The 100 Greatest Annoyances in Motoring

cletus

People who treat an empty right lane entry to a busy roundabout as way of overtaking the queue, even though they are going left or straight ahead.

Guy did it to me this morning, we both entered the roundabout at the same time, me in the left lane, him in the right. I was taking the second exit, and as I passed the first, suddenly the guy on the right indicated left and forced me to stop on the roundabout and let him into lane to exit

Mint Sauce

People who slow before even reaching their turn off on Motorways/HQDCs, or who only start speeding up on joining.

Boskowski

Standard of driving. Standard of upkeep on a lot of cars. People making up their own rules of the road all the time. General cluelessness. Its so bad, if you care about cars and driving at all, you can only go 'whatever' or else it would drive you mad.

masculinist

Bicycles with no lights. The cyclist wearing black and dark clothes and no hi viz jacket. Cycling the wrong way down a dark poorly lit road or even darting across a road. Potentially the perfect storm for a competent driver if the cyclist has a dark complexion too. I have seen this too many times. Its no joke. You can never relax behind the wheel.

Odyssey 2005

Was driving on the Waterford motorway this afternoon,weather was cat,pissin rain and dark as a bag with lots of spray from cars and lorries,very dangerous conditions. The amount of brain surgeons that were on the road with no lights on beggars belief.cops should be out there handing our fines and points like confetti. I'm sure it would prob fall under "without due care and attention"or inconsiderate use or something like that.

blackbox

H3llR4iser wrote: »

Changing the light sequence would do absolutely nothing; People would simply look at the amber, wait for the green and then leisurely move, it's a matter of habit and culture: ever noticed how, for example, on top of the first car needing centuries to take off all the following drivers wait until the car ahead of them is 30 meters away before even thinking about moving?

Furthermore, in some EU countries (e.g. Italy and Spain), the lights sequence is exactly the same - yet most drivers take off like rockets as soon as the green appears. The problem is definitely not with the lights.

When I was in Italy many years ago (it may have changed now) there was no delay between one light going red and the opposite going green - i.e. if you couldn't stop on amber you could get through, but if you deliberately went through on amber and they went red before you got through you were going to get hit. The cars waiting for green were gunning their engines...

It encouraged a degree of discipline.

jca

Odyssey 2005 wrote: »

Was driving on the Waterford motorway this afternoon,weather was cat,pissin rain and dark as a bag with lots of spray from cars and lorries,very dangerous conditions. The amount of brain surgeons that were on the road with no lights on beggars belief.cops should be out there handing our fines and points like confetti. I'm sure it would prob fall under "without due care and attention"or inconsiderate use or something like that.

It's unbelieveable the amount of cars being driven unlit, it drives me insane:mad::mad:

hoodie6029

jca wrote: »

It's unbelieveable the amount of cars being driven unlit, it drives me insane:mad::mad:

And people who think that their side lights or fogs are adequate on dark evenings. You may as well have none on.

Jesus.

jca wrote: »

It's unbelieveable the amount of cars being driven unlit, it drives me insane:mad::mad:

I honestly can't see why. Unless your eyesight isn't up to scratch

H3llR4iser

blackbox wrote: »

When I was in Italy many years ago (it may have changed now) there was no delay between one light going red and the opposite going green - i.e. if you couldn't stop on amber you could get through, but if you deliberately went through on amber and they went red before you got through you were going to get hit. The cars waiting for green were gunning their engines...

It encouraged a degree of discipline.

The "degree of discipline" has been further "encouraged" with red-light-breakers cameras on almost all lights in the country in more recent times .

But yes, the general mentality is "green is gonna last for a short time, let's get through as soon as possible". I've seen the same in Spain, or at least in Barcelona. The light sequence is the same as in Ireland, yet it's extremely rare to see anybody napping - especially when they aren't the first car in line.

The reason I firmly believe the "amber" before green approach would make no difference here is that it's not just the first couple of drivers that linger around; Most of the cars in the queue will just sit there until the vehicle ahead is 30 meters down the road.

Maybe it's a Cork thing, the few times I drove in Dublin the traffic seemed to be a bit more dynamic, and probably it has to do with drivers parking at the lights - they essentially wait until the car ahead starts before engaging gear and disengaging the handbrake.

jca

Jesus. wrote: »

I honestly can't see why. Unless your eyesight isn't up to scratch

When it's dusk, Mr pedantic.

Odyssey 2005

jca wrote: »

When it's dusk, Mr pedantic.

Dusk me hole. Most mornings at 8 it's DARK..

Jesus.

Fair enough lads. I use the side lights up until it starts getting fairly dark and then put on the beams. I think most fellas on here would probably disagree with that though.

AndyBoBandy

Jesus. wrote: »

Fair enough lads. I use the side lights up until it starts getting fairly dark and then put on the beams. I think most fellas on here would probably disagree with that though.

I would use my full beams 24 hours a day. I spent 16 months on an assignment in Lithuania and it's the law over there, you actually can't turn off the lights when the engine is running in most cars.

IT-Guy

Deleted User wrote: »

104. Drivers not holding their line on roundabouts. As in, one car going right, car next to it going straight ahead and almost pushing first car off the road!

This, a thousand times this! Happens to me all the time at the roundabout off the motorway at the Watergrasshill exit northbound. The off ramp splits into 2 entrances onto the roundabout and I stay on the right to take the 4th exit. The amount of idiots who stay left at the entrance then take the racing line through the roundabout is incredible. I've had 2 very close calls there, only for beeping and flashing the heads I'd have been forced onto the roundabout itself. One poor old dear thought she could go round to the right to my exit from the left-hand 'lane', cue much shock, anger and gesticulating from her when I drove correctly around the roundabout and she had to slip in behind me. Should really get a Dashcam for it but then would that for the roundabout or Dashcam saves your ass thread? :pac:

Odyssey 2005

Jesus. wrote: »

Fair enough lads. I use the side lights up until it starts getting fairly dark and then put on the beams. I think most fellas on here would probably disagree with that though.

Sure you can do what you like. You can turn water into wine,and you can't be killed. You have nothing to worry about!,but please spare a thought for us mere mortals..:p

pcardin

quadrifoglio verde wrote: »

60. People stopping on the hard shoulder of the motorway so wee Johnny can have a piss. Do they not realise how dangerous it is.

How many other countries have motorways where you can drive for hundreds of kilometres and not find a single petrol station? I think Ireland is the only one.

MarkAnthony

pcardin wrote: »

How many other countries have motorways where you can drive for hundreds of kilometres and not find a single petrol station? I think Ireland is the only one.

Do we even have a motorway that 'goes for hundreds of kilometers'?

What the hell are you driving that can't do Dublin to Cork on a tank? :pac:

pcardin

Andybobandy wrote: »

I would use my full beams 24 hours a day. I spent 16 months on an assignment in Lithuania and it's the law over there, you actually can't turn off the lights when the engine is running in most cars.

Last time I was in Lithuania (few months ago) this wasn't still a requirment. Latvia and Estonia on another hand has this requirment since 1992 or so, same as Scandinavian countries.

MarkAnthony

Andybobandy wrote: »

I would use my full beams 24 hours a day. I spent 16 months on an assignment in Lithuania and it's the law over there, you actually can't turn off the lights when the engine is running in most cars.

Using your full beams in any built up area is not going to be fun for other drivers.

It's a requirement for lights to be on in built up areas in Ireland already.

pcardin

MarkAnthony wrote: »

Do we even have a motorway that 'goes for hundreds of kilometers'?

What the hell are you driving that can't do Dublin to Cork on a tank? :pac:

Yeah, Dublin -Gallway, Dublin - Cork, Dublin - Limerick, I think all these are around 200km , to Cork even more.

Your argument is quite laughable, you must be the spokesperson in Ministry of Transport or whoever madhouse is responsible for roads here.

timetogo

pcardin wrote: »

Yeah, Dublin -Gallway, Dublin - Cork, Dublin - Limerick, I think all these are around 200km , to Cork even more.

Your argument is quite laughable, you must be the spokesperson in Ministry of Transport or whoever madhouse is responsible for roads here.

What about the bit where there's no petrol station for hundreds of miles.

I just went to pumps.ie to check one of your routes (Dublin - Cork).
http://www.pumps.ie/findStationsByRoute.php
I chose the N8 (Portlaoise -> Cork). On that road there are 14 stations.
Then (Dublin -> Portlaoise). That's another 10 stations.

So on that 254Km stretch there are 24 stations. Which road were you thinking of?

pcardin

timetogo wrote: »

What about the bit where there's no petrol station for hundreds of miles.

I just went to pumps.ie to check one of your routes (Dublin - Cork).
http://www.pumps.ie/findStationsByRoute.php
I chose the N8 (Portlaoise -> Cork). On that road there are 14 stations.
Then (Dublin -> Portlaoise). That's another 10 stations.

So on that 254Km stretch there are 24 stations. Which road were you thinking of?

OMG! Have you driven these roads? I'm not talking about petrol stations that you have to leave the motorway and enter some little village to access them. Your pumps.ie is showing them as motorway petrol stations.
I'm talking about the ones like the one on M1 and the one on M4.
Best advise to you is to visit some other countries to understand what I meant. /

MarkAnthony

pcardin wrote: »

OMG! Have you driven these roads? I'm not talking about petrol stations that you have to leave the motorway and enter some little village to access them. Your pumps.ie is showing them as motorway petrol stations.
I'm talking about the ones like the one on M1 and the one on M4.
Best advise to you is to visit some other countries to understand what I meant. /

Actually I'm with you now - sort of.

1XX: Driving along and seeing a sign for services which turns out to be a Spar (which is closed for lunch) with one pump outside it 30Km away from the feckin motorway.

(LOL spell check just corrected my fecking to feckin'; chrome has developed an Irish accent)

hullaballoo

People turning right at a junction like this who don't go into the box for turning right. Just sit in the pedestrian crossing and end up getting stuck because you have to move onto the sensors to get the right turn filter. Bloody hell.

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3008323,-6.1883963,3a,75y,270.99h,77.55t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sJci5b5gQLfqKEVtAbVtB0A!2e0?hl=en

MarkAnthony

hullaballoo wrote: »

People turning right at a junction like this who don't go into the box for turning right. Just sit in the pedestrian crossing and end up getting stuck because you have to move onto the sensors to get the right turn filter. Bloody hell.

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3008323,-6.1883963,3a,75y,270.99h,77.55t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sJci5b5gQLfqKEVtAbVtB0A!2e0?hl=en

While I completely agree - you can see why from the road position of the blue car in that photo.

Yet another one from me (semi-related to the above):

People that don't understand how yellow boxes work - especially people that don't realise you're meant to let them clear from traffic turning right before barrelling through beeping the horn.

Cantona's Collars

Pedestrians who wait until the last second then run out in front of you.Cross in time folks or just wait that all important couple of seconds til the car is past.

I saw this yesterday when a one ran straight out under a speeding ambulance,sirens & lights blaring yet out she ran,obviously those 2 seconds she saved were more important than her life or that of the people in the ambulance.:mad:

Shimmy Jimmy CocoPop

People in Ireland seem to drive around with their fog lights on more often when it is not foggy than when it is. Today being the perfect example. Some people were driving in the thick fog with their parking lights on and some with none at all! Some serious "how and when to use yours lights" education is needed in this country.

freddieot

Noticed this a good few times today as we had to go on the M50 \ M1 in the bad fog. Some cars lit up properly while others with no lights on at all. An advert for controlled breeding if ever there was one.

It also seems that cars with colours close to that of the road surface (dark grey, blue, black) tend to use heavy rain or fog to practice their camouflage techniques by driving along in complete darkness.

No excuse for it as far as I can see. I blame the PTB, a €1,000 fine and 4 points would sort out that kind of nonsense and the rest of us would be a lot safer as a result. It's unfortunate that in this banana republic, you can drive like a complete go**hite, with total disregard for all other road users (as long as you don't speed of course)

MarkAnthony

Fcuking Hazards.

TURN THEM OFF! They are there to draw attention to HAZARDS clue is in the bloody name. They are not there to draw attention AKA INDICATE that you are pulling in that's what INDICATORS are for, again massive elephant sized clue in the sodding name!

It wouldn't be so bad but the people that do this are obviously borderline retarded so forget to switch them off when pulling out and then get pissed off when you don't let them out. Well it's simple I assume you're one step up from a shaved chimp and you're going to drive like one so behind me please.

Also indicators - people completely underestimate what effect these have on traffic flow especially at filtered junctions.

Why are so many people complete arseholes? Put down the phone, sto p maturbating, stop surfing the web or watching Judge Judy or what ever the feck else you must be upto AND. DRIVE. THE. CAR.

Ahhhhh so much better now...

captainspeed

captainspeed wrote: »

>135. People who change cars to 'go up the years' but buy exactly the same car they already had
>136. People who buy a diesel for the 'cheap tax'
137. People who buy poverty spec cars
>138. People who don't understand the 'keep left' rule, and who think there's such a thing as a 'fast lane'
139. Motor tax on pre 2008 cars

Well three of those are the same thing. BMW driver

Sheldons Brain

pcardin wrote: »

OMG! Have you driven these roads? I'm not talking about petrol stations that you have to leave the motorway and enter some little village to access them. Your pumps.ie is showing them as motorway petrol stations.
I'm talking about the ones like the one on M1 and the one on M4.
Best advise to you is to visit some other countries to understand what I meant. /

In the US/Canada it is quite usual to have very long gaps between motorway service areas but to have fuel stations etc at junctions.

Mint Sauce

Shimmy Jimmy CocoPop wrote: »

People in Ireland seem to drive around with their fog lights on more often when it is not foggy than when it is. Today being the perfect example. Some people were driving in the thick fog with their parking lights on and some with none at all! Some serious "how and when to use yours lights" education is needed in this country.

Fog lights were probably blown from having them on all the time, the number of cyclops cars driving around with one fog is increasing.

spurious

Mint Sauce wrote: »

Fog lights were probably blown from having them on all the time, the number of cyclops cars driving around with one fog is increasing.

Really though, today there were some awful gobdaws around - practically invisible until the last minute.

Mint Sauce

spurious wrote: »

Really though, today there were some awful gobdaws around - practically invisible until the last minute.

It is a plausible explanation for some of the cars with fog lights fitted.

exgp

People who refuse their indicators until November to save electricity.

SureYWouldntYa

exgp wrote: »

People who refuse to use they're indicators until November to save electricity.

I know where I'm going, why would i need to use an indicator ?

exgp

Your quick.

exgp

And possibly peripatetic?

MarkAnthony

exgp wrote: »

Your quick.

exgp wrote: »

And possibly peripatetic?

*You're

And I'm sure he travels a lot, this is the motors thread.