Bizarre/Illegal things on motorways

NFD100

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Thats actually the N18 north of the Limerick tunnel toll plaza. Still a moron though.

and the two morons with the fog lights on. Only in Ireland!

kiwipower

Infairness while I usually am the first to go bollistic about miss use of fog lights. I do think that if I was one of those two drivers I would be flashing everything available to try and stop the absolute Darwinean award driver! Its just manic! Must have been increadibly scary for other drivers, you would be tearafied of changing lanes or even trying to stop with that sort of behaviour on display!

zuroph

driving southbound from Gort to limerick, just north of the clare in exit (11 i think?) I spotted two rucksackers heading up the hard shoulder on the northbound side. further along, just after exit four into caherdavin (about 200 yards), I spotted a micra in the hard shoulder, attempting to reverse back to the exit to avoid paying the toll. FFS

corktina

i heard secondhand of a Lady who missed the Hospital turn on the M20 recently and ,as "there was nothing coming" turned round and went back to it...

angelfire9

zuroph wrote: »

driving southbound from Gort to limerick, just north of the clare in exit (11 i think?) I spotted two rucksackers heading up the hard shoulder on the northbound side. further along, just after exit four into caherdavin (about 200 yards), I spotted a micra in the hard shoulder, attempting to reverse back to the exit to avoid paying the toll. FFS

Saw them too I was driving northbound
Between exit 11 & 12
Rang the station
They were picked up by TC

phog

NFD100 wrote: »

and the two morons with the fog lights on. Only in Ireland!

It looked to be a hazy kind of day, I really dont see a problem with the lights being on. But then I'm Irish.

I always have my headlights on (not fog) while driving, be seen be safe!

SerialComplaint

angelfire9 wrote: »

Saw them too I was driving northbound
Between exit 11 & 12
Rang the station
They were picked up by TC

You weren't driving when you made the call, surely?

Noo

Saw a driver on the M50 weaving in and out of all the lanes at high speed, trying to skip all the traffic in a hurry, "whats yer man doing?"

He got in behind a lorry ahead, his bumper within an inch of the back of the truck, going about 120kph. No way the driver could see him, if the truck braked the car would have went under the truck and the driver killed no question. All to avoid paying the toll. 2/3 quid is a small price to pay for your life. The second he passed the toll cameras he pull out from behind the truck and speed off,the truck driver proceeded to follow him and drive up his arse the rest of the way. I'm not for all the imtimidation stuff but the idiot deserved it.

kiwipower

Noo wrote: »

Saw a driver on the M50 weaving in and out of all the lanes at high speed, trying to skip all the traffic in a hurry, "whats yer man doing?"

He got in behind a lorry ahead, his bumper within an inch of the back of the truck, going about 120kph. No way the driver could see him, if the truck braked the car would have went under the truck and the driver killed no question. All to avoid paying the toll. 2/3 quid is a small price to pay for your life. The second he passed the toll cameras he pull out from behind the truck and speed off,the truck driver proceeded to follow him and drive up his arse the rest of the way. I'm not for all the imtimidation stuff but the idiot deserved it.

Well aint he in for a shock???
I understand they have put rearview cameras on the M50 to catch people at this AND to beat the band they will now be fined/prosecuted for dangerous driving!

kiwipower

Deleted User wrote: »

I always have my headlights on (not fog) while driving, be seen be safe!

While Im all for the "Be safe, be seen" theory unfortunatly the use of fog lights to acheive this does not add the "Be safe" to the "be seen."

The use of fog lights in non foggy conditions could be putting you AND other drivers at risk. Not only are they distracting for other drivers, they can often have a dazzling effect.

I particularly notice the dazzling effect on dry clear nights like we get in the summer, my partner who wears glassess has even more of a problem with it. The number of times this dazzling effect has caused one of us to almost swerve into the on coming car with all lights blaring, or to swerve off the road is phonomenal and a huge risk/danger for us, the on comming vehicle and any other road user (think peadestrian/cyclist as well as vehicles.)

In other words your use of fog lights can blind other drivera putting not only them but you in danger.

As a side you may be interested to learn that as part of the "Be Safe Be Seen policy" within the next few years all new cars being sold in Ireland will be required to have day time drive lights fitted.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

I always have my headlights on (not fog) while driving, be seen be safe!

kiwipower wrote: »

While Im all for the "Be safe, be seen" theory unfortunatly the use of fog lights to acheive this does not add the "Be safe" to the "be seen."

In other words your use of fog lights can blind other drivera putting not only them but you in danger.

I did say not fog!

kiwipower

My most humble Appologies!!

I should have taken my time and read that better!

Its an issue I really get my knickers in a twist over!

Again my Appologies

angelfire9

SerialComplaint wrote: »

You weren't driving when you made the call, surely?

I have a Parrott handsfree with voice recognition so yes I was

zuroph

angelfire9 wrote: »

Saw them too I was driving northbound
Between exit 11 & 12
Rang the station
They were picked up by TC

angelfire9 wrote: »

I have a Parrott handsfree with voice recognition so yes I was

regardless, if you're calling the gardaí to report a crime its perfectly legal to use the phone.

angelfire9

zuroph wrote: »

regardless, if you're calling the gardaí to report a crime its perfectly legal to use the phone.

I know

But since I've discovered the joys of voice recognition I spent HOURS programming frequent called numbers into it and Ennis Garda Station just happens to be one of them

Irish and Proud

Noo wrote: »

Saw a driver on the M50 weaving in and out of all the lanes at high speed, trying to skip all the traffic in a hurry, "whats yer man doing?"

He got in behind a lorry ahead, his bumper within an inch of the back of the truck, going about 120kph. No way the driver could see him, if the truck braked the car would have went under the truck and the driver killed no question. All to avoid paying the toll. 2/3 quid is a small price to pay for your life. The second he passed the toll cameras he pull out from behind the truck and speed off,the truck driver proceeded to follow him and drive up his arse the rest of the way. I'm not for all the imtimidation stuff but the idiot deserved it.

That moron is for the birds - surely, it should be well known by now that the toll cameras also capture the reg plates on the rear of vehicles (was on RTE news a couple of weeks back - plenty of time for word to get around IMO), so tailgating is a useless exercise. Then there is the garda crackdown on tailgating at the said location, so it's hardly worth it in any case, especially given the dangers of doing so. Morons like that should be banned from driving for at least ten years - as for those turning/reversing on a motorway/HQDC to avoid paying a toll. Even if I ended up on a toll road with no change, I proceed to the toll barrier as to do anything else would be plain lunacy. I don't know what would happen, but I'd be certain that it would be the far lesser of the evils facing me.

Plain Common Sense!

kiwipower

Irish and Proud wrote: »

Even if I ended up on a toll road with no change, I proceed to the toll barrier as to do anything else would be plain lunacy. I don't know what would happen, but I'd be certain that it would be the far lesser of the evils facing me.

Plain Common Sense!

I think they take credit cards at some of the toll gates. It would be the most common sense to continue on to the gate. You would expect in an honest mistake they would either let you through or send you on a bill to be paid. Definatly the most common sense approach!

Its a bit like the ones that miss their off ramp.
Surely the most sensible approach (and one I've used a couple of times myself when caught out in the passing lanes approaching my exit ramp) is to continue onto the next exit. At that point you would either have the option of crossing over the motorway and returning to the exit you need or re-adjust your you journey to go from the exit you are now at!

SerialComplaint

angelfire9 wrote: »

I have a Parrott handsfree with voice recognition so yes I was

Did it take long to train the parrot to make the calls for you?

angelfire9

SerialComplaint wrote: »

Did it take long to train the parrot to make the calls for you?

Lol
Tis a great parrott
Doesn't require feeding or cleaning up after or anything
It's always there when I want it and never flies away

SerialComplaint

zuroph wrote: »

regardless, if you're calling the gardaí to report a crime its perfectly legal to use the phone.

Really? Is there some exclusion in the law that bans phoning while driving?

zuroph

SerialComplaint wrote: »

Really? Is there some exclusion in the law that bans phoning while driving?

yes.

Cookie_Monster

zuroph wrote: »

yes.

no

merely holding it. there is no law that stops you making a call.

EDIT:
eh I think it misquoted that given the context, as has been proved below.


my point was that being on the phone is perfectly legal, holding it is what is banned (except for emergencies)

kiwipower

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

no

merely holding it. there is no law that stops you making a call.

Mobile telephones and driving

The Road Traffic Act 2006 has created a new offence of holding a mobile phone while driving a vehicle in a public place. The law was introduced to eliminate the common practice of drivers using mobile phones while driving and thereby not concentrating fully on their driving. The offence is holding a mobile phone and does not require the driver to be making or receiving a call but merely holding the phone.
A number of people are exempt from the offence. For example, members of the Gardaí, the ambulance service or the fire brigade service if they are acting in the course of their duty and holding the mobile phone in relation to the performance of their duty. Hold in relation to a mobile phone, means holding the phone by hand or supporting it or cradling it with another part of the body. Hands-free phone kits or Bluetooth technology is not now illegal and is outside the definition of mobile-phone.
It will be a defence for anyone charged with the offence of holding a mobile phone while driving to show that they were:

• Using it to call the Gardaí, an ambulance, fire brigade or other emergency service
• Involved in or acting in response to a genuine emergency

Since 1 September 2006 the offence is a fixed charge offence of €60 and will attach two penalty points to your licence. A conviction in court will cost you up to €2,000 and four penalty points on your licence.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/motoring_1/driving_offences/driving_offences.html

SerialComplaint

JCB-style digger tootling along the M50 between N7 and N4 yesterday afternoon.

Chris_5339762

I passed that bloody thing as well, and there was a tractor about 200m in front of it. Nearly got killed trying to pass it too.

dubhthach

SerialComplaint wrote: »

JCB-style digger tootling along the M50 between N7 and N4 yesterday afternoon.

When going down to Galway yesterday I past one of these on the M4 out by Maynooth, perhaps it was the same one!

bbam

Was on the M3 last week, just approaching the roundabout at the end near Kells... Two teenage girls 14/15 jumped the median and ran across the two lanes in front of me... I wasn't near them but I was doing about 140kph, I've been on the road a while and clocked lots of miles and seen idiots do lots of things (myself included on occasions) but I was stunned...just stunned

bbam

bbam wrote: »

Was on the M3 last week, just approaching the roundabout at the end near Kells... Two teenage girls 14/15 jumped the median and ran across the two lanes in front of me... I wasn't near them but I was doing about 140kph, I've been on the road a while and clocked lots of miles and seen idiots do lots of things (myself included on occasions) but I was stunned...just stunned

is doing 140kph not stupid?

L1011

Deleted User wrote: »

is doing 140kph not stupid?

On a motorway, no.

And unless he's got a digital speedo he was probably doing ~132km/h or so.