60KMPH on the M50, what's the point?

_Kaiser_

joebudden wrote: »

Hows it going guys, does anyone know if the speed camera on the M50 headin southbound just as you get off at the airport is working, I think it was Ballymun, may have been over the limit if uit was 60kmh but spotted the camera and kept my eye on as i drove past and not too sure there was a flash...any one know???

Last I was there there was no camera southbound at Ballymun? They moved it last year to just beyond the toll bridge at the N4 exit. Is it back?

joebudden

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

Last I was there there was no camera southbound at Ballymun? They moved it last year to just beyond the toll bridge at the N4 exit. Is it back?

yeah it was there this morning and the lines aswell but did not see a flash, il be headin back that way tonight an il sit for a sec to see if its working

Seth Brundle

I drove along the Northern Cross last night and did not see any cameras near the Ballymun interchange. The road markings are there alright but thats because they left them there because some people assume that a camera is there is the markings are there!

ART6

astraboy wrote: »

Look up the figures and see how many accidents were caused because the driver was OVER the limit. Not many, if any.

The last figure I saw published by the DoT was that 4% of the accidents in (I think) 2007 were caused by excessive speed. I would not dream of suggesting that the statistic should be used to justify scrapping speed limits and letting everyone drive at any speed they want, but I do agree with Astraboy about the obsessive focus on speed and would suggest that it might not be a bad idea to have a look at the causes of the other 96% - potholes, badly designed and poorly maintained roads, forests of signs that take one's eyes off the road for minutes while trying to figure them out, etc etc...

rccaulfield

Anyone who breaks speed limits on public roads are amateurs who have no self control!

Seth Brundle

rccaulfield wrote: »

Anyone who breaks speed limits on public roads are amateurs who have no self control!

Troll?

craichoe

ART6 wrote: »

The last figure I saw published by the DoT was that 4% of the accidents in (I think) 2007 were caused by excessive speed. I would not dream of suggesting that the statistic should be used to justify scrapping speed limits and letting everyone drive at any speed they want, but I do agree with Astraboy about the obsessive focus on speed and would suggest that it might not be a bad idea to have a look at the causes of the other 96% - potholes, badly designed and poorly maintained roads, forests of signs that take one's eyes off the road for minutes while trying to figure them out, etc etc...

Germany has 648 valid traffic symbols.
Source:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,448747,00.html

D_murph

rccaulfield wrote: »

Anyone who breaks speed limits on public roads are amateurs who have no self control!

kbannon wrote: »

Troll?

yep, looks like another one :rolleyes:

Rob C

Why are people whining about the M50? The speed limit of 60KPH is ridiculous in some sections, the limit is not enforced so people will exceed it.

I exceed it and have no problem admitting it. It is a big, wide open motorway in certain sections, the safest form of road you can use.

What people SHOULD be concerned about is the ridiculous speed limits of 100KPH on some rural routes. This makes no sense and THIS is where the fatalities occur not on a wide open motorway. I would wager any money that the M50 is in fact the safest road in the country when you take into account fatalities versus number of users.

quarryman

Rob C wrote: »

the limit is not enforced so people will exceed it.

yes it is.

Cionád

quarryman wrote: »

yes it is.

Not effectively. Northbound from Blanch -> Ballymun, practically everyone goes 80-100kph, no speed camera's, and i've not yet seen a gatso on that stretch (busy times during the day).

Steve

Rob C wrote: »

The speed limit of 60KPH is ridiculous in some sections, the limit is not enforced so people will exceed it.

Argree in some sections it seems crazy.

Two problems:

1. The speed limit is made legal by a bye law (or something) and it covers the entire works so the construction co. cannot choose where the 60kph areas are.

2. I don't drive it daily (where the roadworks are), maybe once every 2 weeks. Each time I do, it's different - new lane / exit changed / new chicane on a previously straight part so until the whole thing is stable and properly signposted then the limit should stay low.


At the moment it's certainly not the safest road in the country, there have been several pile-ups in the roadworks section, most notably the recent one involving the army trucks.

Rob C

stevec wrote: »

Argree in some sections it seems crazy.

Two problems:

1. The speed limit is made legal by a bye law (or something) and it covers the entire works so the construction co. cannot choose where the 60kph areas are.

2. I don't drive it daily (where the roadworks are), maybe once every 2 weeks. Each time I do, it's different - new lane / exit changed / new chicane on a previously straight part so until the whole thing is stable and properly signposted then the limit should stay low.


At the moment it's certainly not the safest road in the country, there have been several pile-ups in the roadworks section, most notably the recent one involving the army trucks.

But no fatalities that's the crucial point. Accidents happen, it is a fact of life when you drive but the M50 as most Motorways, is very safe to drive on.

And the speed limits are not enforced. I am on the motorway every morning and every evening.

javaboy

Rob C wrote: »

But no fatalities that's the crucial point. Accidents happen, it is a fact of life when you drive but the M50 as most Motorways, is very safe to drive on.

And the speed limits are not enforced. I am on the motorway every morning and every evening.

The M50 is not safe as it stands and zero fatalities doesn't make it safe. The fact is that you have one group of motorists going 60 because they don't feel comfortable breaking the law, you've another group going 80-100 in most sections because they know that speed is appropriate in most sections and then you've got another group going 120 and over as if it was a normal stretch of motorway. You can't really fault the first two groups of people but the result is a lot of people doing vastly different speeds on a two lane roadway that seems to change everyday. Recipe for disaster.

quarryman

Rob C wrote: »

And the speed limits are not enforced. I am on the motorway every morning and every evening.

yes. they. are.

How hard is for you to understand that?

Because you haven't seen it enforced means that it isn't?

There are never speed checks during the rush hours you travel but they are there.

By all means go ahead and speed on that section, you'll be pulled over eventually.

Rob C

Eh, No. They Aren't.

Again, to repeat myself because obviously I have to...

Every morning, every night. NEVER see any cars being pulled, never a Police presence.

And I'll keep on driving the way I do thanks. Not one point on my license. Thanks so much for your concern....:rolleyes:

quarryman

ok i'm done arguing the point

I know there are speed checks on the M50 by cops with speed guns, I've received points on it as have others on this forum.

Not sure why you can't accept that.

javaboy

Rob C wrote: »

Eh, No. They Aren't.

Again, to repeat myself because obviously I have to...

Every morning, every night. NEVER see any cars being pulled, never a Police presence.

And I'll keep on driving the way I do thanks. Not one point on my license. Thanks so much for your concern....:rolleyes:

I have never been breathalysed or seen someone being breathalysed therefore nobody is ever breathalysed Nice logic

Rob C

javaboy wrote: »

I have never been breathalysed or seen someone being breathalysed therefore nobody is ever breathalysed Nice logic

Ehh, I'm actually not saying that at all......Try reading what I am saying.

On my travels up and down this motorway, it is my experience that these limits are not being enforced. There is Zero police presence. And this is at varying times not just during rush hour, some trips at the weekend some trips at 20:00 and later.

Case in point this morning, heading North past Finglas all cars in the right lane travelling at 90kph+ cars in the inside doing 70-75kph. Motorcycle Guard travelling with us, nothing done, nobody slowing etc.

The sheer fact that so many drivers are ignoring the limit shows it is not being adequately enforced. If the Guards were out in force, if there was GATSO camera's everywhere, speed traps etc, then you would be damn sure all drivers would adhere to the limit.

Limits are being enforced at other areas, the Airport to the M1 has GATSO vans regulary there catching people, but the M50 seems largely vacant of deterrents.

quarryman

Rob C wrote: »

adequately enforced.

That is slightly different to what you were saying above.

javaboy

Yeah big difference between inadequately enforced and zero enforcement.

Ehh, I'm actually not saying that at all......Try reading what I am saying.

I did read what you said. You said there is no enforcement of the speed limit on that stretch based on your experience. There clearly is though since some people have been stopped.

positron

< rant >

Sorry to bring this thread back to life, but I am just after getting letter from the friendly Garda for doing 74kms on M1 Special speed zone.

Its fair enough, I was speeding and I was caught and being held responsible for it. I'll pay the fine, take the points, hang my head in shame and learn from it. However.... I am fuming all the same. Here's why.

I don't drive to work and I use M50 only on weekends, probably once or twice a month, that too just from M1 junction to N3 exit and back. Since getting 4 points back in 2005/6, I have been awfully anal about staying under the speed limit on as much as possible and I have been flashed and honked at many times on national roads for it. Now, I did go over the limit on M50 - and in 8 out of 10 cases it was because I had huge intercontinental trucks pulling up right behind me leaving me scared shirtless, and was flashed at a number of times for going so slow, and eventually I ended up keeping up with the flow to avoid aggression, and it generally felt safer that way to be honest.

On hindsight, I think I should have avoided M50 - I will, from now on. But what worries me now is that the letter I got today is for speeding in early March. I have been there at least half a dozen times, and was pushed beyond the 60 km limit 9 out of 10 times. I am just so ashamed and annoyed at the same time!

< rant />

astraboy

Maybe you could contest it by saying you felt safer going at a faster speed due to the traffic? Prob not worth the hassle of a day in court though. Nothing to be ashamed about either, its breaking the speed limit on a motorway(that was set very low at the time), not child molestation, though you'd think speeding on a motorway was worse the way some high horse bandits go on on here.

ART6

Some years ago while driving in the UK I stopped at a motorway services. There the police were staging an exhibition of photos of a recent multi pile up, and the photos were frankly horrifying. I got talking to one of the cops who attended the accident, and he told me that cars and truck were slamming into the wreckage at such a speed that the whole crash site was moving down the motorway at ten mph. It was the heavy trucks, he said, that were the worst offenders since by their sheer weight they could convert a number of cars into mangled wreckage in seconds. They were driving far too close to other vehicles to have any chance of stopping and generally were well over the speed limit. So, I agree with the comment about keeping up with the speed of the traffic when there is a 44 tonne artic six feet off one's tailgate. I've seen what the b****y things can do.