Irish Drivers - Have we gotten that bad?

Undercoverguy

Bold title I know lol

Anyway hear my story.
For 2 months this year i was working in the states and driving over there, then once i got back i was working up in Belfast straight away - driving up there also. Its only in the past month i've managed to get back on Irish roads and i'm starting to think we have somehow become some of the worst drivers on earth in respect of some of the most basic things. I'm not even the first to think this us, up north we have gotten ourselves of being REALLY bad drivers. Now I'm not saying by any means i'm i perfect driver, i know that i have my bad habits and flaws but i doubt noting compared to this. I'm not making a jab at learner drivers either, but i really cannot wait until the driving test list is under control because perhaps then some type of system would be put in place where if you fail - your off the road. Like every other country in the world if your deemed not fit for driving by a tester than you shouldn't drive simple as that. There’s handful of things that really get up my nose here just 4.

1) - The smallest yet biggest offender. The traffic lights, since the day i first start driving i was always told to be READY to pull of the second the light goes green. So since day dot when i see the lights go red for the other traffic i get ready to pull off for when my light goes green. Most junctions have an identical pattern so its not like people don’t know when its gonna be their turn, yet some people look at the light go green AND THEN put the car into gear, put the handbrake down and start to pull of. Not a major thing but when rush hour traffic in the city is at its peak and light changes are brief its one of the most annoying.

2) - Merging on motorways (M50 Doesn’t count because its not a motorway far as I'm concerned at the moment). This does my head in but to be honest i don't even know if its in the rules of the road. When i'm on a motorway and passing the slips, if i see a car coming down to join the motorway i always (when possible) move over into the overtaking lane, allowing the cars from the slip to freely merge and get up to speed or whatever, then i move back over into the normal lane. Yet when i'm coming down any slip i notice that despite the overtaking lane being empty, nobody moves and your left trying to merge before the markings end, speeding up and slowing down. I guess this also covers people who just WILL NOT let people merge with them no matter what, even at roadwork’s or in just general traffic. Taximen biggest offender at that.

3) The epileptic break lights. This does my NUT in. During non peak time in Dublin when traffic is moving well what is with peoples obsession with ‘breaking - speeding up - breaking - speeding up’. A good driver should be able to regulate their speed and keep their distance decent enough so that if the car in front does break briefly (tap the breaks) that you don't have to follow suit. I personally just keep my distance, and when i see the lights go red on the car in front i just stop accelerating and by the time i get up everyones moving again. Dunno if you guys will know what i mean by this tho.

4) Yellow boxes. Do people know what they mean anymore? To get into my estate i need to turn through one and every single time I’ve arrive at it this week theres been a car in it waiting for traffic to move meaning i end up blocking the traffic behind me waiting or move up the road and turn around.

5) THE BIGGEST AND MOST ANNOYING FOR ME :rolleyes:
Blocking the left turn lane. We all know city and town traffic is muck at the best of times but some people just make this worse. At most big junctions these days there are dedicated left turn lanes with pretty much constant flashing amber-lights at them. These lanes are normally just before the main junction lights, the way this is meant to work is that traffic going straight queue in the right lane, and traffic turning left uses the left lane to go into the slip. Yet some gob****s move into this left lane, go right up to the red lights and stop, 3 or 4 other gob****s normally follow and then before ya know it the traffic for the left lane has move back to the miniature left-turn slip. So traffic wanting to turn left has to wait for the 5 gob****s going straight to get the green light. The amount of traffic this causes i'd say is unreal, certainly around my area anyway.

Rant over..... :mad: No doubt someone is gonna come on now and argue at me about this so i'll be waiting, there just my points anyway and if i'm wrong hopefully someone can correct me. Feel free to add to this guys.

But my question is does anyone else notice all these things tho? Or is it just me? :cool:

biko

I totally agree, especially with number 3. If you drive slowly in first gear you usually can maintain motion without leaving a massive gap between yourself and the car in front.

ballooba

Not looking for a keyboard warrior type face-off, but two questions:
2) Shouldn't you be already at motorway speed coming off the on-ramp?
5) What about cars going straight ahead, will they not get stuck behind cars turning right?

BTW, on 1) that's the worst one ever. In UK they have amber before green. Why can't we have it?

Undercoverguy

Hey ballooba dont worry i aint for a face off either lol

2) Yea cars should be up to speed already but even if your going the exact same speed the problem mergining will always be there if there is traffic in the lane, regarless of speed. Some slips are pretty short too. :P

5) True for some junctions but in the area i live (malahide road at tesco) There is also a dedicated lane for turning right, altho this cannot be used to go straight ahead because you'd end up on one of the traffic island.

ballooba

The on ramp from the M50 onto the M1 is scandalous. The other problem of course is tailgating. You should be able to merge effectively between two vehicles in the driving lane if they are driving with correct distance between them.

I have taken to the habit of pacing myself off other cars when coming up the M1 and staying a proper distance behind them. If I find numpties I move on.

Not entirely familiar with that junction at Clarehall. Quite a wide road though, so I kind of see what you mean. I was thinking of roads with two lanes.

Stark

Undercoverguy wrote:

if i see a car coming down to join the motorway i always (when possible) move over into the overtaking lane, allowing the cars from the slip to freely merge and get up to speed or whatever, then i move back over into the normal lane.

In most cases, they should be able to get up to speed in the slip lane.

ballooba wrote:

BTW, on 1) that's the worst one ever. In UK they have amber before green. Why can't we have it?

On the N3/M50 interchange, they had an amber light attached to one of the main traffic light that showed when the light was about to go green for a few weeks. Then they took it down again Don't know why, it didn't look like the experiment was a failure.

Undercoverguy

Ah yea i know what ya mean now with two lane roads. But the way things normally work is, if a car start waiting to turn right then people start using the left lane and just kinda undertake if ya get me.

M1 Slip is MENTAL, most dangerous slip by far, including whatever the hell thats going on over at mad cow central lol More hills and ramps than a skate park, take the lucan exit too fast too and ya find none of you wheeles on the ground lol

Wishbone Ash

Undercoverguy wrote:

we have somehow become some of the worst drivers on earth

I've seen much worst standards of driving in other countries.

Undercoverguy wrote:

Like every other country in the world if your deemed not fit for driving by a tester than you shouldn't drive simple as that

It would be necessary to know what the standard of the driving test was like in those countries before making a comparison. In some countries, it is only necessary to do a very basic straightforward manoeuvre to be deemed to have passed a driving test.

Undercoverguy wrote:

really get up my nose......... most annoying.......does my head in .......This does my NUT in .........MOST ANNOYING FOR ME.....

Perhaps you don't have the proper frame of mind needed to drive here but I agree with most of your sentiments.

unkel

Wishbone Ash wrote:

I've seen much worst standards of driving in other countries

In any other EU(15) country?

Dr. Loon

ballooba wrote:

The on ramp from the M50 onto the M1 is scandalous.

Truly unbelievable! Was just thinking about this today as I attempted to merge with a bunch of tailgaiting pricks! It is amazingly dangerous, it's so short.

blastman

Agree wholeheartedly about the M1/M50 slip. I thought I was the only one!

BeardyGit

I agree with Stark regarding merging from a slip.....You should already be up to speed as you enter the motorway.

Personally, I can't understand the kind of idiots who think it's okay to pull right into the overtaking lane, maintaining their speed of say 100kph, just to allow someone merge from the left. In the meantime they're slowing down traffic waiting to pass, contributing to the whole mania that's become of motorway driving here. Why don't they leave space between them and the car in front in order to allow the car merge on the left? That's the way it's supposed to be done.....

OP, you actually contribute to the problem through your actions.

Heinrich

Gil_Dub wrote:

I agree with Stark regarding merging from a slip.....You should already be up to speed as you enter the motorway.

Personally, I can't understand the kind of idiots who think it's okay to pull right into the overtaking lane, maintaining their speed of say 100kph, just to allow someone merge from the left. In the meantime they're slowing down traffic waiting to pass, contributing to the whole mania that's become of motorway driving here. Why don't they leave space between them and the car in front in order to allow the car merge on the left? That's the way it's supposed to be done.....

OP, you actually contribute to the problem through your actions.

Yet when i'm coming down any slip i notice that despite the overtaking lane being empty, nobody moves and your left trying to merge before the markings end, speeding up and slowing down.

cyclopath2001

Gil_Dub wrote:

I agree with Stark regarding merging from a slip.....You should already be up to speed as you enter the motorway.

Normally yes, but picture this: You're on the M1 northbound heading for the airport, so as you pass the M50 sliproad, you're lining up for the upcoming left turn.

Traffic is crowded, but flowing, there's a 80kph limit there, and most people obeying it, there's some bunching, gaps are about 2-3 car lengths at best. Meanwhile, you've got two lanes of traffic coming down the ramp on your left doing 120+, overtaking on the inside and looking to slip through the gaps and merge into the already busy outside lane on your right. At the same time the guys not observing the 80kph limit, who've been flying down the outside at 120+ start barging into the same gaps as they're heading for the airport too.

It's a very special moment.

BeardyGit

The point Heinrich is that there's no reason to move into the overtaking lane, empty or not (and let's face it - if it's the M50 it's usually far from empty), if the clowns just leave a safe distance between their vehicles....Anyone entering a motorway should be driving a vehicle in which they can adjust their pace to merge safely in the space provided.

BeardyGit

cyclopath2001 wrote:

Normally yes, but picture this: You're on the M1 northbound heading for the airport, so as you pass the M50 sliproad, you're lining up for the upcoming left turn.

Traffic is crowded, but flowing, there's a 80kph limit there, and most people obeying it, there's some bunching, gaps are about 2-3 car lengths at best. Meanwhile, you've got two lanes of traffic coming down the ramp on your left doing 120+, overtaking on the inside and looking to slip through the gaps and merge into the already busy outside lane on your right. At the same time the guys not observing the 80kph limit, who've been flying down the outside at 120+ start barging into the same gaps as they're heading for the airport too.

It's a very special moment.

I'll agree with you there - The M50/M1 junctions, both sides of the M1, are an experience to say the least.... <shivers>

Heinrich

:rolleyes:

Gil_Dub wrote:

The point Heinrich is that there's no reason to move into the overtaking lane, empty or not (and let's face it - if it's the M50 it's usually far from empty), if the clowns just leave a safe distance between their vehicles....Anyone entering a motorway should be driving a vehicle in which they can adjust their pace to merge safely in the space provided.

In the meantime they're slowing down traffic waiting to pass

DonJose

ballooba wrote:

The on ramp from the M50 onto the M1 is scandalous.

That is pure bad planning, there is plenty of road to improve the merging of traffic at that off-ramp, I think they just don't want to mess their nice white painted lines

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Dublin,+Ireland&ie=UTF8&ll=53.416477,-6.222988&spn=0.001803,0.005799&t=k&z=18&om=1

BeardyGit

Heinrich wrote:

:rolleyes:

I'm not modifying my 'arguement'. Let me spell it out for you:

If you're overtaking, you have business in the overtaking lane.

If you're moving right *solely* to allow traffic onto the motorway, you have no business being in the overtaking lane.

Is that simple enough? Or is the pedant in you chomping at the bit to come back with some other petty retort? If so, may I suggest you go play with yourself instead?

Bluetonic

Undercoverguy wrote:

I personally just keep my distance, and when i see the lights go red on the car in front i just stop accelerating and by the time i get up everyones moving again. Dunno if you guys will know what i mean by this tho.

If you do this then your not in control of your car. At no stage should you just stop accelerating without the intention of using your brake.

Blitzkrieger

We don't have enough driver training here.

We also tend to be defensive about how good we are at driving and trying to correct or advise someone can lead to a confrontation. The IAM try to instill an attitude that nobody's a perfect driver and we should always accept criticism and try to learn.

Rovi

Bluetonic wrote:

If you do this then your not in control of your car. At no stage should you just stop accelerating without the intention of using your brake.

:eek: WTF?
This may apply if you're racing motocross or somesuch, but it's an insane strategy for use on the public road.

siralfalot

Bluetonic wrote:

If you do this then your not in control of your car. At no stage should you just stop accelerating without the intention of using your brake.

WTF???

so how is the WRC going for you this season? :rolleyes:

Bluetonic

Rovi wrote:

:eek: WTF?
This may apply if you're racing motocross or somesuch, but it's an insane strategy for use on the public road.

So your telling me you think it's a a safe way to drive neither accelerating nor braking, basically letting you car drive under previous momentum whilst you steer. I suppose you slip it out of gear too and let it freewheel along.

Jesus wept.

siralfalot

I prefer to drive to the top of big hills, turn off the engine and let it roll, ... WEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!......................:D

seriously though, ever heard of engine braking? just because you have to back off the power does not mean you need to apply brakes, to you cruise control must be an appliance of the devil??

Bluetonic

siralfalot wrote:

seriously though, ever heard of engine braking?

Ever heard of coasting?

Relying on engine braking reduces driver control.

siralfalot wrote:

just because you have to back off the power does not mean you need to apply brakes, to you cruise control must be an appliance of the devil??

I am referring to the OP saying 'i just stop accelerating' not backing off the power. You stand corrected.

Linford

Bluetonic wrote:

Ever heard of coasting?

Relying on engine braking reduces driver control.


I am referring to the OP saying 'i just stop accelerating' not backing off the power. You stand corrected.

You are not driving correctly if you need to use the brakes everytime you want to reduce your speed.

What is the difference between the the OP saying that he stops accelerating and you saying that you back off the power? They are one in the same, you take your foot off the accelerator! If you are going up a hill or even down a hill (not pushing in the clutch) your speed will be reduced or steadied. It is very different to coasting.

Engine breaking also refers to changing down gear, I think this can actually improve driver control....

Rovi

Bluetonic wrote:

So your telling me you think it's a a safe way to drive neither accelerating nor braking, basically letting you car drive under previous momentum whilst you steer. I suppose you slip it out of gear too and let it freewheel along.

Jesus wept.

Are you seriously stating that you should either be on the accelerator or the brakes at all times?
It must be an absolute joy to be in the car directly ahead of or immediately behind someone doing this. :rolleyes:

Bluetonic

Rovi wrote:

Are you seriously stating that you should either be on the accelerator or the brakes at all times?

Easing off one to the other, not immediate shifts from one to the other.

Simple matter is if your not on one of the other while your car is moving your less in control of your vehicle, agreed?

Tabnabs

I'd love to see the state of your brakes on long down hills. The brake fade would be staggering.

Scary stuff...

Rovi

Bluetonic wrote:

Easing off one to the other, not immediate shifts from one to the other.

Simple matter is if your not on one of the other while your car is moving your less in control of your vehicle, agreed?

No, not agreed.

How on earth do you drive along at a steady pace using this 'system?'