Bizarre/Illegal things on motorways

medoc

While travelling between junction 5,6 and 7 on the M4 this evening in the fog and with the roads in a dangerous condition, It was getting dark and I was shocked to see certain people filling up their vans with fire wood along the verge. They were picking the timber from where the trees were cut. No high vis jackets or warning signs to be seen so I doubt they were contractors. I've seen all sort of bizarre and illegal things on the motorways but this was one of the most bizarre. It would be a stupid idea in good weather but in todays weather :eek:

Chris_5339762

Only Irish people would stop along the side of the motorway to scrounge firewood

liogairmhordain

on tonight's episode of "the trip" (bbc2) steve coogan was doing a bit of middle-lane-hogging while he and rob brydon were singing "the winner takes it all"

Chris_5339762

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Only Irish people would stop along the side of the motorway to scrounge firewood

The way things are going, next year, they'll be chopping down the trees as well!

Mr Magners

On the M7 yesterday afternoon a woman in a fairly new Audi in the northbound lane stopped on the hard shoulder taking a photo of the snow!!

limklad

kiwipower wrote: »

I got a reply from the RSA to my Email last Thursday:

"...Thank you for contacting the Road Safety Authority. Apologies for the delay in coming back to you. I forwarded your query to our Driving Test Supervisor Pat D’arcy for his response. Please see below.

Vehicles incapable of a speed of at least 50km/h are not permitted to enter a motorway, however, as most modern day Agricultural Tractors, Diggers and some construction vehicles are now capable of speeds of 60km/k to 80km/h. As there is no section in the Road Traffic Act at present, which deals with these vehicles specifically with regard to driving on Motorway’s, they are permitted to use the Motorways at present because of their upper speed limit, however discussions are taking place at the moment with a view to a change in the Road Traffic Act to prohibit these vehicles from using Motorways in the future. ..."

Sounds like a positive safety step might be under way, the removal of slow and dangerous vehicles off the motorway network!!

They should put minimum speed limits on Motorway too with with variable speed limits when road conditions are bad like the Netherlands, Japan and the US.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limit#Minimum_speed_limits

-Corkie-

I agree. There is a thread over in the Motors forum about it aswell:rolleyes:

limklad

kiwipower wrote: »

Though I do think they need to look further that just the motoway/DC. I think the practice of using agricultural vehicles as transport on all roads should be reviewed, for Road Safety, Impact on Road Surface and Taxation Reasons.

I hope you are not suggesting the removal of Farm equipment from non-Motorway roads otherwise, How else are farmers meant move equipment, produce and livestock on non-motorway roads? A lot of farmers have land in several places and need to move farm equipment and Livestock back and forth between them. You need to be realistic here and understand their situation like other areas of transport. I have no problem with enforcement of proper maintenance of equipment and proper use of lights for road use as many farmers do not properly use the correct lights for their equipment and NCT for all Road using vehicles including Tractors that uses the roads should be a requirement, because like cars and trucks before NCT, not all are maintained properly. I would never suggest their removal from the roads no matter how painful they are to sit behind just like sitting behind caravans owners.

The problem is Education as well as enforcement of the Road Traffic laws that slow moving vehicles that hold up large volume of traffic must pull over at the earliest convenience time. The problem is that it is not a directly penalty point offence therefore people do not relies it is an Traffic offence to hold up traffic but depending on the Gardai on that day as they may apply a 2 Penalty points for "Driving without reasonable consideration" and a fine of €80 for that offence.

It is not just farm vehicles are slow on the road there is plenty of slow drivers of other vehicles such as over sized trucks, Industrial vehicles, Road maintenance vehicles, Horses, cyclist, Pedestrians walking in the middle of the road etc.

Back OT

This morning before dawn, I saw (well almost didn't!) a car going soutn on the M50 with no lights at all! :eek:

It was hammering down the overtaking lane, I was about to overtake someone and nearly took it out, I saw it just in time!

Chris_5339762

Moron on the M50 hard shoulder in dark clothes walking north between the Red Cow and the N4 exit tonight. He had a long way to walk too, brandishing as he was a can of petrol.

Come to think of it, I never did see a stopped broken down car.

Zubeneschamali

Guy stopped in the dark in the emergency lane of the M6 heading to Galway this morning, standing behind the car taking a slash on the armco.

Why did he turn off all the lights?

whyulittle

Privacy man, privacy.

stoneill

Old man driving the wrong way in the outside lane.
I was heading to Dublin, he was heading to Mullingar.
He must have came down the off ramp at the roundabout at the top of the off ramp.
I was going to call the guards, but then I though fcuk it, he looks like he's ****ting himself enough.

Tech3

The reporting of ghost drivers on the new motorways doesnt seem to be an odd occurance anymore. I think signs like this one in Austrailia might convince them to turn around:



There has been ghost driving reported on the M18 and M7 motorways where the LILO junctions have come into question. I think there are safe coming off the mainline as the signage has been updated to show that it is a 90 degree junction but the signage coming on to it could be better perhaps with arrow signs on the road to show which direction to lane is going in. Here is an extract from a english speaking german forum over their LILO's:

It does seem to happen a massive amount of times here, in Britain it would still make the news but it hardly gets a mention here. I do think the design of exit and entrance is to blame. Because both exit and entrance use the same road often with several different islands dividing them up at the end, it's too easy to get confused and go down the wrong one. In Britain there are usually 4 separate roads leading to and from the mororway, so it's more difficult to get it wrong. The German system uses up less land and is cheaper, but much more prone to errors, I believe.

Link

Chris_5339762

All they need is a line of those permanent bollards going all the way from the junction roundabout to the mainline.

Jayuu

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

All they need is a line of those permanent bollards going all the way from the junction roundabout to the mainline.

I also don't understand why they don't have barriers on LILO junctions for maybe around 1km before the junction. It would then make it practically impossible to end up in the wrong lane.

It would also add to safety in the event of a car coming off the mainline too fast at a LILO, making it harder for the vehicle to cross the junction.

cargo

Met a car coming towards me the other night at the SB exit at Monsterboice on the M1. Very odd junction coming up the old N1 towards it as you are faced with 3 roads in front of you. Both to your right are traffic coming against you and the option off to the left is where you should go. Looks like he just picked the middle lane!! From talking to locals it was common enough when it first opened but the authorities since put in staggered yellow markers and this helped (obviously not this guy though)

Then further back up the M1 I saw a young couple (16 / 17) walking hand-in-hand in the SB hardshoulder against the traffic about 2km north of J16. Either heading to the new on-line services or else just north of it again to the scene of the fatal RTA.

highdef

liammur wrote: »

These guys shouldn't be allowed on any road imo. Very dangerous and there must be an element of cruelty involved. I'm not sure however if it's a good idea to put his photo up on the internet if you didn't receive permission.

As he was photographed in a public place, I don't think the guy in the photo has any say what the photographer does with the photo. Please correct me if I'm wrong....it would actually be helpful to know

donspeekinglesh

Saw a car being towed on the M4 past Maynooth last Sunday night. No lights on the towed car at all. Very difficult to see the car in the dark.

And then yesterday saw a cyclist on the M3 just before the Clonee exit. Muppet.

Amtmann

Saw it reported on the 9pm news that two pedestrians were killed on the M20 last night.

L1011

Tremelo wrote: »

Saw it reported on the 9pm news that two pedestrians were killed on the M20 last night.

I heard it as "at a roundabout approaching the M20" so maybe not

Saw someone today walking down the onramp at Duleek to walk across the M1 Boyne bridge. No broken down car before the next junction (just across the river) so he appeared to be using it to get across the river.

He had to walk past a toll plaza to get to where he was!

Amtmann

Nope, they were right in the middle of the carriageway:

GARDAÍ WERE last night trying to establish the identity of one of the two young men killed in a double fatality involving an off-duty garda driving on the Limerick to Cork motorway.

The victims were in the middle of the dual carriageway when they were struck by an Opel Astra travelling on the overtaking lane of the M20.

It is understood that the two men who died had been involved in an altercation on the road minutes before the collision occurred.

The incident took place shortly before midnight on Wednesday night on the southbound lane of the motorway, just before the junction three turn-off for Raheen.

A female garda was also travelling in the privately owned Opel Astra at the time of the collision.

Both gardaí had just come off duty from Henry Street Garda station in Limerick where they are stationed as uniformed members of the force.

One of the victims was named locally last night as Gavin O’Callaghan (20), from Knocknaheeny in Cork.

His identity was established from papers he was carrying.

The second victim was not carrying any form of identification but it is believed he may also be in his 20s and from the Cork region.

The off-duty gardaí involved in the crash were said to be in a distressed state when colleagues from the emergency services arrived at the scene.

They suffered shock but were not hospitalised.

The Garda Ombudsman Commission is leading the inquiry and investigators are anxious to speak to the occupants of a car that fled the scene, and in which the victims had been travelling earlier that night.

This car was parked on the hard shoulder of the motorway at the time of the collision.

There were a number of people inside, including a female occupant, and investigators have appealed to these witnesses to make contact with gardaí.

It is understood the female in the car shouted something at one of the off-duty gardaí after the collision that indicated she knew one of the deceased.

Postmortems on the victims, who were pronounced dead at the scene, took place last night at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick.

Mr O’Callaghan’s parents travelled to Limerick from Cork and were met by investigators from the Garda Ombudsman’s Commission.

In a statement issued yesterday, a spokesman for the commission asked anyone who may be of assistance to call 1890-600800.

The statement said the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission was contacted early yesterday morning and received a referral under section 102 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005.

“The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission has had a team in Limerick through the night and today in response to the referral,” the spokesman added.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0114/1224287488986.html

L1011

Oh ffs.

CerebralCortex

What's the law in this case? My best guess is that motorways are strictly for the use of appropriate vehicles.

KevR

Saw a car reversing down the emergency lane of the M6 at the Loughrea junction this evening, obviously missed the exit and was trying to get off. Athenry is only 6 mins away driving at the speed limit, could easily have gone there and doubled back. It would have been less dangerous and almost as quick for that person to speed to Athenry instead of crawling along the emergency lane in reverse (still illegal but not as dangerous).

baalthor

donspeekinglesh wrote: »

Saw a car being towed on the M4 past Maynooth last Sunday night. No lights on the towed car at all. Very difficult to see the car in the dark.

And then yesterday saw a cyclist on the M3 just before the Clonee exit. Muppet.

This evening I saw a Merc SUV towing a trailer on the M3. There were no lights on the trailer and its contents were blocking the rear lights of the car. And what was in the trailer? ..... a Reliant Robin ! :eek:



Other stuff I've seen on the M3:

Plenty of tractors pulling trailers, the majority around the Clonee/Dunshauglin area and not further up the country as you might expect. I'd say the majority were achieving the minimum speed limit except for one that was wobbling along in the emergency lane (over)loaded with round bales.

Pedestrians: A big group no doubt "celebrating" the Leaving Cert walking along the motorway near the N52 roundabout. I did report them to the police.

I frequently see pedestrians in the process of crossing the M3 at Clonee. On one occassion there was a group of around three or four (and a cyclist!) standing in the central reservation waiting for a gap so they could dash across two lanes of rush - hour traffic ... :eek::eek:

baalthor

baalthor wrote: »

This evening I saw a Merc SUV towing a trailer on the M3. There were no lights on the trailer and its contents were blocking the rear lights of the car. And what was in the trailer? ..... a Reliant Robin ! :eek:

:eek:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQh56geU0X8

niloc1951

I once saw a police car come down an entry ramp on the M4, ahead of me.
It pulled across into lane 2.
Put on his blues, slowly reduced the traffic in the three lanes to a halt (over a distance of about a mile).
The passenger (observer) got out of the patrol car.
He picked up a piece of timber which was lying half on the verge and the outside of lane 3 and put it in the boot of the patrol car, after which the blues were switched off and it sped off into the distance.

Honest, I did witness the above on the M4 (between Wales and London) :D

corktina

whats bizarre or illegal about that? probably saved a nasty accident from happening.

niloc1951

corktina wrote: »

whats bizarre or illegal about that? probably saved a nasty accident from happening.

Missed my point by a mile, or should that be a kilometer.

I never considered it illegal, BUT such actions in this country of ours would be bizarre ;):rolleyes::rolleyes: