Bizarre/Illegal things on motorways

stoneill

It's not a motorway - but it is an all too regular occurrence and it is bizarre.
All the more bizarre as it seems to be acceptable to many drivers.

The junction of Willsbrook Drive leading to Ballyowen road in Lucan.
(53.354555,-6.422853)
It happen mostly in the morning, but I have witnessed it at other times.
The traffic can be quite heavy with a tail back to the Elmbrook roundabout.
However this does not deter several drivers crossing hatched markings (I was lead to believe that you treat these as a physical barrier) and driving on the wrong side of the road, on a bend, passing junctions and at speed.
Sometime the Garda are there, sometimes not.

corktina

stoneill wrote: »

It's not a motorway -QUOTE]

post it elsewhere then, it doesnt seem to be relevant unless you know the area or ahve some pictures to show the similarity to motorways.

kiwipower

In Limerick Yesterday, on M7 Southbound, as it changes to the N7/N18 taking slip road for the M20.

Saw a "gentleman" pushing a dirt bike (motorbike) in the hardshould in the OPPOSITE direction to traffic flow, coming down towards where the M20 slip branches off.

Don't know how he got there, or why he was walking (with vehicle) contra-flow. Or where he planned on going, as he would have to cross a line of traffic on a 120km/hr road to get off the traffic island.

Amtmann

Not a motorway, but yesterday I saw a cyclist stranded on these hatchings on the Dunkettle Interchange during rush-hour evening traffic. The guy had no where to safely go with thousands of cars nipping by in all directions. He looked like a serious cyclist too. Quite dumb of him.

funnyname

Driving with full beams, very annoying when you pass a car and they don't dim and also very frustrating where cars on the other side seem to think the concrete barrier magically stops their lights dazzling the cars on the other carriage.

I dont bother flashing at those types anymore. I just turn my own fulls on and leave them on until they dip theirs.

On many sections the windscreen of an ordinary car is too low to see the lights of an oncoming vehicle at all, often all you'll see are the cab lights on lorries. This is because of the low seating position relative to the barrier.

SUVs & vans often don't have cab lights so therefore are invisible, but because of the elevated driving position they can see the lights of the oncoming car.

Putting a reflective strip around the windscreen or fitting cab lights would stop drivers accidentally blinding you.

kiwipower

Surely this is a design fault with the medium barrier?
Technically the traffic on the other side of the barrier is on a different road.
If the barriers were about 2inches higher it would be very rare for the light to cross the barrier.
I have actually been experimenting with looking down and left on my side of the motorway to avoid looking directly at the lights of vehicles on the other side of the medium strip. It seems to be working for me. Other than when I am approaching a bend to the right on the motorway, the other lights don’t bother me.
I actually have more of an issue with the guy coming up from behind having his high beams on. Especially four wheel drives with there fogs lights on as well! Even when they are a Km or 2 behind me, I find the high beams lighting up the inside of my car &/or reflecting off the mirror make it harder to see what’s in front of me.

Also have been wondering, who is responsible for the cleaning/repair/replacement of cats eyes, other reflective signs and lines on motorways/dual carriageways?

Putting "cricket bats" along the top of the barriers would stop about 90% of the dazzling incidents.

source

Approaching junction 30 on M7 today, gold/champagne colour A6 came flying up the overtaking lane, there was a long line of traffic in front of me practically blocking the junction.

The A6 pulled in across the front of the line of traffic, crossing the white hatch markings, forcing everyone to slam on the breaks, then took the exit and off he went onto the M20.

pigtown

source wrote: »

Approaching junction 30 on M7 today, gold/champagne colour A6 came flying up the overtaking lane, there was a long line of traffic in front of me practically blocking the junction.

The A6 pulled in across the front of the line of traffic, crossing the white hatch markings, forcing everyone to slam on the breaks, then took the exit and off he went onto the M20.

Total recklessness but it is possible that they were rushing to the hospital. At least that's what I often tell myself to keep me from getting very angry at the stupidity of other drivers.

source

pigtown wrote: »

Total recklessness but it is possible that they were rushing to the hospital. At least that's what I often tell myself to keep me from getting very angry at the stupidity of other drivers.

Even if that's true it doesn't excuse dangerous driving, if he'd crashed there'd have been a lot more people being rushed to the hospital.

Tech3

A survey showing the amount of people parking on the hard-shoulder of a motorwayfor a phone call.

Snippet from the article:

"A motorway hard shoulder is an extremely dangerous place to be and should only be used in an emergency, for example, if your car breaks down and you can’t restart it. It’s alarming the number of motorists willing to casually pull over and put themselves and their passengers in a dangerous situation, and all too often to respond to a text or answer a call."

Following a car westbound this morning (after he had just overtaken me) and he was driving on the hard shoulder at 100kmh. He stayed there for several kms before I lost sight of him still driving on the hard shoulder!

Irish and Proud

Deleted User wrote: »

Following a car westbound this morning (after he had just overtaken me) and he was driving on the hard shoulder at 100kmh. He stayed there for several kms before I lost sight of him still driving on the hard shoulder!

Maybe his perception is slightly different in that he sees a 7.0m hard shoulder...

...to his right! :rolleyes:

highlydebased

Overtook a Yaris just before the Moneygall exit of the M7 last week- he was driving at about 100km/h half in the hard shoulder and half in the lane, on his phone.

highlydebased

highlydebased wrote: »

Overtook a Yaris just before the Moneygall exit of the M7 last week- he was driving at about 100km/h half in the hard shoulder and half in the lane, on his phone.

From his eyes(assuming a foreigner), his relative position on the lane looked correct! :rolleyes:

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

From his eyes(assuming a foreigner), his relative position on the lane looked correct! :rolleyes:

eh??

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

eh??

If he is used to driving a left hand drive car, he will be used to seeing the lane in front of him with the left line closer to him than the right line, so in his field of vision the car would appear to be correct. Except for the fact that the passenger part of the car is in fact on the other side!

I have actually seen someone do this at Dublin airport trying to get a car out of the car park while forgetting that they were in a LHD drive car and crashing straight into the toll booth!

corktina

Deleted User wrote: »

If he is used to driving a left hand drive car, he will be used to seeing the lane in front of him with the left line closer to him than the right line, so in his field of vision the car would appear to be correct. Except for the fact that the passenger part of the car is in fact on the other side!

I have actually seen someone do this at Dublin airport trying to get a car out of the car park while forgetting that they were in a LHD drive car and crashing straight into the toll booth!

eh??

Tech3

TV3 reporting on a garda car stolen today on the hard shoulder of the M1 before the boyne bridge northbound. Sending off a mail to the idiots

Cassidy28

Tech3 wrote: »

TV3 reporting on a garda car stolen today on the hard shoulder of the M1 before the boyne bridge northbound. Sending off a mail to the idiots

Saw it aswell, that women is very lucky a garda car or lorry did not plough her out of it
total disregard for her own, or other peoples safety absolute stupidity :mad:

zuroph

Tech3 wrote: »

TV3 reporting on a garda car stolen today on the hard shoulder of the M1 before the boyne bridge northbound. Sending off a mail to the idiots

Feck that, report it to the cops, video evidence of a crime being committed, the RSA should be looking for a conviction, perfect way to get message out there nice and publically.

source

Coming inbound to limerick on the M7 today, passing exit 28 for castletroy saw a silver Peugeot 206 on the outbound side, reversing in the driving lane, crossing the white hatch markings and taking the exit.

Was some display of stupid driving.

EAFC_rdfl

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3hZ3ePLaMs that is all

veryangryman

A ten mile drive against the flow! :eek: Thanks god he saw sense

Yesterday saw a guy walking onto slip road (in wrong direction) on M6 J13. I beeped and flashed at him and he looked at me as if id 3 heads

Considered posting some sort of broadcast in AH telling people if they know anyone who does this to clap them on the head. People are being killed -its getting ridiculous.

celticbest

EAFC_rdfl wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3hZ3ePLaMs that is all

:eek: Special.........

sentient_6

Driving through the M6 toll monday afternoon(speaking of cappataggle), when going through the express lane, i noticed a lady in a mondeo stopped bang in the middle of the approach to the toll, massive artic was laying on the horn as he technically undertook her.

bkehoe

Not quite a motorway but on the N25 Waterford bypass (dual carriageway) I was overtaking a lorry on a slight bend when all of a sudden a tractor and trailer in the overtaking lane comes into view...rapid application of brakes needed for me and everyone else in the overtaking lane followed by a necessity for everyone to undertake the tractor by using the driving lane. Driver didn't have a care in the world and proceeded in the overtaking lane for as long as I could see him in my mirrors causing many vehicles including lorries to swerve to avoid him.

Rang the Waterford garda station and a disinterested guy said that they'd look into sending someone out soon...

flazio

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't there 'Emergency Services Only' gates on both sides of the M6 plaza? Wouldn't it help things durin that accident clearance to close the motorway at the exit before (Ballinasloe for West bound, Loughrea(ish) for East bound), and let the traffic already there out the gates to the old N6?