careless driving??

ek9er

Hi,
Hoping someone might have an idea here, hopefully there's a few members of the gardai on here. Got pulled earlier for basically being an idiot.. fully at fault

In a right lane turning right, was distracted by a back passenger. Failed to notice a car speeding towards me going straight through the junction and I very nearly hit them. Frightened to death and then made worse by the blue lights behind me. Anyway after a long talk from the garda he said he'd be prosecuting me ..etc under section 51??? Careless driving ..2 points, 80euro. But checking on the web, careless driving is a court appearance with 5 points and its section 52. Would you think he meant "Driving without reasonable consideration"

I'm really worried now as the garda did not like me one bit, I wasn't rude or anything but the car is stupidly loud, not my own car and I explained that. The car is even having a new standard exhaust fitted tomorrow! ...any ideas?

Zubeneschamali

ek9er wrote: »

Failed to notice a car speeding towards me going straight through the junction and I very nearly hit them. Frightened to death

Did you admit any of that to the guard at the scene? Did he take a statement?

Atomic Pineapple

Did you get the Garda's name or local station?

I'd be calling in to verify what exactly to expect

ek9er

It seems that section 51a is driving without reasonable consideration and is a fixed penalty notice so it looks like he just said careless driving to scare me or something. I don't exactly want to go pissing off any gardai by asking more questions about it. The whole thing was pretty weird tbh, no statement. I just explained that I was distracted. I got the garda's name so I might pop into him to be sure.

Cuddlesworth

Do you think its acceptable to become distracted while driving a car?

hi_im_fil

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Do you think its acceptable to become distracted while driving a car?

Anan1

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Do you think its acceptable to become distracted while driving a car?

Don't you think the OP's answered this already?

ek9er wrote: »

Got pulled earlier for basically being an idiot.. fully at fault

Abelloid

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Do you think its acceptable to become distracted while driving a car?

Don't start. The OP didn't say, or even imply that - he(she?) admitted he was at fault from the beginning

Gophur

For such a summons, get a solicitor to represent you in Court. It is common practise for the Garda to prosecute under the most serious charge, possible, knowing that a plea-bargain may end up happening in Court, i.e. where you plead guilty to a lesser charge.

We all make mistakes, even those on the high-horses (99% of whom rely on hindsight to be so wise!).

The important thing is to learn from your error and move on a better person/driver.

Anan1

Gophur wrote: »

The important thing is to learn from your error and move on a better person/driver.

+1

MagicSean

I'd say he meant section 51 and just mixed up the offence names. It happens. You'll know for sure if you get a fine or summons in the post. If it's a fine all you have to do is pay it and take your penalty points and thats the end of it.

Cuddlesworth

hi_im_fil wrote: »

Nice post. If somebody nearly plough's into your car and takes your life because they were "distracted" you will feel comforted by knowing two points and a small fine is on the way because your not up here on my high horse. And its a camel as well(Or photoshop)

I don't think the OP should get points, I think he should have his license taken away and a minimum ban of one year driving followed by a retest.

But I asked the question because I would like to see if the OP has thought about what could happen when he stops paying attention to the road and the consequences involved in that beyond the implication that he is a idiot?

Cuddlesworth

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Nice post. If somebody nearly plough's into your car and takes your life because they were "distracted" you will feel comforted by knowing two points and a small fine is on the way because your not up here on my high horse. And its a camel as well(Or photoshop)

I don't think the OP should get points, I think he should have his license taken away and a minimum ban of one year driving followed by a retest.

But I asked the question because I would like to see if the OP has thought about what could happen when he stops paying attention to the road and the consequences involved in that beyond the implication that he is a idiot?

There is not a single person who has driven/is driving or will drive on the roads that will not have a lapse of concentration for what ever reason at some point, this is obviously the cause of crashes but luckily most of us have a near miss. Learning from mistakes like this is what makes a good driver not handing out overly harsh penaltys.

2 points and a fine would be ok or even just a good ticking off from the Guard would suffice. The shock will make the op remember the situation much more than a fine and a driving ban would be much too harsh.

Atomic Pineapple

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

I don't think the OP should get points, I think he should have his license taken away and a minimum ban of one year driving followed by a retest.

jeez its human nature to make mistakes, were not machines programmed to do exactly what is required.

The OP realises they made a mistake and received punishment for that mistake that they will learn from, putting him/her off the road for a year isn't going to teach them anymore of a lesson

Viper_JB

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

But I asked the question because I would like to see if the OP has thought about what could happen when he stops paying attention to the road and the consequences involved in that beyond the implication that he is a idiot?

There's always one :rolleyes:, I find it hard....well impossible to believe that you've never made a mistake while driving so drop it please.

Zubeneschamali

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

I think he should have his license taken away and a minimum ban of one year driving followed by a retest.

I think that the Gods of Driving should hit you with a fine and points on your way home tonight for being Self-Righteous in Charge of a Veh-hicle.

PCPhoto

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Nice post. If somebody nearly plough's into your car and takes your life because they were "distracted" you will feel comforted by knowing two points and a small fine is on the way because your not up here on my high horse. And its a camel as well(Or photoshop)

I don't think the OP should get points, I think he should have his license taken away and a minimum ban of one year driving followed by a retest.

But I asked the question because I would like to see if the OP has thought about what could happen when he stops paying attention to the road and the consequences involved in that beyond the implication that he is a idiot?

I can see your point - but the OP made a genuine mistake and recognised his/her error, your "sentence" should be for actual repeat offenders who flout the traffic laws repeatedly.

everyone who drives a car/motorbike/tractor/truck has a lapse in concentration at some point, yes, its lucky someone wasnt killed but its important that the OP has learned his/her lesson and in the same situation wont react the same way.

DancingPriest

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Nice post. If somebody nearly plough's into your car and takes your life because they were "distracted" you will feel comforted by knowing two points and a small fine is on the way because your not up here on my high horse. And its a camel as well(Or photoshop)

I don't think the OP should get points, I think he should have his license taken away and a minimum ban of one year driving followed by a retest.

But I asked the question because I would like to see if the OP has thought about what could happen when he stops paying attention to the road and the consequences involved in that beyond the implication that he is a idiot?

I can't help but doubt your sincerity, your argument is so pathetic I doubt even you believe it.
Nearly having an accident is not the same thing as causing an accident, If the OP caused a death, fair enough. BUT THAT DID NOT HAPPEN.

Abelloid

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Nice post. If somebody nearly plough's into your car and takes your life because they were "distracted" you will feel comforted by knowing two points and a small fine is on the way because your not up here on my high horse. And its a camel as well(Or photoshop)

I don't think the OP should get points, I think he should have his license taken away and a minimum ban of one year driving followed by a retest.

But I asked the question because I would like to see if the OP has thought about what could happen when he stops paying attention to the road and the consequences involved in that beyond the implication that he is a idiot?

The 'ploughing' car isn't the subject of this thread, the car turning right during a momentary lapse in concentration is.

Go find the 'some fool just pulled out in front of me' thread.

challengemaster

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Nice post. If somebody nearly plough's into your car and takes your life because they were "distracted" you will feel comforted by knowing two points and a small fine is on the way because your not up here on my high horse. And its a camel as well(Or photoshop)

Die from what, fear? Unless they actually hit the car I can't really see any damage being done...

Also, bit more flawed logic there. I'd be fairly sure if someone caused an accident and killed someone, they'd be prosecuted with a bit more than a "driving without reasonable consideration" charge.

How are you going to be comforted by anything if you're dead anyway?

Also,
Horse

Camel

I don't think the OP should get points, I think he should have his license taken away and a minimum ban of one year driving followed by a retest.

thankfully, what you think doesn't matter one bit.

Anan1

Lads, can you make your points without getting personal? Also, this 'high horse' thing is getting very old at this stage.

Eoin

Anan1 wrote: »

Also, this 'high horse' thing is getting very old at this stage.

And now we're moving on to lolcats. It gets worse and worse

SV

Anan1 wrote: »

Lads, can you make your points without getting personal? Also, this 'high horse' thing is getting very old at this stage.

Well it's true..there's people here who think they're fúcking infallible.

TheColl

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Nice post. If somebody nearly plough's into your car and takes your life because they were "distracted" you will feel comforted by knowing two points and a small fine is on the way because your not up here on my high horse. And its a camel as well(Or photoshop)

I don't think the OP should get points, I think he should have his license taken away and a minimum ban of one year driving followed by a retest.

But I asked the question because I would like to see if the OP has thought about what could happen when he stops paying attention to the road and the consequences involved in that beyond the implication that he is a idiot?

Have you honestly never been distracted while driving? Even slightly?

And are you seriously saying that ALMOST causing an accident should be punished by a year's driving ban?? Seriously? Just think for a second about how ridiculous this would be before making such suggestions in the future.

Anan1

SV wrote: »

Well it's true..there's people here who think they're fúcking infallible.

Grand, so explain why they're wrong. When I see yet another of those high horse comments, all I think is that that person is incapable of constructing a valid argument. Kind of like when one kid says to another that they shouldn't do something and the other kid retorts with 'but you've done it too'. It's fine when you're eight, know what I mean?;)

Cuddlesworth

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

I think that the Gods of Driving should hit you with a fine and points on your way home tonight for being Self-Righteous in Charge of a Veh-hicle.

Lets be clear about what he did. He pulled out in front of/nearly into another car at a junction without checking first. That is one of the worst things you can do in a car and is guaranteed to cause a crash 50% of the time.

PCPhoto wrote: »

I can see your point - but the OP made a genuine mistake and recognised his/her error, your "sentence" should be for actual repeat offenders who flout the traffic laws repeatedly.

I don't think anybody who loses concentration to that degree should be allowed drive.

PCPhoto wrote: »

everyone who drives a car/motorbike/tractor/truck has a lapse in concentration at some point, yes, its lucky someone wasnt killed but its important that the OP has learned his/her lesson and in the same situation wont react the same way.

Lapse in concentration and not doing a basic fundamental part of driving are two different things. I'm sure I have "lapsed" many times, but I have never ignored the basic "will this kill me or somebody else" check.

DancingPriest wrote: »

I can't help but doubt your sincerity, your argument is so pathetic I doubt even you believe it.
Nearly having an accident is not the same thing as causing an accident, If the OP caused a death, fair enough. BUT THAT DID NOT HAPPEN.

Yes. Nearly killing somebody is not the same as killing somebody. Which is why I'm not advocating him to be in jail for manslaughter. But your argument is even more pathetic, if we want a batter standard of driving with better accident rates, death rates and lower insurance costs then we need to be more proactive with **** drivers. That means punishments for actions which could cause serious harm to others.

JustinOval wrote: »

The 'ploughing' car isn't the subject of this thread, the car turning right during a momentary lapse in concentration is.

Go find the 'some fool just pulled out in front of me' thread.

I drive a motorbike. I'll just go out for a fifteen minute drive in this country if I want to start one of those threads.

challengemaster wrote: »

Die from what, fear? Unless they actually hit the car I can't really see any damage being done...

Also, bit more flawed logic there. I'd be fairly sure if someone caused an accident and killed someone, they'd be prosecuted with a bit more than a "driving without reasonable consideration" charge.

How are you going to be comforted by anything if you're dead anyway?

Yes, a horse and camel. Care for some more lolcats. You all seem to have this great idea that the punishment for killing somebody should be the usual driving ban and possible manslaughter charge and the punishment for nearly killing somebody with the exact same actions should be two points and a slap on the wrist if your stupid enough to do it in front of a cop.

If your a bad enough driver to begin with that you would do this, do it in front of a cop and blame a loud exhaust then your stupid enough to keep doing it unless your clearly and specifically punished and tested against making a repeat offense.

Anan1 wrote: »

Lads, can you make your points without getting personal? Also, this 'high horse' thing is getting very old at this stage.

What about a low pony?

SV wrote: »

Well it's true..there's people here who think they're fúcking infallible.

I'm not infallible. I would enjoy not being nearly killed once a week by distracted drivers though.

TheColl wrote: »

Have you honestly never been distracted while driving? Even slightly?

Once again, there is distracted and then there is pulling out in front of another car because you didn't look. It's a basic principle of driving, I could have two lesbians in the back seat inviting me to come back and join them and I would still take my eyes off them to check to see if there were cars before I pulled out. Its instinctive, like not jumping off a building or keeping my head under water. And if its not instinctive with you I would suggest re-evaluating your driving ability.

TheColl wrote: »

And are you seriously saying that ALMOST causing an accident should be punished by a year's driving ban?? Seriously? Just think for a second about how ridiculous this would be before making such suggestions in the future.

I'm saying if your stupid enough to do it in front of a cop you deserve the punishment.

Anan1 wrote: »

Grand, so explain why they're wrong. When I see yet another of those high horse comments, all I think is that that person is incapable of constructing a valid argument. Kind of like when one kid says to another that they shouldn't do something and the other kid retorts with 'but you've done it too'. It's fine when you're eight, know what I mean?;)

So's your face.

Zubeneschamali

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

That is one of the worst things you can do in a car and is guaranteed to cause a crash 50% of the time.

85% of statistics you hear are made up on the spot!

Anan1

Anan1 wrote: »

Grand, so explain why they're wrong. When I see yet another of those high horse comments, all I think is that that person is incapable of constructing a valid argument. Kind of like when one kid says to another that they shouldn't do something and the other kid retorts with 'but you've done it too'. It's fine when you're eight, know what I mean?;)

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

So's your face.

Explain?

actuallylike

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

85% of statistics you hear are made up on the spot!

And they're usually right 60% of the time...all the time!

Anan1 wrote: »

Grand, so explain why they're wrong. When I see yet another of those high horse comments, all I think is that that person is incapable of constructing a valid argument. Kind of like when one kid says to another that they shouldn't do something and the other kid retorts with 'but you've done it too'. It's fine when you're eight, know what I mean?

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

So's your face.

I actually think Anan1 was one of the only people here trying to stick up for you.

Cuddlesworth

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

85% of statistics you hear are made up on the spot!

Yes they are. And I should not have quoted a statistic. But it would be hard to argue that pulling out in front of cars traveling at speed does not lead to a much higher chance of a fatal collision.

actuallylike wrote: »

And they're usually right 60% of the time...all the time!

And even when they are right they are taken out of context visi vi, women drivers.

actuallylike wrote: »

I actually think Anan1 was one of the only people here trying to stick up for you.

I got the impression that Anan1 was trying to hold up the integrity of this forum and the merits of discussion. My reply was a joke in context of his post.

Jackasaurus rex

actuallylike wrote: »

And they're usually right 60% of the time...all the time!



yet only 25% of all people know this.

But seriously, on the bright side a lesson has hopefully been learned and now there is at least someone more switched on than before on the road.

Hooch

ek9er wrote: »

Hi,
Hoping someone might have an idea here, hopefully there's a few members of the gardai on here. Got pulled earlier for basically being an idiot.. fully at fault

In a right lane turning right, was distracted by a back passenger. Failed to notice a car speeding towards me going straight through the junction and I very nearly hit them. Frightened to death and then made worse by the blue lights behind me. Anyway after a long talk from the garda he said he'd be prosecuting me ..etc under section 51??? Careless driving ..2 points, 80euro. But checking on the web, careless driving is a court appearance with 5 points and its section 52. Would you think he meant "Driving without reasonable consideration"

I'm really worried now as the garda did not like me one bit, I wasn't rude or anything but the car is stupidly loud, not my own car and I explained that. The car is even having a new standard exhaust fitted tomorrow! ...any ideas?

As stated im sure its a Section 51a ticket, driving without reasonable care. If he said €80 and 2 points then thats what your looking at. If you fail to pay he can revert and summons you for careless driving (sec 52) or dangerous driving (sec 53) depending on circumstances.

Dont know if this has been answered....didnt want to read all the "get off your horse"...."im not on a horse" tit for tat:D

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

Did you admit any of that to the guard at the scene? Did he take a statement?

Doesnt matter what (s)he admitted or didnt if the Garda witnessed the incident.

Zubeneschamali

nice guy always wrote: »

Doesnt matter what (s)he admitted or didnt if the Garda witnessed the incident.

It does if he later wants to plead not guilty in court.

ek9er

Oh god. Thanks to everyone who was constructive .. I was only looking for peoples thoughts on the sections of the rta.

DancingPriest

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Lets be clear about what he did. He pulled out in front of/nearly into another car at a junction without checking first. That is one of the worst things you can do in a car and is guaranteed to cause a crash 50% of the time.



Yes. Nearly killing somebody is not the same as killing somebody. Which is why I'm not advocating him to be in jail for manslaughter. But your argument is even more pathetic, if we want a batter standard of driving with better accident rates, death rates and lower insurance costs then we need to be more proactive with **** drivers. That means punishments for actions which could cause serious harm to others.

You went and made up a statistic because it looked good, thats not an argument, that's a lie.
In your original post you did actually equate pulling out in front of someone and nearly hitting them with feckin KILLING them.

If somebody killed me because they were not paying attention I wouldn't be comforted by two penalty points, I would be dead.

If an eejit pulled out in front of me, causing me to take evasive action, got two penalty points from a watchful Garda AND learned his lesson (He clearly has) I would be quite satisfied.

Why?
-No harm came of it.
-They were punished.
-They learnt their lesson.

Cuddlesworth

DancingPriest wrote: »

You went and made up a statistic because it looked good, thats not an argument, that's a lie.

Your right, and in another post I admitted I was wrong for making up the statistic.

DancingPriest wrote: »

In your original post you did actually equate pulling out in front of someone and nearly hitting them with feckin KILLING them.

I am saying that extreme negligence should be met with a appropriate punishment. And pulling out in front of somebody without paying any attention to what you are doing is extreme negligence. There isn't a lot of play in pulling out in front of a fast moving car, there are really only three options. A miss, a crash and a deadly crash. We can avoid crashing by punishing and taking drivers off the road who don't respect the act of driving itself.

DancingPriest wrote: »

If somebody killed me because they were not paying attention I wouldn't be comforted by two penalty points, I would be dead.

I'm sure your family and friends will be comforted. I don't think its you who suffers the most when you die.

DancingPriest wrote: »

If an eejit pulled out in front of me, causing me to take evasive action, got two penalty points from a watchful Garda AND learned his lesson (He clearly has) I would be quite satisfied.

If a eejit pulled out in front of me and walked away with two penalty points and a fine I would still be angry. A distinct possibility of loosing my life does not amount to such a small amount. And if I was traveling through the same junction the next day and the same car nearly killed me, would I feel like justice had been done.

You say he has clearly learned his lesson.

Well here is a point to note, I see and hear people do stupid things daily and continue to do so. I read on this very forum a person who was told clearly to not drive a car which was displaying severe engine trouble. A short time later, they did just that.

The reason for this is relatively clear, driving after a time becomes a habitual exercise. And getting rid of the bad habits becomes extremely difficult. I believe that any maneuver which places other road users at extreme levels of risk should be dealt with by a short ban and new driving test. This would force the person to at least try to remove their dangerous habits.

DancingPriest wrote: »

Why?
-No harm came of it.
-They were punished.
-They learnt their lesson.

No harm came of it this time, they haven't been punished yet, the amount is paltry to the amount of damage their carelessness could have caused and you have no way of actually knowing they have learnt their lesson and they simply won't continue to do the same stupid actions.

bladebrew

so ban everyone who nearly causes a crash:eek:

my god the streets would be empty within a week:),
the driving test centres cant even keep up with demand at the moment you can hardly start taking full licences back off people for near misses!

mrboswell

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

No harm came of it this time, they haven't been punished yet, the amount is paltry to the amount of damage their carelessness could have caused and you have no way of actually knowing they have learnt their lesson and they simply won't continue to do the same stupid actions.

The law is an ass in some cases but you've clearly made your point and many people disagree with you.

If you feel that strong about it become a legislator but in the mean time we mortals can only try to convert to your more "robotic" ways.

MagicSean

bladebrew wrote: »

so ban everyone who nearly causes a crash:eek:

my god the streets would be empty within a week,
the driving test centres cant even keep up with demand at the moment you can hardly start taking full licences back off people for near misses!

Good. Maybe people will learn to be more careful when they're driving. There's a lot of people who shouldn't be driving but somehow manage to get a licence.

jimmyw

What about the car that was travelling in the opposite direction, were they at fault too? I know Thats no excuse for not paying attention but you can do everything right but if someone else is not it can still cause an accident. I will fully accept I don't always do things right either. For instance at a particular junction near me 9 times out of ten there is no traffic coming, but the one time I don't look there is a car coming and I always think about these type of situations for a while afterwards and feel bad about near misses. Some of these Gard's are a bit arrogant too without just cause.

hi_im_fil

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Nice post. If somebody nearly plough's into your car and takes your life because they were "distracted" you will feel comforted by knowing two points and a small fine is on the way because your not up here on my high horse. And its a camel as well(Or photoshop)

I don't think the OP should get points, I think he should have his license taken away and a minimum ban of one year driving followed by a retest.

But I asked the question because I would like to see if the OP has thought about what could happen when he stops paying attention to the road and the consequences involved in that beyond the implication that he is a idiot?

I don't believe that a momentary lapse in concentration deserves a one year ban. If that was to be the case, then every single person who drives would be off the road, we all lose concentration at some point while driving. Fair enough the OP should have been concentrating more while turning but a one year ban for what he did? Would you say the same if he turned but there was no other car around?

It is not like the OP deliberately set out to be reckless or crash his car.

jimmyw

ek9er wrote: »

Hi,
Hoping someone might have an idea here, hopefully there's a few members of the gardai on here. Got pulled earlier for basically being an idiot.. fully at fault

In a right lane turning right, was distracted by a back passagenger. Failed to notice a car speeding towards me going straight through the junction and I very nearly hit them. Frightened to death and then made worse by the blue lights behind me. Anyway after a long talk from the garda he said he'd be prosecuting me ..etc under section 51??? Careless driving ..2 points, 80euro. But checking on the web, careless driving is a court appearance with 5 points and its section 52. Would you think he meant "Driving without reasonable consideration"

I'm really worried now as the garda did not like me one bit, I wasn't rude or anything but the car is stupidly loud, not my own car and I explained that. The car is even having a new standard exhaust fitted tomorrow! ...any ideas?

Who'sssssssssss:D

Erren Music

ek9er wrote: »

Oh god. Thanks to everyone who was constructive .. I was only looking for peoples thoughts on the sections of the rta.

You came on here, and admitted what you did immediately.

I think in future you will pay more attention, and you have learned a valuable lesson, and no one was injured or killed.

I have had many days like that over the last 20 odd years of driving, and it just shows how quickly a normal boring day can turn into a disaster in seconds.

Erren Music

jimmyw wrote: »

What about the car that was travelling in the opposite direction, were they at fault too? I know Thats no excuse for not paying attention but you can do everything right but if someone else is not it can still cause an accident. I will fully accept I don't always do things right either. For instance at a particular junction near me 9 times out of ten there is no traffic coming, but the one time I don't look there is a car coming and I always think about these type of situations for a while afterwards and feel bad about near misses. Some of these Gard's are a bit arrogant too without just cause.

There was a case about this in UK.

A girl pulled in out of a junction without looking and killed an oncoming biker.

In her defence she said she drove that road everyday, and there was never any traffic at that junction so she didn't bother looking.

Abelloid

jimmyw wrote: »

What about the car that was travelling in the opposite direction, were they at fault too? I know Thats no excuse for not paying attention but you can do everything right but if someone else is not it can still cause an accident. I will fully accept I don't always do things right either. For instance at a particular junction near me 9 times out of ten there is no traffic coming, but the one time I don't look there is a car coming and I always think about these type of situations for a while afterwards and feel bad about near misses. Some of these Gard's are a bit arrogant too without just cause.

It has happened to me turning right on to a main road, the car travelling from my left was so fast it moved from completely out of sight (trees on a bend) to obscured by my LHS A-pillar in the time it took me to look right and back again.
When I began to pull out and he was right in front of me. It was a scary indication of just how accidents happen, the car literally appeared out of nowhere.

Anan1

JustinOval wrote: »

It has happened to me turning right on to a main road, the car travelling from my left was so fast it moved from completely out of sight (trees on a bend) to obscured by my LHS A-pillar in the time it took me to look right and back again.
When I began to pull out and he was right in front of me. It was a scary indication of just how accidents happen, the car literally appeared out of nowhere.

The A-pillars in cars have been getting bigger and bigger in recent years due to crash safety requirements, to the point where it's necessary to move your head backwards and forwards when looking. Mind you, I guess you already know this.;)

ek9er

jimmyw wrote: »

What about the car that was travelling in the opposite direction, were they at fault too? I know Thats no excuse for not paying attention but you can do everything right but if someone else is not it can still cause an accident. I will fully accept I don't always do things right either. For instance at a particular junction near me 9 times out of ten there is no traffic coming, but the one time I don't look there is a car coming and I always think about these type of situations for a while afterwards and feel bad about near misses. Some of these Gard's are a bit arrogant too without just cause.

They didn't help but I didn't bother arguing it to the garda, they would have been coming around a close bend before the junction, probably why I didn't see them because I was looking ahead as I turned into the right lane. I was literally crawling when it happened, the car is an automatic so I probably let it creep forward when I looked back.

-Corkie-

Anan1 wrote: »

The A-pillars in cars have been getting bigger and bigger in recent years due to crash safety requirements, to the point where it's necessary to move your head backwards and forwards when looking. Mind you, I guess you already know this.;)

Your right i have a new insignia on hire at the moment it very blind when at a t junction compared to a passat/audi

Als76

I would say it is careless driving i know people who were stopped for something similar and got it reduced in court.

Careful on the roads

jimmyw

Just goes to prove that you cant be complacent when driving.That's the problem when you are driving for a number of years.I am completely guilty of this (pardon the pun;)). The van that was coming was driving over the limit I'd say, but that wouldn't have mattered if he hit me, I would have been wrong. P.S there was no horn blowing, aggression etc but 2-3 seconds later and POW!! BANG! it would have been:(We need to be careful out there folks:(

TheColl

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

I'm saying if your stupid enough to do it in front of a cop you deserve the punishment.

You deserve the punishment for the offence, or the stupidity??

Does this sum up what you're saying?....

If somebody almost causes an accident, in front of a cop, then they should get a one year driving ban.