Galway drivers, worst in Ireland?

KevR

I can't wait for them to upgrade the Galway Shopping Centre roundabout. It should be a lot better for traffic flow and a lot easier for people to understand. Also, probably a lot safer for pedesrians and cyclists.

I really wish they would upgrade the Menlo Park RAB also. It holds up so much traffic (on bad evenings, traffic could tail from the Menlo Park RAB back through the Galway SC RAB, back over the Bridge and up into Westside). Not to mention it's confusing (although that doesn't excuse people not knowing how to use roundabouts properly!) and not the safest for cyclists or pedestrians. Pity there are no plans to upgrade this junction..

As far as I know, they're getting rid of that roundabout beside Wellpark/The Huntsman also. The more roundabouts they get rid of in Galway the better IMO.

VanhireBoys

snubbleste wrote: »

Would motorists here tolerate parked cars taking up half the road, so that only one motorist can get past at a time? Does any motorist want to apologise on behalf of drivers for deliberately abandoning their 1.6m wide vans, cars and one corpo van on double yellows and footpaths on a busy pedestrian route?

The reason I ask this? the Novena is on and all those motorists have abandoned their cars on University Road footpaths so pedestrians have to queue up to get past a fixed structure and a piece of metal in single file or alternatively risk their lives like i did and wander on the N59 dodging passing passenger-door mirrors *rant over*

Well if the Novena is on or if you are picking up little Johnny from the Gaelscoil at Cimin Mor that makes it ok.... You can park where you like

The residents of Cimin Mor are held to ransom every day at 9am and 2:30pm by "Yummy Mommys" who are too interested in their mobile phones to notice they are blocking the full street with their Renault Espace or 4x4 Volvo. Kids then run between the cars out on to the road.

If you drive over the street at these times these idiots give dirty looks as if you are intentionally and recklessly trying to elimate their kids. If the jumped up t*ats would park on the one side of the road it would be a lot safer. The poor lady who lives in the first house constantly gets her driveway blocked by these numpties.

If you are one of these people who block the street intentionly every day

Catch yourself on and have a bit of manners RANT OVER

Das Kitty

workaccount wrote: »

We have no choice unfortunately but I wouldn't do it. The footpath is for pedestrians only. Not cars - ever. Some people park on the footpath to use their mobile phones aswell - f*ck off.

Some drive on them as well. Last week I saw some git fully mount the footpath (all 4 wheels) and drive from Distillery Road to the traffic lights to avoid traffic which was queuing to turn right. If someone was coming out by the University Chapel they were done for.

Xiney

The cycle path on the N6 took me by surprise the first time I cycled that stretch of road - there weren't too many signs prior to getting on the road letting me know there was a cycle path, so I cycled on the road for a bit while waiting for a dip in the kerb to get on it. Whoops! (It was a Sunday morning though - so no traffic!)

Also, unless you get off the cycle path before the roundabout at Liosban, you're forced (via barriers and the like) to walk accross the roundabout as a pedestrian rather than cycle it as a vehicle. So I'd get off the cycle path in order to cycle the roundabout.

With that said, the cycle path on the doughiska road is a hazard. It shares with the footpath (something I hate but which is not a huge problem on the N6 since there aren't too many pedestrians there) and there are sizeable drops from the path to the road when crossing a side street. Not to mention the construction debris and knocked over temporary signage strewn everywhere along the cycle path - I'll take the road thanks, it's safer.

Chris_533976

Congratulations to the council for not gritting/salting this morning. Despite the fact that the temperature was above freezing, everyone acted the maggot on the roads this morning.

People have no idea how to drive in ice. GO SLOWLY.

Dont tailgate me you idiotic van, I had to pull over as I wasnt having you up my boot when I was driving SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY IN THE ICE.

Das Kitty

Some donkey nearly hit me as I was queuing to get out at Distillery Road (gosh I spend a lot of time there!). He was hurrying to make the lights and took the corner quickly sending the arse of his car careering towards me with absolutely nothing I could do but look on in horror as he narrowly avoided smashing into me.

I didn't know it was icy this morning until I ended up flat on my back after happily trotting onto my driveway.

Mrs OBumble

snubbleste wrote: »

Would motorists here tolerate parked cars taking up half the road, so that only one motorist can get past at a time? Does any motorist want to apologise on behalf of drivers for deliberately abandoning their 1.6m wide vans, cars and one corpo van on double yellows and footpaths on a busy pedestrian route?

The reason I ask this? the Novena is on and all those motorists have abandoned their cars on University Road footpaths so pedestrians have to queue up to get past a fixed structure and a piece of metal in single file or alternatively risk their lives like i did and wander on the N59 dodging passing passenger-door mirrors *rant over*

I wonder what would happen if the pedestrians had something like car-keys in their hand while they filed past. Not that I'm advocating something illegal like property damage of course. But as a motorist, I'm usually keen not to encourage passers-by to get mad at me.

Perhaps someone should write to the cathedral and suggest that they include bus-timetables with the Novena leaflets next year?

KevR

Sort of off-topic but I always have to admire at how quickly 4 lanes of solid bumper-to-bumper traffic can 'squash' together to leave a free lane for an ambulance with it sirens on. Have seen it so many times on the bridge on the way to work in the evenings. You'd think there's nowhere to move to but people manage to make enough space and make it quickly enough so the ambulance can get through without being slowed or held up at all.

KevR

On the way to work this evening I saw the Gardai breaking the speed limit on the Bridge in a non-emergency. And they cut a lane on the Galway Shopping Centre roundabout.


Make Of That What You Will (MOTWYW) :cool:

sawah

hey i drive in galway and id like to think that im not one of these drivers that you are talking about...just today i was at the traffic lights across from dunnes in westside, i was in the slip lane at the shantalla side trying to turn left, the lights had gone red so obviously i could not go, not to mention the fact that school had just finished and there was children crossing, when the kids had crossed (and the light was still red) a woman behind me, with kids in her car started beeping at me trying to get me to move on.....
so from a drivers POV there is a lot of ignorant drivers in galway...

though saying that there is a lot of silly pedestrians here too, more than once i would be driving through eyre square, and people would just run out on the road in front of you, rather than go the few feet it is to the nearest traffic light....ive never understood that.....

KevR

On the way home from work tonight I was coming along by Dunnes Terryland on the Headfor Rd inbound and some wise guy exited out of the entrance into Dunnes and proceeded the wrong way down the dual carriageway! Luckily I was a good distance back and going slow so there was no chance of a collision; I flashed him and he realised and pulled a U-turn back into Dunnes. Don't know how he missed the big 'No Exit' signs..

Webbs

sawah wrote: »

hey i drive in galway and id like to think that im not one of these drivers that you are talking about...just today i was at the traffic lights across from dunnes in westside, i was in the slip lane at the shantalla side trying to turn left, the lights had gone red so obviously i could not go, not to mention the fact that school had just finished and there was children crossing, when the kids had crossed (and the light was still red) a woman behind me, with kids in her car started beeping at me trying to get me to move on.....
so from a drivers POV there is a lot of ignorant drivers in galway...

though saying that there is a lot of silly pedestrians here too, more than once i would be driving through eyre square, and people would just run out on the road in front of you, rather than go the few feet it is to the nearest traffic light....ive never understood that.....

That turning should be on a permanent flashing yellow light, as most people use it that way. I have been beeped there and beeped others as the lights seem to be completely random as to when they have normal light sequence or just a flashing yellow

workaccount

Webbs wrote: »

That turning should be on a permanent flashing yellow light, as most people use it that way. I have been beeped there and beeped others as the lights seem to be completely random as to when they have normal light sequence or just a flashing yellow

Red is red. Who's fault is it if there is an accident for breaking the red light? Why should you pressurize someone into doing something illlegal? Complain to the council if you want to do something about it.

Das Kitty

Webbs wrote: »

That turning should be on a permanent flashing yellow light, as most people use it that way. I have been beeped there and beeped others as the lights seem to be completely random as to when they have normal light sequence or just a flashing yellow

They're not random at all. They're red when traffic from the main road is given the filter light to turn right into there, thus preventing an accident.

Cop on, and quit beeping people stopped at a red light.

midouri

oh my god....i totally agree.
This is one of the only places that i know of where people drive in the layby!!
No indicators used!! letting people go in the middle of roundabouts...
when taking a right turn on a roundabout people not letting you merge in ahead of you...they can't seem to get the concept that there were two lanes..

Oh the best i have seen yet is a driving instructor giving driving lessons in the bloody layby!!! only in Galway

Athlone drivers though are much the same though!! They just come straight down the slip road onto the motor way with not so much as a glance---like they have right of way...

midouri

smackbunnybaby wrote: »

Galway Drivers = Clueless
Dublin Drivers = Ignorant and Dangerous

i find Dublin drivers more infuriating because they know all the tricks, like tearing up bus lanes and swerving in front of you to get back into lane. they also never thank you for letting them into a lane etc

That is rubbish...i am from dublin. People are more polite in dublin believe it or not when it comes to letting people go.....the amount of people here that pretend that they don't even see ya......
but actually thats probably because when you're down here and try and let someone go and flash your lights about a million times....................they still don't budge!! At home, people let you go because ---You will move!!!!!!

Also down here, whats with the waiting at the traffic lights when they are green....I know you are taking a right turn but for gods sake progress up and be ready to go when the oncoming traffic get a red....no wonder so many traffic jams....people don't progress here

Chris_533976

Anyone else seen the City Direct buses stopping ON THE ROUNDABOUTS out by Clybaun?

?Cee?view

midouri wrote: »

That is rubbish...i am from dublin. People are more polite in dublin believe it or not when it comes to letting people go.....the amount of people here that pretend that they don't even see ya......
but actually thats probably because when you're down here and try and let someone go and flash your lights about a million times....................they still don't budge!! At home, people let you go because ---You will move!!!!!!

Also down here, whats with the waiting at the traffic lights when they are green....I know you are taking a right turn but for gods sake progress up and be ready to go when the oncoming traffic get a red....no wonder so many traffic jams....people don't progress here

Breaks my heart but I have to agree.

I'm Galway born and bred yet spend most of my weekdays in Dublin.

Galway drivers are so much worse than Dublin drivers. Less considerate and appallingly ignorant of basic rules of the road.

galah

Last week, a driving school car "driver under supervision" decided to pull out straight in front of me (I was on the main road, they had a 'yield' sign) - either she didn't see me, or the instructor gave her the go-ahead - I had to brake hard not to crash into her side - and she carried on like nothing happened...

If this is what you're taught in driving school, there's no hope.

Coolio

I don't know if it's Galway drivers but clueless and dangerous drivers do seem to frequent the roundabouts there. I've had to swerve to avoid a guy on the headford rd roundabout who was in the outside lane indicating right which was fine, I was on the inside lane indicating right also, and as I made my exit he continued around the roundabout back towards dunnes!? I nearly drove into the side of him! He continued on oblivious of course!

Das Kitty

Yep I was nearly killed yesterday evening.

In fact the other driver, her two (unbelted!) kids and my husband were also nearly killed.

The stupid ****ing mare decided to pull out and turn right in front of me on the Rahoon road causing me to break so hard that there were still tyre marks there this morning.

I've never had such a close call and I was too shook up to try and stop and get her number plate.

What an absolute ****wit.

DeadSkin

Das Kitty wrote: »

Yep I was nearly killed yesterday evening.

In fact the other driver, her two (unbelted!) kids and my husband were also nearly killed.

The stupid ****ing mare decided to pull out and turn right in front of me on the Rahoon road causing me to break so hard that there were still tyre marks there this morning.

I've never had such a close call and I was too shook up to try and stop and get her number plate.

What an absolute ****wit.

This is a big problem, people get into their cars and don't strap their kids in.
They have this attitude of 'it won't happen to me'.
You are the biggest asshole on the road if you don't have the sense in seeing that your kids need to be strapped in. I see it everyday, kids sitting up from the back and into the gap between the front seats.
Some f*ckin' mess when Mammy/Daddy have to slam on the brakes, eh!

Teaching starts at home, what hope do we have for the future, when kids aren't being strapped in, or see their parents with their crazy-ass driving?

Das Kitty

I swear to God, if she had been in my place her kiddies would be out through the windscreen, I wasn't even going the speed limit as I had been stopped behind someone turning right a few seconds earlier.

I really really wish I had her numberplate.

Xiney

Das Kitty wrote: »

Yep I was nearly killed yesterday evening.

In fact the other driver, her two (unbelted!) kids and my husband were also nearly killed.

The stupid ****ing mare decided to pull out and turn right in front of me on the Rahoon road causing me to break so hard that there were still tyre marks there this morning.

I've never had such a close call and I was too shook up to try and stop and get her number plate.

What an absolute ****wit.

Wow

glad you're alright - but I can't believe someone wouldn't buckle their kids in. What the hell!

Das Kitty

Xiney wrote: »

Wow

glad you're alright - but I can't believe someone wouldn't buckle their kids in. What the hell!

Yeah, that's what I'm most angry about. The depths of recklessness.

I see this a lot, it really really annoys me to think of people having so little respect for the lives of their children.

fish fingers

i've seen kids hanging out windows. when i collect my son from school, I see kids who are in his class sitting up on the back seats waving back to him.
The amount of kids you see not belted up is unreal.

DeadSkin

Over 2,000 people received penalty points in Galway in the last 12 months, with 1,351 of these for driving while on a mobile phone. According to figures compiled by the RSA, two drivers were disqualified for six months after accruing 12 points on their license between 31 January 2008 and 31 January 2009.

This brings to four the amount of drivers put off the road in the county since the introduction of penalty points in April 2006. There are currently 26 drivers with ten penalty points on their license.

And 811 drivers received points for failing to obey traffic lights, while 14,477 have been charged with speeding. 2,524 drivers have been caught driving while on a mobile phone since 2006.

Galway drivers have been awarded the fifth highest amount of points since the introduction of the system, at 21,403. Dublin City received the most at 166,988, followed by Cork, Kildare and Monaghan

Source

Any one else see a problem with the numbers here for Galway?
I'm looking at the 14,477 charged with speeding[assuming this is the overall figure for Galway 2006-2009], compared to the figures for 2008-2009, which is approx 649+ receiving penalty points for offences other than mobile phone offences.

Or is this just a piece of sh!te journalism? Being charged with an offence and receiving penalty points is like comparing apples with oranges!!!

Galway1987

how i got a full licence is beyond me.... yes il admit galway houses some bad drivers

KevR

Had a good laugh a couple of weeks ago when some bloke on the Galway Shopping Centre RAB stopped at one of the lights which wasn't for the traffic already on the roundabout (it was the light for people coming from the bridge onto the roundabout). There was a fella in a van behind him blowing the horn going absolutely mental - he was actually red with rage! The bloke in the car in front (who was wrongly stopped at the light in rush hour) point blank refused to move until the light went green.

It was funny but I probably would have been in just as much of a rage as the van driver (if not worse) if I was in his position.

breaghwy

Oh what gets me is you can be waiting five to ten minutes at a junction before someone will let you out :mad: