a statistic that says what percentage of accidents are on first/second provisionals, I'm not even sure if it exists.

EDIT: They should make an ad about how long it takes to stop when you're speeding, everyone gets desensitised to those gruesome ads but you can't get desensitised to a fact, it just sticks in your head.

Provisional drivers are only part of the problem. As people have mentioned, fat-cats in their saloons pose an equal danger on the roads.

That said, It's true that the provisional system needs to be cleaned up, and it is ridiculous that you can be out on the roads having never driven before, but there are other problems that also need to be addressed. It's too easy to point the blame entirely at young drivers.

That ad is horrific, couldn't believe I was watcing it mid-afternoon. It must have some effect though. I would be inclined to switch channel if I saw it coming up though.

Sully

The government really havent done enough in regards to Road Safety. Most of what has been done has been all publicity. The general ads showing policing on our roads and Gay B winging on the radio / TV is just talk. Nothing more.

Those ads which we talk about here, are hard hitting but get only small air time. Its all talk for the first while, but then it disapears from our screens. Plus, that latest add - I dont think it was as affective as others. It only showed one car over take another on a straight(sh) stretch of road but freaked on seeing the dog, causing an accident. Its just not as hard-hitting as other ads, and really is something that will happen either way. It is of course some use, dont get me wrong, but we need harder hitting ads.

In the last few months, we have finaly seen a stricter enforcment of drink driving. However, I dont think there is enough Gardai to police our roads and do regular check points. Yes, there definately has been an increase of their visibility but we need more. Less talk, more action.

Penalty Points is kind of working, but I do believe its not working to its full potential due to loopholes, old equipment etc.

The provisional license;- Who the hell came up with this "great" idea of letting any person jump into a car without any form of test (Well, apart from the Theory which can be said to be a walk through..)? The amount of people I know who started driving really young - just jumped into a car, and started driving without any instructor. Maybe one or two coming up to the test. Surley when this idea came about the backlog of driving tests was not as bad? Even accepting that, if they get to do their test (which may I add, Cullen has done something about. Hes cut back the backlog, and I read today its being cut back again before the election (publicity stunt I know - but still) which is helpfull) and fail - badly - they are allowed drive away. How bloody dangerous and stupid is that? Cut back the waiting time to an acceptable level, add more changes to what the test should do and abolish this idea of a provesional.

Anti-Youth:- Fair enough, a lot of people are young being killed on the road. Dont just blame them - we have plenty of middle/old aged men & women on our roads that shouldnt be.

Speed Cameras:- We need more. Public / Private. We need more. And we need to get a grip on ourselves and agree to removing those "Speed checks ahead" warning signs. Wtf like? Your speeding, you deserve to get caught. Getting a warning is gonna get people slowing down (might cause an accident if they do so suddenly anyway) and speeding up when passing the checks.

Our Roads:- Some of our decent stretch of roads have the lowest speed limits. Our back / old roads which are a mess have the highest speed limits. I live in Tramore, and the road going out to the cove is 80km/h. Its not a straight stretch. Its a road which is packed with walkers, is very windy and has a very poor surface. Going at that speed around those bends - you will crash. It has happened, and nothing has been done. We need to get the speed limits right.

Driving behaviour:- We all need to learn to be patient behind the wheel and take care when driving. Yes the eejit in front might be driving at a snales pace but dont get so hot and bothered and roar past him at the dangerous of spots. No, we cant talk on our mobiles and drive at the same time. Holding your phone in one hand and manovring the roundabout... wtf like? Your distracted, and you cant handle any emgerency or tricky situation.

Anyway, thats my view on things. Many times have I heard the "A Lot Done, More To Do" by Bertie & Co. However, I felt that a lot has not been done by our government, espicaly in this area. I dont trust any promises. We need someone who will take this situation seriously. Lets take in an external audit, who can put forward suggestions to fix the crisis. Lets give the RSA more powers. Lets get someone in politics who will hear our calls, and fix the carnage on our roads.

</rant>

Robbo

Surely the more literal and direct moral to this ad is "Dogs: The noisy killer"?

afatbollix

also the 2 cars that crash if you look none was wearing a seat belt

skywalker_208

certainly not having any affect on the little cnuts in Navan anyway . As we speak I can hear them racing at high speed .... same every single night, 7 nights a week. I have yet to hear a cop car go after them.... (dont like letting their tea go cold i imagine)

delta_bravo

anyone know the name of the song?

looksee

skywalker_208 wrote:

certainly not having any affect on the little cnuts in Navan anyway . As we speak I can hear them racing at high speed .... same every single night, 7 nights a week. I have yet to hear a cop car go after them.... (dont like letting their tea go cold i imagine)

So that we could then have a 'its the cops fault my son/brother/whatever was killed, they were chasing him' thread.

delta_bravo

anto-t wrote:

also the 2 cars that crash if you look none was wearing a seat belt

Im pretty sure they are, its rather hard to tell but the fact that they didnt fly out the windscreen leads me to think they had their seatbelts on

Fighting Irish

The problem with Ireland is not speed, its stupid people driving cars on dangerous roads

Thrill

cson wrote:

Yeah, what is it with most Irish drivers innate need to preserve animal life at all costs? I find running over the dog much more palatable than being in a mangled wreckage. Its not cruelty, its common sense.

I dont think thought, caring or common sense comes into it tbh. At speeds like
that it would be an instinctive reaction beyond your control.

Rudolph Claus

thrill wrote:

I dont think thought, caring or common sense comes into it tbh. At speeds like
that it would be an instinctive reaction beyond your control.

Jaysus, you`d swear it was formula one racing or something with your comments like "speeds like that". Its 70/80mph hardly, breathtaking. Its more propaghanda as far as im concerned. Typical stereotyping of young people. Anyone notice the amount of really old aged people getting themselves killed this year, between as drivers and as pedestrins crossing the road. Free glasses should be supplied to the over 60`s and that`d nearly half this years deaths for starters. You wont see an add for them though. :rolleyes:

the roads in this country are a disgrace, main roads the likes of regional roads. I know most of ye are based in Dublin, and used to driving slowly on good street roads but when you drive down the country you`d see how crap the roads are, potholes like craters all over the middle of the roads and roads left until they`re in a complete state before being repaired. The roads are nearly left unmaintained to the point where until locals have to start complaining to the councils to fix them. Then someone hits bad potholes at night and crash and die and what do we get, fookin crap propaghanda adds whinging about young drivers.

I wish they`d change the fookin record. I seen some programme the other night on TnaG, they said 200people were killed on DOnegal roads in the past 11years, thats just under 20 a year. Its hardly a major crisis, is it? I dont like to hear of anyone being killed naturally, but 20people a year in a big county with dodgy roads and not all of them 20 people are drivers so its hardly that bad. Its all a propaghanda racket to justify laughable private speed tax revenue collectors.

I think ill emigrate!

Thrill

Nuttzy wrote:

Jaysus, you`d swear it was formula one racing or something with your comments like "speeds like that". Its 70/80mph hardly, breathtaking.

Are you kidding.

If speeding around Irish roads at those, yes those speeds, is o.k. by you then.....

Nuttzy wrote:

I think ill emigrate!

......i'll gladly help you pack.


You can only drive at speeds like that on motorways, which you must know
if you are a driver.
As you yourself said, Irish roads are a disgrace, which is all the more reason
to keep to the speed limits.

faceman

Nuttzy wrote:

Jaysus, you`d swear it was formula one racing or something with your comments like "speeds like that". Its 70/80mph hardly, breathtaking. Its more propaghanda as far as im concerned. Typical stereotyping of young people.

u off your rocker? If u wanna do those speeds and think its ok no one will have sympathy for you when you kill yourself. Harm someone else, and its your head people will be after.

statistical younger drivers are involved in most accidents.

Lump

Ads are pointless, more Police I say start arresting and locking up people who speed, instead of just warning people that they will get penalty points you need to enforce it!

John

ergonomics

I am a learner driver and as such I am careful, but maybe overly so. I was driving to work the other evening on the main Dublin road. It was still fairly busy. I was driving exactly at 50KM, which is the speed limit, and next thing this young guy behind me overtakes me. The road was wide so there was space for him to fit between the two lanes of traffic but it scared the life out of me. Cars coming at me and in front of me and he overtakes in between the two lanes! As he drove past me he shot me a dirty look and shook his head. That made me livid - he was breaking the law, breaking the speed limit and endangering lives but yet I'm the one 'in the wrong' in his eyes!

What amazes me most though, is that this happened 3 more times on my way home. I know it's annoying to be stuck behind a slow learner driver but jesus christ like, I'm going the speed limit. If I was a full licensed driver going at the speed limit I bet I wouldn't get overtaken. It's impatient people like that that cause accidents and it scares me so much.

dame

I drive to the Luas Red Cow most days and I reckon at least twice a week I see an accident on the mororway and loads of near misses. The one that really bugs me is when you just pass Naas and the motorway turns into three lanes of primary road. Most people seem to think - great three lanes, let's speed up, while some people remember the speed limit has actually decreased and slow down. It all gets a bit mental there at certain times of the day.

I've seen countless near misses which all happen the same way. A car on the left lane moves into the centre lane at the same moment as a car moves into the centre lane from the right-hand lane. Nobody bothers checking the third lane in their mirrors to see if anyone else is indicating, and half the people don't bother indicating anyway.

DarkJager

That advert is just ridiculous and is just too OTT to take seriously. The judge at the end totally camps it up and I'm sorry to say that I laughed all the way through that advert.

They are getting more depserate in their attempts to convey a message, but turning the ads in to something that wouldn't look out of place in a bad horror movie is not going to do it.

Fighting Irish

ergonomics wrote:

I am a learner driver and as such I am careful, but maybe overly so. I was driving to work the other evening on the main Dublin road. It was still fairly busy. I was driving exactly at 50KM, which is the speed limit, and next thing this young guy behind me overtakes me. The road was wide so there was space for him to fit between the two lanes of traffic but it scared the life out of me. Cars coming at me and in front of me and he overtakes in between the two lanes! As he drove past me he shot me a dirty look and shook his head. That made me livid - he was breaking the law, breaking the speed limit and endangering lives but yet I'm the one 'in the wrong' in his eyes!

What amazes me most though, is that this happened 3 more times on my way home. I know it's annoying to be stuck behind a slow learner driver but jesus christ like, I'm going the speed limit. If I was a full licensed driver going at the speed limit I bet I wouldn't get overtaken. It's impatient people like that that cause accidents and it scares me so much.

get the fuc outta the way

Gaspode

cson wrote:

Maybe this would be better off in Motors but Ah seems like a good place to discuss it.

The latest ad is horrific, but if it stops people speeding and saves even just one life then its worth it.

Im interested to know peoples opinions on it. Can you imagine being a member of the emergency services and having to face those situations god knows how many times a year.... It has to affect you. Thank god i've never been involved in a crash touchwood.

EDIT: Link > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ8oCq8hXps

Just watched the ad there, and it does nothing for me. I didnt find it horrific or upsetting, just staged and professionally shot.
I certainly wont change my driving behaviour on the basis of seeing it. In fact I'll have forgotten it by the time Law & order SVU comes back on.

dame

ergonomics wrote:

I am a learner driver and as such I am careful, but maybe overly so. I was driving to work the other evening on the main Dublin road. It was still fairly busy. I was driving exactly at 50KM, which is the speed limit, and next thing this young guy behind me overtakes me. The road was wide so there was space for him to fit between the two lanes of traffic but it scared the life out of me. Cars coming at me and in front of me and he overtakes in between the two lanes! As he drove past me he shot me a dirty look and shook his head. That made me livid - he was breaking the law, breaking the speed limit and endangering lives but yet I'm the one 'in the wrong' in his eyes!

What amazes me most though, is that this happened 3 more times on my way home. I know it's annoying to be stuck behind a slow learner driver but jesus christ like, I'm going the speed limit. If I was a full licensed driver going at the speed limit I bet I wouldn't get overtaken. It's impatient people like that that cause accidents and it scares me so much.

Don't you know about the 10% rule??? You can go 55KM in a 50KM limit and that's absolutely fine........everyone knows that! :rolleyes:

Seriously though, when you get your full licence you'll find out people will pass fully licenced drivers just as much. Everyone's very impatient, especially goung to and from work.



If the ads make even some people drive more safely then they'll be a help. There'll always be a few ar$eholes who don't seem to care if they die and don't seem to care if they take someone else with them. I was very lucky a few years ago when a drunk driver came across the road and straight into me. Wrote both cars off but luckily nobody killed. He got a very small fine and 12 months off the road but he was seen driving again within months. What punishment is that?? :mad: It wasn't even his first drink-driving offence. He'd knocked his neighbours garden wall a few months before. All I can say is I'm glad I don't live on the same road he does.