Speeding and law making in Ireland

AugustusMaximus

From my expierience of driving on dual carriageways and motorways in Ireland, I'd say about half, if not more of people speed on these roads.

This brings me to a simple conclusion. If more than half of people in Ireland want a high speed limit on our motorways, why don't we group together and lobby for the speed limit to be raised.

A lot of other countries run with a limit of 130kph. Italy runs 150kph on certain roads and obviously Germany allows the motorist to decide whats safe on some of their autobahn.

This is a democracy and the majority should get what the majority wants.

I'd have no problem in seeing the motorway speed limit being upped to 130kph. IIRC, this has actully been discussed on a government level in the past ?

eringobragh

AugustusMaximus wrote: »

From my expierience of driving on dual carriageways and motorways in Ireland, I'd say about half, if not more of people speed on these roads.

This brings me to a simple conclusion. If more than half of people in Ireland want a high speed limit on our motorways, why don't we group together and lobby for the speed limit to be raised.

A lot of other countries run with a limit of 130kph. Italy runs 150kph on certain roads and obviously Germany allows the motorist to decide whats safe on some of their autobahn.

This is a democracy and the majority should get what the majority wants.

I'd have no problem in seeing the motorway speed limit being upped to 130kph. IIRC, this has actully been discussed on a government level in the past ?

...This should be good :pac: ...I think if the guards took a sensible attitude and pulled people who were taking the piss on these roads it would be idea as well. Well I agree with what your saying..However some people (you know who you are) on here would you believe, are all for the limit to be dropped to 100kmph on these roads.

Run_to_da_hills

AugustusMaximus wrote: »

A lot of other countries run with a limit of 130kph. Italy runs 150kph on certain roads and obviously Germany allows the motorist to decide whats safe on some of their autobahn.

This is a democracy and the majority should get what the majority wants.

I'd have no problem in seeing the motorway speed limit being upped to 130kph. IIRC, this has actully been discussed on a government level in the past ?

The problemb here is that this is Ireland and you are dealing with Irish drivers.

E92

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

The problem here is that this is Ireland and you are dealing with Irish drivers

+1.

That's why higher limits wouldn't really work here unfortunately.

130 is about as high as you could go realistically in this country I'm afraid.

You

I don't believe this will make any difference to people speeding. I think alot of people (myself included) drive 5 - 10 KPM over the limit on motorways, and think that they won't be pulled for such a minor infraction. Raising the limit to 130 KPM will just increase the average speed to 140KPM.

sickpuppy32

it aint going to happen - it'd be political suicide i f a politican proposed it. Remember when they uped the motorway speed limit to 120, the national safety facists went mad saying things like " hundreds more people will die "

E92

sickpuppy32 wrote: »

it aint going to happen - it'd be political suicide i f a politican proposed it. Remember when they uped the motorway speed limit to 120, the national safety facists went mad saying things like " hundreds more people will die "

The fact of the matter though is that that hasn't happened though.

As a matter of interest, what are the fatality rates on Motorways these days now that the limit is 75 mph versus back when the limit was 70 mph?

Having said that the RSA doesn't see anything wrong with the Green's nutty proposal to lower the limit on Motorways either to only 100 km/h, and the have a series of targets to improve speed limit compliance too.

Fortunately, judging by the reaction by the overwhelming majority of people when this was proposed, the lowering of speed limits on Motorways and main roads is looking like political suicide too.

100 km/h is just fine for wide single carriageway roads IMO.

bazz26

If we drive at 110kph in a 100kph zone then chances are if the limit is raised to 130kph we will drive above that limit too.

Unfortunately speed limits are genrally seen as minimum not maximum targets.

atlantean

AugustusMaximus wrote: »

A lot of other countries run with a limit of 130kph. Italy runs 150kph on certain roads and obviously Germany allows the motorist to decide whats safe on some of their autobahn.

TBF Their roads are usually built for these speeds where many of ours are not!

My issue is more with the fact that you can drive legally at 80Km/h on many R roads which can only be described as minor back roads in many cases where as there are steaches of new straight dual carriageway which only allow 60 or even 50Km/h :mad:

ninty9er

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

The problemb here is that this is Ireland and you are dealing with Irish drivers.

+2

I can manage to exceed the Motorway limit quite safely and by a good margin....but there will always be people in front doing 110-120 that WON'T pull in and aren't capable of driving faster.

ninty9er

E92 wrote: »

100 km/h is just fine for wide single carriageway roads IMO.

I would have said 120....but could deal with 110.

eringobragh

ninty9er wrote: »

+2

I can manage to exceed the Motorway limit quite safely and by a good margin....but there will always be people in front doing 110-120 that WON'T pull in and aren't capable of driving faster.

True some aren't capable of 60kmph IMO. Quite often, although I hate doing it I have to move into the left to pass the eegit hogging the overtaking lane to be greeted by ba beep of the horn and a flash of the lights by him/her. :mad:

Mr. Presentable

The problem is it doesn't matter what the limit is, the same people exceeding it now will exceed it no matter what it is. It's to do with the old "I am a better judge of what's safe for me than any legislator" notion that some drivers have. What they forget is there are other, perhaps less gifted, drivers sharing the road with them, over whose driving they have no control.

ninty9er

nipplenuts wrote: »

The problem is it doesn't matter what the limit is, the same people exceeding it now will exceed it no matter what it is. It's to do with the old "I am a better judge of what's safe for me than any legislator" notion that some drivers have. What they forget is there are other, perhaps less gifted, drivers sharing the road with them, over whose driving they have no control.

Well if it was 160, I'd have a physical issue in exceeding it, insofar as my car can't do it (not fully loaded with people and luggage anyway)....so I don't take that argument.

Mr. Presentable

ninty9er wrote: »

Well if it was 160, I'd have a physical issue in exceeding it, insofar as my car can't do it (not fully loaded with people and luggage anyway)....so I don't take that argument.

You'd just have to get a faster car!

Look, I don't think anyone suggested a limit of 160, so I don't accept your rebuttal

ninty9er

nipplenuts wrote: »

You'd just have to get a faster car!

Look, I don't think anyone suggested a limit of 160, so I don't accept your rebuttal

Well I'm suggesting it now;)

sickpuppy32

has anyone been on the autobans - no speed limit i believe -are they designed like irish motorways?

my pet hate is slow people in the overtaking lane thinking its a fast lane which it isn't.
on non motorways/ dual carriages i hate slow "sunday" drivers driving ten under the limit and causing traffic jams- they cause accidents to cause people get frustrated ben behind them for so long and then take a chance to overtake- i believe in some countries that if ur travelling slowly and have more than ten cars stuck behind you, your fined , i would love to see that over here

fumpidge

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

The problemb here is that this is Ireland and you are dealing with Irish drivers.

+3

ninty9er

sickpuppy32 wrote: »

has anyone been on the autobans - no speed limit i believe -are they designed like irish motorways?

Some are, even Coaches are allowed to do 100 on them.
Some are 3 lane, in which case don't get in the right hand lane unless you're familiar with 200km/h+....and if you see lights on the rearview horizon....get out of the effing way before you're a dent in someone's bonnet.

BrianD3

I think you'd have a hard time getting a majority to agree to a higher limit on motorways. Based on what I see the majority of drivers don't even get near 120 km/h on motorways in perfect conditions. On motorways I drive at the limit or a few km/h above (to compensate for a probable speedo overread) when safe to do so. I am rarely overtaken on a motorway yet I overtake loads of cars doing well below the limit. I'd say for every 1 car that overtakes me, I overtake 9 cars. In the UK even doing slightly above the 70 mph limit i'd be one of the slowest drivers on any clear motorway. In Ireland i'm one of the faster ones.

Irish drivers also are very slow on single carriageway N routes. Slow, and incapable of overtaking safely or at all. Spurn perfect overtaking opportunites then get impatient and overtake when it isn't safe/legal to do so. Rely on the vehicle in front moving into the HS before they overtake and still manage to make a balls of their overtake. Don't overtake but drive up the arse of the car in front so that nobody can leapfrog in between, big convoys then build up behind. Merge at a snails pace onto motorways. Etc. etc.

And I bet the same numpties doing 45 mph on N routes drive far too fast on narrow country boreens - no chance of stopping within the distance they can see to be clear let alone in the recommended half the distance they can see to be clear.

Alun

BrianD3 wrote: »

I think you'd have a hard time getting a majority to agree to a higher limit on motorways. Based on what I see the majority of drivers don't even get near 120 km/h on motorways in perfect conditions. On motorways I drive at the limit or a few km/h above (to compensate for a probable speedo overread) when safe to do so. I am rarely overtaken on a motorway yet I overtake loads of cars doing well below the limit. I'd say for every 1 car that overtakes me, I overtake 9 cars. In the UK even doing slightly above the 70 mph limit i'd be one of the slowest drivers on any clear motorway. In Ireland i'm one of the faster ones.

Irish drivers also are very slow on single carriageway N routes. Slow, and incapable of overtaking safely or at all. Spurn perfect overtaking opportunites then get impatient and overtake when it isn't safe/legal to do so. Rely on the vehicle in front moving into the HS before they overtake and still manage to make a balls of their overtake. Don't overtake but drive up the arse of the car in front so that nobody can leapfrog in between, big convoys then build up behind. Merge at a snails pace onto motorways. Etc. etc.

And I bet the same numpties doing 45 mph on N routes drive far too fast on narrow country boreens - no chance of stopping within the distance they can see to be clear let alone in the recommended half the distance they can see to be clear.

QFT. In a nutshell what I find so frustrating about driving in Ireland.

ninty9er

BrianD3 wrote: »

On motorways I drive at the limit or a few km/h above (to compensate for a probable speedo overread) when safe to do so. I am rarely overtaken on a motorway yet I overtake loads of cars doing well below the limit.

While I do overtake a lot of people on the Motorway. I've never once not been overtaken. If I'm doing 140-150, I'll be overtaken at least 5-6 times between Mountrath and the Long Mile. And not by a crawl. It'll pass and be gone.

Seth Brundle

Personally, I'd like to see a higher average level of competency with drivers before the limits go any higher.
Whats the point of having 160km/h on a motorway only for some dopey git to tootle along obliviously in the overtraking lane at 80km/h?

ninty9er

kbannon wrote: »

Personally, I'd like to see a higher average level of competency with drivers before the limits go any higher.
Whats the point of having 160km/h on a motorway only for some dopey git to tootle along obliviously in the overtraking lane at 80km/h?

It's the only reason we don't have higher limits at the moment as far as I can see. What's worse is that it could take 40 years + to clear it out of the system

jimbling

Driving in the dual carriageway yesterday there was only one other car on the road. Naturally he was in the "fast lane" because he was doing the 100km/h .
I came up behind him. He did, at least, have the awareness to notice me and pulled into the left lane. I went passed, looked in my rear view mirror and he was moving back into the "fast lane" :eek:
How can people be this friggin stupid... I just don't understand

On the note of raising speed limits. Indeed, all Dual Carriageways should be put up to 120 and all motorways up to 140. But then, I would think that wouldn't I.

It's not going to happen though, because this country has a complete lack of understanding of driving. And there are far too many morons allowed on the road. So, safest (and cheapest) thing for the government to do is to keep speed limits down, and fine anyone who breaks the law... whether safely or not.

nipplenuts wrote: »

"I am a better judge of what's safe for me than any legislator"

I hate when people quote this in a sarcastic tone. I do know whats safer for me than any legislator. In every aspect of my life. Legislators know very very little about whats safe for me at any given time.

vibe666

the should introduce a competency test for drivers every 10 years.

Nothing overly major, just theoretical scenarios like have been mentioned in the thread already, such as checking what the fast lane is for, speed limits on certain roads, what that little stick is for that hangs off the side of your steering wheel, the 'other' use for the makup mirror in the centre of your windscreen, what lanes to be in at roundabouts, etc. etc.

anyone who fails it 3 times in a row (to account for bad luck & nerves) should be made to re-take their test and drive a 'D' for dunce sticker (like an L plate) for the next 12 months.

on a decent 2-3 lane road any half competent driver should be able to drive at 130km/h without any problems. It's just a shame that there aren't that many decent drivers on the road. driving safely at speed on a motorway type road should be a standard part of any driving test.

Tigger

BrianD3 wrote: »

I think you'd have a hard time getting a majority to agree to a higher limit on motorways. Based on what I see the majority of drivers don't even get near 120 km/h on motorways in perfect conditions. On motorways I drive at the limit or a few km/h above (to compensate for a probable speedo overread) when safe to do so. I am rarely overtaken on a motorway yet I overtake loads of cars doing well below the limit. I'd say for every 1 car that overtakes me, I overtake 9 cars. In the UK even doing slightly above the 70 mph limit i'd be one of the slowest drivers on any clear motorway. In Ireland i'm one of the faster ones.

Irish drivers also are very slow on single carriageway N routes. Slow, and incapable of overtaking safely or at all. Spurn perfect overtaking opportunites then get impatient and overtake when it isn't safe/legal to do so. Rely on the vehicle in front moving into the HS before they overtake and still manage to make a balls of their overtake. Don't overtake but drive up the arse of the car in front so that nobody can leapfrog in between, big convoys then build up behind. Merge at a snails pace onto motorways. Etc. etc.

And I bet the same numpties doing 45 mph on N routes drive far too fast on narrow country boreens - no chance of stopping within the distance they can see to be clear let alone in the recommended half the distance they can see to be clear.

these thinygs aren't ever addressed

SuperGrover

"The problem here is that this is Ireland and you are dealing with Irish drivers."

Is this really true? I have travelled around a bit - Europe, Asia, and I have to say I have seen atrocious driving everywhere. Irish drivers seem relatively calm and polite compared to Italians, French, Malaysians, etc.

TBH - it seems to be a boring cliché trotted out all the time.

knuth

I know personally that when I'm 'overtaking' on the 'motorways' that I'm paying as much attention to the roadside as I am to the actual road. :rolleyes:

Yakult

SuperGrover wrote: »

"The problem here is that this is Ireland and you are dealing with Irish drivers."

Is this really true? I have travelled around a bit - Europe, Asia, and I have to say I have seen atrocious driving everywhere. Irish drivers seem relatively calm and polite compared to Italians, French, Malaysians, etc.

TBH - it seems to be a boring cliché trotted out all the time.

Its not a cliche when your experiencing it each day.

javaboy

ninty9er wrote: »

Some are 3 lane, in which case don't get in the right hand lane unless you're familiar with 200km/h+....and if you see lights on the rearview horizon....get out of the effing way before you're a dent in someone's bonnet.

Wait it's Germany. Don't you mean the left hand lane? :pac:

vibe666 wrote: »

the should introduce a competency test for drivers every 10 years.

Nothing overly major, just theoretical scenarios like have been mentioned in the thread already, such as checking what the fast lane is for, speed limits on certain roads

The ironing is delicious.

I agree with you though. But it will always be way down the list of priorities while the existing learner system is still a shambles.