Rant about driving

golfpaul

maoleary wrote: »

That is not true in practice

We've had Gardaí and all sorts confirming that you can use the hard shoulder on a single lane road to allow faster moving traffic to pass. You may only use it for a short period, and not across junctions or around bends where you cannot see obstacles in your path should you remain that.

Insurance companies have also confirmed that this is 100% legal and in accordance with their terms of policy.

Stop spouting that scaremongering nonsense on every thread where someone asks that a driver actually display an ounce of consideration for others.

:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Very true; it is illegal to drive on the hard shoulder of a motorway. If you are on a primary (or any other road with a hard shoulder) and you think you are holding up traffic then please pull in. Provided of course you have a clear view ahead of you and can do so safely!

D_murph

golfpaul wrote: »

Very true; it is illegal to drive on the hard shoulder of a motorway. If you are on a primary (or any other road with a hard shoulder) and you think you are holding up traffic then please pull in. Provided of course you have a clear view ahead of you and can do so safely!

exactly!!!!!!!!!

given a good line of sight of the road ahead, the hard shoulder isnt a treacherous minefield of potholes and assorted traps that spring up the second you pull into it to be courteous enough to let someone out from behind you if you are not in a hurry.

however, deliberately being a pace car (yes i know its not F1 ) is unacceptable if you can safely allow people to overtake you on a main road and really should be clamped down on as it can, inadvertedly cause accidents :mad:

Steve

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

The hard shoulder is not part of the road. Your car must be driven on the right of the broken yellow line unless you're pulling over to stop or when rejoining the road. At any other time it's unlawful to drive in the manner proposed.

If you damage your car while facilitating impatient drivers in this way, for example by hitting a pot hole, you may find that the council will not accept liability.

You seem to edge this into every thread that has the word overtaking in it despite being told otherwise, on numerous occasions, by posters who are members of the Garda Traffic Corps.

It's getting old and IMO is verging on trolling.

I know that you are entitled to your opinion - so am I - but, given the fact that what you are posting has been proven wrong on several occasions, can't you give it a rest.

JHMEG

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

The hard shoulder is not part of the road. Your car must be driven on the right of the broken yellow line unless you're pulling over to stop or when rejoining the road. At any other time it's unlawful to drive in the manner proposed.

If you damage your car while facilitating impatient drivers in this way, for example by hitting a pot hole, you may find that the council will not accept liability.

You got a copy of the Rules of the Road in the post recently. Driving in the hard shoulder is permissable at times, like to let traffic behind pass.

cyclopath2001

JHMEG wrote: »

You got a copy of the Rules of the Road in the post recently. Driving in the hard shoulder is permissable at times, like to let traffic behind pass.

Yes I did. And I read it, did you? It does not say 'drive on the hard shoulder'. As you must know, the RoTR is not a legal document and driving on the hard shoulder is not permitted in the actual road traffic regulations.

As to the advice given here by the alleged Garda and others, it won't be much use in a court case. I'd advise any motorist here to err on the side of caution, if they are in any doubt about the legality or safety of a manoeuvre they decide to make in order to facilitate overtaking by others. I'm all in favour of showing consideration to others....safely and legally.

stevec wrote:

You seem to edge this into every thread that has the word overtaking in it despite being told otherwise, on numerous occasions, by posters who are members of the Garda Traffic Corps.

I was not aware that this board was being moderated by the Gardai. Have they given their real names?

Padraig Mor

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

The hard shoulder is not part of the road. Your car must be driven on the right of the broken yellow line unless you're pulling over to stop or when rejoining the road. At any other time it's unlawful to drive in the manner proposed. .

Jaysus Cyclo give it a rest will you?. You're on here every few weeks saying the same thing. You are technically correct - no one should drive in the hard shoulder according to a strict interpretation of the law. However, given that the Rules of the Road suggest this course of action, noone is ever going to get 'done' for it. The ROTR IS an interpretation of the law, no matter what they say.

Steve

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

I was not aware that this board was being moderated by the Gardai. Have they given their real names?

And your point is?

The Gardai happen to 'moderate' the roads that we all drive on, don't you think that's even slightly relevant?

Can you provide a link to any case where a motorist was convicted for driving on the hard shoulder?

JHMEG

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

Yes I did. And I read it, did you? It does not say 'drive on the hard shoulder'. As you must know, the RoTR is not a legal document and driving on the hard shoulder is not permitted in the actual road traffic regulations.

It says:

"If a driver wants to allow a vehicle behind them to overtake, they may pull in to the hard shoulder briefly as long as no pedestrians or cyclists are already using it and no junctions or entrances are nearby."

I don't think anyone is going to get done for following the Rules of the Road, do you?

Bendihorse

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

Yes I did. And I read it, did you? It does not say 'drive on the hard shoulder'. As you must know, the RoTR is not a legal document and driving on the hard shoulder is not permitted in the actual road traffic regulations.

As to the advice given here by the alleged Garda and others, it won't be much use in a court case. I'd advise any motorist here to err on the side of caution, if they are in any doubt about the legality or safety of a manoeuvre they decide to make in order to facilitate overtaking by others. I'm all in favour of showing consideration to others....safely and legally.

I was not aware that this board was being moderated by the Gardai. Have they given their real names?

It is illegal to 'drive' in the hard shoulder as in use it as another lane like on a dual carriageway, not to manoeuvre into it for a short period where you have a clear view ahead and it is unobstructed, or junctions or entrances are present.

Do you honestly think the county council engineers of this country put hard shoulders in place at the edge of the road so you could use it solely for your pulling in and pulling out manoeuvres? Catch a grip man, if I knew who you were id come down there and take your licence off you personally. You should get the book thrown at you by a traffic cop for being inconsiderate to other road users.

Do you realise that by being pig headed like you are and flouting that hard shoulder 'law' that you are inadvertently putting other innocent road users in danger when the irate driver stuck behind you attempts to pass in a place that they shouldn't and cross into the path of an oncoming driver? All because you refuse to marginally move into that lovely expanse of virgin tar called the hard shoulder and let them get on with it?

I suspect you apply this thinking and principal to all of your driving. Make no mistake about it, You are the reason that people are dying on our roads. You cause accidents by being inconsiderate to other road users and thinking that you own the road. You and your attitude that 'as long as im ok, f**k everyone else'. You and drink/drug drivers. The law that you choose to misinterpret to suit yourself, does not give you the right to play copper on everyone else.

Marcus.Aurelius

Bendihorse wrote: »

I suspect you apply this thinking and principal to all of your driving. Make no mistake about it, You are the reason that people are dying on our roads, you cause accidents by being inconsiderate to other road users and thinking that you 'own' the road. You and drink/drug drivers. The law that you choose to misinterpret to suit yourself, does not give you the right to play copper on everyone else.

Bravo, +1

Wait and see, he'll blame someone else shortly.

GTC

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

I was not aware that this board was being moderated by the Gardai. Have they given their real names?

I believe giving my name wouldn't be a wise course of action!

Suffice to say, I'm a member of Traffic Corps, and I would agree with your posts regarding the strictest legalities surrounding driving in the hard shoulder.

However, in practice, this is allowed so that traffic may overtake a slower driver. Speed is irrelevant, its just good manners.

You are not the roads police, let other drivers pass.

If they are actually dangerously speeding (>20 kph over the limit) we will catch them in due course.

It's not your decision

lisajane

Fey! wrote: »

Or, finally, from Spiddal, down to 50kph through Furbo, then back to either 80 or 100kph for a few miles, then back down to 50kph through Barna, then speed up for a couple of seconds and back to 50kph from Silver Strand into town, all on twisty roads that aren't easily passable.

QUOTE]

Im talking about this road. From spiddal to galway. Where did you get the 80km/100km speed limit from going past furbo. Its 60km. 50 through furbo, 60km past and then on to barna at 50km into town. Going past barna and there isn't a higher speed limit. Your not meant to speed up until silver strand.

Do people not see the speed limit signs at all?

Bendihorse

Im sure they do lisajane but to be honest i dont drive exactly on 40kph in a 40 or just under it to be on the safe side, same applies to 60kph limits and 80. Not very many people do. If they did the whole country would get getting nowhere fast. Generally and within reason, i dont live my life strictly by the rules imposed on me by the government to the nearest .5kmh...

If i came across you in a once off situation i wouldn't pass any heed just roll my eyes and doddle along behind you until i could get past safely, but to get caught behind you every day when i was rushing into work would probably drive me insane!

lisajane

To end this then. Speed limits mean absolutely nothing. Im the one following the the rules of the road and yet im the one being told to get the f off cause im causing an obstruction doing the limit. The speed limit at 50km is quite fast for pedestrians and cyclists.

Fey!

lisajane wrote: »

Fey! wrote: »

Or, finally, from Spiddal, down to 50kph through Furbo, then back to either 80 or 100kph for a few miles, then back down to 50kph through Barna, then speed up for a couple of seconds and back to 50kph from Silver Strand into town, all on twisty roads that aren't easily passable.

Im talking about this road. From spiddal to galway. Where did you get the 80km/100km speed limit from going past furbo. Its 60km. 50 through furbo, 60km past and then on to barna at 50km into town. Going past barna and there isn't a higher speed limit. Your not meant to speed up until silver strand.

Do people not see the speed limit signs at all?

I do see and obey speed limits. What you quoted above was based on memory; I haven't driven that road in a while, so apologies for having one of the speeds wrong.

Robbo

lisajane wrote: »

Do people not see the speed limit signs at all?

Are they properly translated into Irish?

Seriously though, I live out this road and you're looking at the traffic generally doing about 60km/h from Knocknacarragh Cross out to Barna village and about 70 thereafter. I fail to see the problem with making progress on this road.

The only accidents I see are drunks and people who pull out when it isn't clear from the Ballymoneen/Cappagh road junctions.

Bendihorse

When you reach a speed limit sign that indicates a drop in the speed limit do you break hard and down to exactly the speed displayed on the sign as soon as you pass it? Similarly do you speed up imediately as you pass an increase in speed limit sign?

JHMEG

Been a while since I was on that road from what I remember it's narrow, windey, and has high banks at the sides, obstructing visibility. Most of it has no hard shoulder, and it's very busy.

Sherifu

JHMEG wrote: »

Been a while since I was on that road from what I remember it's narrow, windey, and has high banks at the sides, obstructing visibility. Most of it has no hard shoulder, and it's very busy.

Yep that's a fairly good description of it. Pulling in isn't really an option on this road. Guess you're stuck with your situation OP. Sorry.

JHMEG

Sherifu wrote: »

Yep that's a fairly good description of it. Pulling in isn't really an option on this road. Guess you're stuck with your situation OP. Sorry.

I can't see the Co Co ever widening that road, as is so badly needed. I always wondered about Galway City/Co Co's motives...a dual carriageway halfway out to the airport and a boreen the rest of the way?

Fey!

JHMEG wrote: »

I can't see the Co Co ever widening that road, as is so badly needed. I always wondered about Galway City/Co Co's motives...a dual carriageway halfway out to the airport and a boreen the rest of the way?

And a 60kph limit from the dual carraigeway to the airport... or is it 50kph? Granted, there are a lot of houses and junctions along that road.

Panda Moanium

Fey! wrote: »

And a 60kph limit from the dual carraigeway to the airport... or is it 50kph? Granted, there are a lot of houses and junctions along that road.

Its 60 km/h...but in true Irish tradition there are a number of tiny boreens leading off that road barely wide enough to take one car...complete with 80 km/h signs as you leave the main road. Go figure...