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Report dangerous driving

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  • 19-11-2008 9:55am
    #1
    Saint_Mel
    Registered Users Posts: 2,598 ✭✭✭


    Probably the wrong place to ask but here goes ... is there anywhere you can report dangerous drivers? Driving into work this morning an a car made 2 quite dangerous and needless manouvers. I got the reg and was hoping I could report them.


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    #2
    Alanstrainor
    Registered Users Posts: 23,157 ✭✭✭✭Alanstrainor


    Moved from learning to drive!


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    #3
    Seth Brundle
    Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 39,851 Mod ✭✭✭✭Seth Brundle


    Garda Trafficwatch
    1890 205 805

    What manouvres did they make?


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    #4
    Saint_Mel
    Registered Users Posts: 2,598 ✭✭✭Saint_Mel


    kbannon wrote: »
    Garda Trafficwatch
    1890 205 805

    What manouvres did they make?

    Overtaking 3 cars coming on a quite sharp bend (very hard to see oncoming traffic until your going around it ... luckily there was nothing coming the other way, and then speeding straight through a stop sign at a junction. Only 1 person in the car


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    #5
    kdouglas
    Registered Users Posts: 6,414 ✭✭✭kdouglas


    The thing i've wondered about this, is can the gardai do anything based on your report?

    What's to stop (for example) me ringing up and saying car reg 04-d-12345 which just happens to belong to someone I dont like very much and telling the gardai he was driving dangerously? Or what about just randomly picking out car registrations on the road for cars I dont like the look of?

    (Not saying the OP doesn't have a just reason to report this person, but playing devils advocate here, it's your word against the other driver's, so can they actually do anything?)


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    #6
    Mitch Connor
    Registered Users Posts: 45,939 ✭✭✭✭Mitch Connor


    kdouglas wrote: »
    The thing i've wondered about this, is can the gardai do anything based on your report?

    What's to stop (for example) me ringing up and saying car reg 04-d-12345 which just happens to belong to someone I dont like very much and telling the gardai he was driving dangerously? Or what about just randomly picking out car registrations on the road for cars I dont like the look of?

    (Not saying the OP doesn't have a just reason to report this person, but playing devils advocate here, it's your word against the other driver's)

    i think they give a warning and record the report the first time. If there are subsequent issues with that car, the complaint would come into play more. Also, you have to be willing to go to court and stand by your complaint, with lying in court a crime itself if you are proven to have made it up.


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    #7
    ergonomics
    Registered Users Posts: 1,810 ✭✭✭ergonomics


    kdouglas wrote: »
    The thing i've wondered about this, is can the gardai do anything based on your report?

    What's to stop (for example) me ringing up and saying car reg 04-d-12345 which just happens to belong to someone I dont like very much and telling the gardai he was driving dangerously? Or what about just randomly picking out car registrations on the road for cars I dont like the look of?

    (Not saying the OP doesn't have a just reason to report this person, but playing devils advocate here, it's your word against the other driver's, so can they actually do anything?)

    I wonder the same. A guy from my local town is also in college in the same place as me. I have met him a handful of times on the road and each time he has done something dangerous. Twice he came around a junction too fast and nearly hit me head on, he overtook me with cars coming against me, and I watched him overtake some 5 cars on bends/with traffic coming against them. He infuriates me as every time I have met him he has done something dangerous but I doubt that the guards would do anything if I report him, and if report him each time I see him they'll just think I have something against him.

    Instead I just leave at at different times now so I won't meet him.


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    #8
    Saint_Mel
    Registered Users Posts: 2,598 ✭✭✭Saint_Mel


    kdouglas wrote: »
    The thing i've wondered about this, is can the gardai do anything based on your report?

    What's to stop (for example) me ringing up and saying car reg 04-d-12345 which just happens to belong to someone I dont like very much and telling the gardai he was driving dangerously? Or what about just randomly picking out car registrations on the road for cars I dont like the look of?

    Never thought of that ... damn my uncontrollable honesty


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    #9
    patrickc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,899 ✭✭✭patrickc


    if the gardai go further on it, they will ring you and ask you to go to court on it, generally you should ring as the incident happens though.


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    #10
    draycottgirlz
    Registered Users Posts: 284 ✭✭draycottgirlz


    if a driver does something extremely dangerous I report it as who know what trouble they have caused around the corner, and then the gardai have a record of it incase anything happens/happened


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    #11
    RobAMerc
    Registered Users Posts: 5,863 ✭✭✭RobAMerc


    Dangerous driving is a bit too subjective - what you may deem dangerous may not be dangerous in the eyes of the other driver maybe not even the law.

    I have read people on here claim it is illegal and dangerous driving to overtake more than one car at a time ! The first is untrue and the second wholey dependant on the circumstances.


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    #12
    TheNog
    Registered Users Posts: 4,160 ✭✭✭TheNog


    kdouglas wrote: »
    The thing i've wondered about this, is can the gardai do anything based on your report?

    What's to stop (for example) me ringing up and saying car reg 04-d-12345 which just happens to belong to someone I dont like very much and telling the gardai he was driving dangerously? Or what about just randomly picking out car registrations on the road for cars I dont like the look of?

    (Not saying the OP doesn't have a just reason to report this person, but playing devils advocate here, it's your word against the other driver's, so can they actually do anything?)

    Only one person is required to make a complaint but it is better to have two or more people (in different cars). Two of more provides a sound base for proving dangerous driving. If only one person comes forward then usually the dangerous driving is downgraded to Careless driving.

    If it is only one person making the complaint then I usually ask them to give me the reg of the car behind or in front of them who may have seen the act. I can then track down that driver and see if they will make a complaint.
    Mitch Connor wrote: »
    i think they give a warning and record the report the first time. If there are subsequent issues with that car, the complaint would come into play more. Also, you have to be willing to go to court and stand by your complaint, with lying in court a crime itself if you are proven to have made it up.

    When you ring TrafficWatch they take the complaint and forward to the District HQ for investigation. The Reg number of the car is put in the narrative but is not directly linked to the NVDF on the car.
    ergonomics wrote: »
    I wonder the same. A guy from my local town is also in college in the same place as me. I have met him a handful of times on the road and each time he has done something dangerous. Twice he came around a junction too fast and nearly hit me head on, he overtook me with cars coming against me, and I watched him overtake some 5 cars on bends/with traffic coming against them. He infuriates me as every time I have met him he has done something dangerous but I doubt that the guards would do anything if I report him, and if report him each time I see him they'll just think I have something against him.

    Instead I just leave at at different times now so I won't meet him.

    Better to maybe have a chat with him in a nice way. If he ignores what you say then report him. If he was to crash later down the line at least you can say you tried to do something about it. Leave your conscience in the clear.
    patrickc wrote: »
    if the gardai go further on it, they will ring you and ask you to go to court on it, generally you should ring as the incident happens though.

    This is the best thing to do. Ring the station as it happens. Sometimes a patrol car will just be in the right place to intercept it. It has happened before where one person ringing the station to complain and when the offending driver is stopped, more people stop and give their details to the guards at the roadside. Of course it is a good idea to have the phone numbers of the 24hr stations in your phone or else diall 999/112.
    draycottgirlz wrote: »
    if a driver does something extremely dangerous I report it as who know what trouble they have caused around the corner, and then the gardai have a record of it incase anything happens/happened

    Making a report is nothing unless you are willing to go through with it. Tbh I have stopped warning drivers of their behaviour because it could potentially leave me in a bad legal position especially if the person turns around and say that I am accusing him/her of committing an offence without any proof. Anyway most drivers will deny doing anything wrong.
    So if you are going to make a complaint make sure to follow it through to the end.


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    #13
    Honey-ec
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,844 ✭✭✭Honey-ec


    I've had experience of both sides of this. Tried to ring TrafficWatch on two different occasions, one of which was a little knacker driving the wrong side of the Kimmage Road Lwr in peak time just cause he didn't feel like sitting in the traffic. Call went something like this:

    TW: Thank you for calling TrafficWatch. Please state the county you are in

    Me: Dublin

    TW: Did you say "Dublin"? Please say yes or no.

    Me: Yes

    TW: Please hold while we connect you to the Gardai.

    ....big long pause...

    TW: We are sorry. All the Garda divisions in your area are currently busy. Please try again later.

    Hangs up.

    Got the exact same result the second time I tried calling in Kildare.

    On the other hand, I was pulled in by the Gardai in Blessington one morning, saying that they'd had a complaint from a woman saying I had overtaken her on a bend. (I assume she rang Blessington Garda Station direct as opposed to Traffic Watch.) I knew exactly who they were talking about - I'd overtaken a woman in a Santa Fe on a perfectly clear, straight stretch with a broken white line a few miles back, and she flashed me when I pulled back in - just one of those person who objects to being overtaken, apparently.

    Anyway, I explained to the Garda that I certainly hadn't overtaken on a bend and that I was happy to accompany him to the area in question and point out exactly where I'd overtaken her. He just said there was no need, go on ahead and make sure to drive safely.

    Anyway, the experience just solified to me how easy it is for a disgruntled driver to make a complaint about someone for no reason/out of pettiness.


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    #14
    L-M
    Registered Users Posts: 23,694 ✭✭✭✭L-M


    patrickc wrote: »
    if the gardai go further on it, they will ring you and ask you to go to court on it, generally you should ring as the incident happens though.

    +1

    I rang the Traffic watch before do complain a fella who was obviously langers driving. They rang be back about a week later saying they had found him and wanted me to go to court over it.

    Completely pointless, if they had got him on that day, i would say something. But a week later, hardly.


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    #15
    patrickc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,899 ✭✭✭patrickc


    Limerick-man wrote: »
    +1

    I rang the Traffic watch before do complain a fella who was obviously langers driving. They rang be back about a week later saying they had found him and wanted me to go to court over it.

    Completely pointless, if they had got him on that day, i would say something. But a week later, hardly.

    im my case it was a month later after I'd reported someone for suspected drink driving, I could hardly remember that day in question then.


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    #16
    L-M
    Registered Users Posts: 23,694 ✭✭✭✭L-M


    patrickc wrote: »
    im my case it was a month later after I'd reported someone for suspected drink driving, I could hardly remember that day in question then.

    Exactly, and they hardly still had the drink in their system a week later:P

    The annoying thing was i was onto Ennis guards, and he was in the direction of Ennis on that new dual carrage way but. If they had moved they would have gotten him.


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    #17
    patrickc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,899 ✭✭✭patrickc


    Limerick-man wrote: »
    Exactly, and they hardly still had the drink in their system a week later:P

    The annoying thing was i was onto Ennis guards, and he was in the direction of Ennis on that new dual carrage way but. If they had moved they would have gotten him.

    i know it's all down to availability at the time, once I rang Carlow Gardai directly re someone and they rang me to say they had caught him turning into his house and thanks for reporting him as he was drink driving


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    #18
    L-M
    Registered Users Posts: 23,694 ✭✭✭✭L-M


    patrickc wrote: »
    i know it's all down to availability at the time, once I rang Carlow Gardai directly re someone and they rang me to say they had caught him turning into his house and thanks for reporting him as he was drink driving

    I suppose your right, but still, i don't know why they bother wasting time a few days later when nothing is going to come out if it. At the time i rang they were probably off checking a fella who was reported a week earlier. Vicious circle lol:D


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    #19
    TheNog
    Registered Users Posts: 4,160 ✭✭✭TheNog


    Limerick-man wrote: »
    +1

    I rang the Traffic watch before do complain a fella who was obviously langers driving. They rang be back about a week later saying they had found him and wanted me to go to court over it.

    Completely pointless, if they had got him on that day, i would say something. But a week later, hardly.
    patrickc wrote: »
    im my case it was a month later after I'd reported someone for suspected drink driving, I could hardly remember that day in question then.
    Limerick-man wrote: »
    I suppose your right, but still, i don't know why they bother wasting time a few days later when nothing is going to come out if it. At the time i rang they were probably off checking a fella who was reported a week earlier. Vicious circle lol:D

    Although it is better and safer to catch a drunk driver sometimes it is not possible with availability or the patrol car is nowhere near the incident etc. Also it can happen that when processing a drunk driver can go tits up so a prosecution may not be possible so we still option two available to us.

    By contacting the reportee a week later could result in a prosecution for driving wihout due care and attention, careless driving or dangerous driving as along as the reportee will make a statement and the manner of driving was bad. Usually a drunk driver does drive exceedingly bad.


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    #20
    100gSoma
    Registered Users Posts: 1,285 ✭✭✭100gSoma


    regularly encounter a highly dangerous young person in a boy racer car who specifically seems to target my car and drive 0.5metres from my bumper at speed then undertake me when he can etc. consistently. I guess we leave work in the same area at the same time.
    very dangerous and very annoying. If I reported him it would be obvious it was me and I'd probably be run off the road or shot over it. Or followed home weeks later and car torched.


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    #21
    gofaster_s13
    Registered Users Posts: 942 ✭✭✭gofaster_s13


    100gSoma wrote: »
    regularly encounter a highly dangerous young person in a boy racer car who specifically seems to target my car and drive 0.5metres from my bumper at speed then undertake me when he can etc. consistently. I guess we leave work in the same area at the same time.
    very dangerous and very annoying. If I reported him it would be obvious it was me and I'd probably be run off the road or shot over it. Or followed home weeks later and car torched.

    Boy racers = hooligans who burn your house and car and shoot you:rolleyes: he's just some testosteroned up kid.
    If hes annoying you report him!!


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    #22
    100gSoma
    Registered Users Posts: 1,285 ✭✭✭100gSoma


    everyone loves a bit of drama... ;):D


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    #23
    Anan1
    Registered Users Posts: 22,815 ✭✭✭✭Anan1


    100gSoma wrote: »
    regularly encounter a highly dangerous young person in a boy racer car who specifically seems to target my car and drive 0.5metres from my bumper at speed then undertake me when he can etc.
    Keep in the left lane, that way he won't be able to undertake you.


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    #24
    100gSoma
    Registered Users Posts: 1,285 ✭✭✭100gSoma


    Anan1 wrote: »
    Keep in the left lane, that way he won't be able to undertake you.

    yeah, after some deliberation I 100% decided to take that route of action. its not worth the effort of anything else.


This discussion has been closed.
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