Drivers who cruise under the limit

Damien360

Calm down all.

If you wish to drive below the limit, it is your right, but please do it with due consideration to the people who are not just travelling 10 miles down the road to see Auntie Mary. They are in a rush but not all driving like lunatics. Nobody is asking anyone to stay in the hard shoulder and stay there around a bend. Just pull aside, half a car width is loads, and let the traffic past at regular intervals so it does not build up behind you.

It makes safe sense for you. When traffic builds up, irate drivers, (we all hate them but it is human nature), will jump the line and then it becomes dangerous for you and the person on the other side of the road. I do 30000miles a year covering all the country and I cannot count the amount of times I nearly got hit head on by someone getting very frustrated and overtaking on a blind bend or a blind hill. I can only assume it is frustration by the line of cars following one slow moving car. If I get hit, the odds are the slow moving car will also be hit. The Gardai will record it as speeding/dangerous overtaking but that is hardly consolation to you when you are hurt or dead due to the accident. Just a little bit of consideration would be nice.

I read GTC's post about emergency PSV's being blocked. I can testify that people are stupid enough to block an ambulance, lots of people, when my daughter recently had to be rushed by ambulance to Tallaght hospital from newbridge. Cars were actually moving lane to block it's progress all the way up the road, and it had it's siren at full blast on the journey. For those of you who do this, think, it could be your family member in that ambulance or your friends house burning down. Move aside.

cyclopath2001

I am sorry that my respect for the law and for vulnerable and senior members of our society has caused you such anger.

astraboy wrote: »

O ya, and post the link to the statute book to back up your position if your so sure? Sound man.

SI 182/1997
9. Save where otherwise required by these Regulations, a vehicle shall be driven on the left hand side of the roadway in such a manner so as to allow, without danger or inconvenience to traffic or pedestrians, approaching traffic to pass on the right and overtaking traffic to overtake on the right.

SI 181/1997
Edge of Roadway.
28. Traffic sign number RRM 025 shall—
(a) indicate the line of the edge of a roadway, other than a motorway, and
(b) consist of a broken yellow line along the edge of a roadway, consisting of segments not less than 100 millimetres and not more than 150 millimetres wide, approximately 2 metres long and approximately 2 metres apart.

The alleged traffic garda is correct in stating what the administrative practice is but everyone should be aware of when they are placing themselves in legal jeopardy.

coolbeans

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

I am sorry that my respect for the law and for vulnerable and senior members of our society has caused you such anger.







The alleged traffic garda is correct in stating what the administrative practice is but everyone should be aware of when they are placing themselves in legal jeopardy.

Legal jeopardy my arse! I'm putting myself in 'legal jeopardy' if I pull over momentarily to let faster traffic go by. Come on...
As I've alluded to already the law is open to interpretation in a court of law but rules are not. There's not a sane judge in the country who'd rule that driving on the hard shoulder is illegal for the purpose of letting faster traffic pass.
Think about it. :eek:

By the way you're quotes from the ISB don't help you're argument at all. Anyway, I'm off cycling. Too many people like you on the road to drive.

cyclopath2001

coolbeans wrote: »

Legal jeopardy my arse! I'm putting myself in 'legal jeopardy' if I pull over momentarily to let faster traffic go by. Come on...

Picture this: You pull and drive along the hard shoulder to let faster traffic past, you wreck one of your nice alloy wheels in a concealed crater. Your insurance company denies liability because you're not insured for 'off-road' and the local council rather correctly points out that you were not driving on the roadway & they have no liability either.

Scenario 2 is scenario (1) plus that you lose control and collide with someone & it comes up in court that you were driving erratically and not keeping to the road.

Your choice.

By the way you're quotes from the ISB don't help you're argument at all.

My argument is only about the legal aspect. Actually, I cycle on the hard shoulder myself so as to avoid intimidation from road bullies.

pburns

'cycleopath' - do you actually drive? A car I mean, not a bicycle or a put-put...

I suspect you do but from your profile it is pretty obvious that you are extremely pro-cyclist and consequently 'perhaps' a little anti-car...

Your position is indefensible and still you nag and nag and nag like an oul wan goin through the menopause. From the sound of it that's about the level of your driving.

You quote the rule of law like a Deep-South bible-bashing preacher but you have not an iota of common sense or humanity. Either that or you are a troll. Scarily I think you're real:eek:...

stepbar

Nobody is asking you to pull over on to the hard shoulder.... but for christ sake pull over to the left enough so I can get by you :rolleyes: If you think I'm staying behind you the whole way to Dublin you can k1ss my ass. If you're not comfortable driving to the limit then perhaps you shouldn't be driving in the first place. As I've said travelling at 50 - 80kph on a road which has a limit of 100kph is absolute stupidity. In fact it's retarded.

D_murph

in fairness if you cant pull over into the hard shoulder for a few seconds to let someone out, there must be something wrong with you.

then again if all you can manage is 80km in a 100, then that would confirm it. that coupled with the fact that while doing this far from death defying speed you still cant either notice that you are holding up everyone else or dont give a toss shows your ignorance and/or ineptitude towards the job at hand.

then again i heard the saying before that ignorance is bliss :rolleyes:

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

Actually, I cycle on the hard shoulder myself so as to avoid intimidation from road bullies.

its a wonder indeed :rolleyes:.

how awful for you that everyone else is wrong and you are being bullied like that :rolleyes:.

sounds like someone needs some self confidence classes

Steve

This topic went on for 11 days last time. same arguements, same posters, same posts - what's the point.
@ astraboy & cyclopath, you know you'll never find common ground here, give up and agree to disagree.

cyclopath, you were asked to provide an example of someone being convicted for the commonplace and heinous crime of driving partially in the hard shoulder to allow someone pass, despite your vast legal knowledge - you couldn't.
GTC posted on more than one occasion with the traffic corps view on the matter which you also ignored.

In case anyone missed it, all points already raised in this thread and all points yet to be be raised are here:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055131641

Can a mod please lock this now for the sake of sanity.

cyclopath2001

pburns wrote: »

'cycleopath' - do you actually drive? A car I mean, not a bicycle or a put-put...

Yes. Got the test first time. Years of cycling experience helped. When driving, I try to fit in with the normal flow.

stevec wrote:

cyclopath, you were asked to provide an example of someone being convicted for the commonplace and heinous crime of driving partially in the hard shoulder to allow someone pass, despite your vast legal knowledge - you couldn't.

Correct, but I never said it was a crime heinous or otherwise. I just said is was illegal.

Do you agree or disagree that the law is that drivers must drive on the roadway and that a broken yellow line indicates the left hand edge of the roadway?

GTC posted on more than one occasion with the traffic corps view on the matter which you also ignored.

Not correct, I acknowledged his statement of the administrative position.

I agree with those here who say that drivers should stay to the left of the roadway in such a manner so as to allow, without danger or inconvenience to traffic or pedestrians, approaching traffic to pass on the right and overtaking traffic to overtake on the right.

Grinderman

Oh, some very interesting replies from some people. Let me ad mine.
I don't have a problem with anyone going at half speed as long as they are not tailing someone, you should be able to pass in the next few minutes. I have a major problem with tailing.

I dont agree with using the hard shoulder, it is illegal, dangerous and you are not insured to drive on the hard shoulder.

Another problem i have is with a combination of peoples attitude, driving style and vehicle type. If i am driving at 80-100 in a 100 zone and mr asshole speeds up behind me, i will do everything in my power to piss them off (staying within the law). If the person gets extremely close, i have been known to use my finger. If the driver starts "the i am more important than you attitude" i will drive slow around bends.

Another thing i do is never let out people who drive 4x4's in the city or who are pushy about being let into trafic

On the road I AM IN THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC, so BE NICE and people like me will be nice back.

Cionád

Grinderman wrote: »

Oh, some very interesting replies from some people. Let me ad mine.
I don't have a problem with anyone going at half speed as long as they are not tailing someone, you should be able to pass in the next few minutes. I have a major problem with tailing.

I dont agree with using the hard shoulder, it is illegal, dangerous and you are not insured to drive on the hard shoulder.

Another problem i have is with a combination of peoples attitude, driving style and vehicle type. If i am driving at 80-100 in a 100 zone and mr asshole speeds up behind me, i will do everything in my power to piss them off (staying within the law). If the person gets extremely close, i have been known to use my finger. If the driver starts "the i am more important than you attitude" i will drive slow around bends.

Another thing i do is never let out people who drive 4x4's in the city or who are pushy about being let into trafic

On the road I AM IN THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC, so BE NICE and people like me will be nice back.

I am actually in shock reading this. I'm not a fan of 4x4's but your attitude is aggressive and extremely dangerous.

This topic has run it's course, there's no arguing with these people.

Steve

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

Do you agree or disagree that the law is that drivers must drive on the roadway and that a broken yellow line indicates the left hand edge of the roadway?

With all due respect, I don't disagree with what you are saying is indeed written in the relevant SI's and RTA.

This does not necessarily mean it's the law. I'm not saying that I'm a legal expert, however my other half is practicing law for 8 years now and would argue that in this country, 90% of the law is based on precedent and until this particular SI is brought before the courts and the meaning within the context of an incident where someone momentarily drove a vehicle on the hard shoulder in order to let someone else pass is decided by a judge, then it is not actually "the law".

Again, if someone were to be convicted using this particular SI then yes, I and everyone else would then take it into consideration in everyday driving.

I have more than a passing interest in things legal and I once thought as you do that if its written down then it's law. The reality of it in this country is that it's what the Judge decides 'on the day'.

That is why I suggested earlier that you discuss this in the legal forum, then you might understand.

Seth Brundle

stevec wrote: »

Can a mod please lock this now for the sake of sanity.

Yes please!

Oh and Grinderman's banned for their offensive contribution!