At last!!!!

Dial Hard

Deleted User wrote: »

Fair enough. I was picturing a scenario where the left lane is almost full and going slowly with everyone staying there obeying the rules.

It's perfectly legal to move into one of the other lanes to overtake the slower traffic in the leftmost lane. The problem occurs when people won't move back in and then nobody can overtake them.

ironclaw

Deleted User wrote: »

Fair enough. I was picturing a scenario where the left lane is almost full and going slowly with everyone staying there obeying the rules. Surely in any sort of traffic it becomes a free-for-all?

No, simply because someone will always want to go faster and they will move right. The issue arises when those that move right, don't move left again. The M50 could easily manage as a dual lane road if people drove properly.

Panrich

ironclaw wrote: »

No, simply because someone will always want to go faster and they will move right. The issue arises when those that move right, don't move left again. The M50 could easily manage as a dual lane road if people drove properly.

The M50 has become a sick joke of a road lately. Hoggers in the outside lane, undertaking, lane hopping, last minute exit scrambles and the obligatory bikers using the dotted line as an extra lane.

ironclaw

Panrich wrote: »

The M50 has become a sick joke of a road lately. Hoggers in the outside lane, undertaking, lane hopping, last minute exit scrambles and the obligatory bikers using the dotted line as an extra lane.

Thought it was just me, but I was out of the country for the last part of 2014, and came back to what I swore was a bigger mess than I left. I drive the M50 every day and it is, at least to me, getting worse. Having experienced Beijing and Mexico City traffic, really we ain't all that far off it.

A clamp down and education round are sorely needed.

Volthar

I hope next lesson will be how to deal with roundabouts. Coolock roundabout is full of eejets.

Panrich

Panrich wrote: »

The M50 has become a sick joke of a road lately. Hoggers in the outside lane, undertaking, lane hopping, last minute exit scrambles and the obligatory bikers using the dotted line as an extra lane.

A multi vehicle crash has become a daily reality for the M50, there was a right hand lane collision this morning and now in the evening. Its a sad state of affairs.

aaroadwatch
DUBLIN Collision on M50 southbound at J12 Firhouse blocking right lane & middle lanes;delays back to J11 Tallaght http://t.co/r19oH1u8F2
4/7/15, 8:24 AM

]aaroadwatch
DUB/ M50: Two collision n'bound near J6 adding to delays from J7; first in hard shoulder before J6, second blocking right lane after J6.
4/7/15, 5:15 PM

zetecescort

Volthar wrote: »

I hope next lesson will be how to deal with roundabouts. Coolock roundabout is full of eejets.

problem with roundabouts in this country is that it seems no two are the same, left hand lane for left or straight on in some, left lane for left turn only on others

BMJD

BMJD wrote: »

I think I witnessed AGS attempting to pull over someone doing this on the M50 last night. The middle lane moron came to a stop - in the middle lane. I will post the dashcam footage later on. Most of the other cars around had the usual blue-light-panic-attack too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMOPlDD9Yjk

Daaryl

Why did that person just stop in the focus? Could of caused a unnecessary crash!

Volthar

zetecescort wrote:

problem with roundabouts in this country is that it seems no two are the same, left hand lane for left or straight on in some, left lane for left turn only on others

Even the small ones or rather espexially these cause issues like "the circle painted on the road" type of thing with yeld right of way signs on each entry but people ignoring the signs and just flying through

Dial Hard

cisk wrote: »

A multi vehicle crash has become a daily reality for the M50, there was a right hand lane collision this morning and now in the evening. Its a sad state of affairs.

And it's nearly always southbound in the morning and northbound in the evening. What's that about? Just volumes, or something else?

pcardin

Volthar wrote: »

I hope next lesson will be how to deal with roundabouts. Coolock roundabout is full of eejets.

there is a bigger problem than roundabouts (although I agree it's a massive problem too) and that is a national sport or tradition of braking red lights. If every traffic light could document every driver that brakes lights, this country would be super rich. :pac:

Stonewolf

Panrich wrote: »

and the obligatory bikers using the dotted line as an extra lane.

This is both legal and recommended in stopped traffic. Moving traffic is a completely different matter.

Caliden

Dial Hard wrote: »

And it's nearly always southbound in the morning and northbound in the evening. What's that about? Just volumes, or something else?

Volume and you can go from 60kmh to a dead stop for no apparent reason other than someone up ahead applied their brakes too much.

Jesus.

I take no pleasure is seeing people getting done by the Cops but unfortunately this is a necessary evil. It seems to be the only way to get people to stick to the correct lane.

Hopefully folk will wise up quickly and will avoid points/fines.

Jesus.

Special Circumstances wrote: »

I'd pay to see video footage of them trying to explain to them what they were doing wrong. Like explaining astrophysics to a donkey.

Why such a haughty attitude? With the dozens of likes that received its regrettable such a bitter streak exists on this Board.

AndyBoBandy

Jesus. wrote: »

I take no pleasure is seeing people getting done by the Cops but unfortunately this is a necessary evil.

I would take absolute pleasure in seeing these idiots getting done.

If people are too stupid to understand the rules, and how to correctly drive on motorways, their stupidity should be rewarded with a stop and a fine. they'll soon learn.

Jesus.

Andybobandy wrote: »

I would take absolute pleasure in seeing these idiots getting done..

I'm sure you would

AndyBoBandy

Jesus. wrote: »

I'm sure you would

Yes. It's about time these idiots (who make driving for everyone else that little bit more painful) get their comeuppance.

fullstop

Jesus. wrote: »

Why such a haughty attitude? With the dozens of likes that received its regrettable such a bitter streak exists on this Board.

Ah sure it wouldn't be like you to go against the grain

pablo128

Jesus. wrote: »

Why such a haughty attitude? With the dozens of likes that received its regrettable such a bitter streak exists on this Board.

The thing is, there's a lot of folk out there who literally don't give a fcuk how their driving affects anyone else. I don't buy the line of half of them not even doing a test. That was a 6 month period in 1979 so anyone under the age of 54 will have had to do a test. If they refuse to drive properly they should be penalised until they do. In the same way a speeding driver will keep getting
penalised until they either slow down or get banned.

Jesus.

There are a lot of folk like that Pablo but I don't think middle lane hoggers are the type you're referring to. They're hugely frustrating but I'd say 95% of the time its just pure ignorance. They genuinely think you can saunter along in the middle lane unhindered. They're not bad people just ignorant of the basic laws of lane discipline. As I said, I think this is a necessary and it will make people finally cop on. I hope they do and they avoid points because I don't like seeing anyone getting done.

I really don't get the petrol head mean-spiritedness toward fellow motorists. The average man on the street isn't near as bitter as many that post on here. For some reason some people think they become God himself when they get behind the wheel and can look down on all and sundry. They turn into............ well......................assholes!

Hachiko

I was back home for easter, all I can say is brutal drivers. Would never move back to Ireland. Every 5 minutes passing out idiots doing 40mph and rinse and repeat.

This is in the sthicks but probably repeated all over the land.

I may as well add the fog lights, whats with everyone having them on, weather was fantastic and absolutely no need to use them.

unreal.

Eric Cartman

Jesus. wrote: »

There are a lot of folk like that Pablo but I don't think middle lane hoggers are the type you're referring to. They're hugely frustrating but I'd say 95% of the time its just pure ignorance. They genuinely think you can saunter along in the middle lane unhindered. They're not bad people just ignorant of the basic laws of lane discipline. As I said, I think this is a necessary and it will make people finally cop on. I hope they do and they avoid points because I don't like seeing anyone getting done.

I really don't get the petrol head mean-spiritedness toward fellow motorists. The average man on the street isn't near as bitter as many that post on here. For some reason some people think they become God himself when they get behind the wheel and can look down on all and sundry. They turn into............ well......................assholes!

which is the exact last thing we need from somebody commanding 1.5-3 tonnes of metal down the road at speed.

Jesus.

Agreed. Time to introduce it into the driving test me thinks

Eric Cartman

Jesus. wrote: »

Agreed. Time to introduce it into the driving test me thinks

parallel parking , driving round a tight carpark and a comprehensive test on motorway use needs to be introduced.

there are some seriously bad drivers out there , this is a first step to fixing the problem. Theres a lot more needs doing though,

Jesus.

Fair points Eric.

I wonder though how many of the people who think they're very good drivers and want more things introduced to the test are among the worst out there? In my experience of life, its often those who shout the most who are the worst of the lot!

LFCFan

The level of ignorance of correct lane discipline on the M50 and M1 which I drive every day is astonishing to the point where I've actually had lane hoggers give me the finger and flash lights. Like a chap in a white van who was driving along in lane 3 around 10 car lengths behind me in the middle lane (where I was overtaking traffic in the inside lane) and as I came to each middle lane hogger I overtook and went back to the middle lane and continued overtaking lane 1. This continued for another 3 or 4 cars all while the white van driver continued to drive in the overtaking lane flashing me any time I entered the 3rd lane in front of him even though he was well back and refusing to move in and also had many cars undertake him because of his lane hogging. He eventually had to move across as his exit was coming up and came up alongside me, giving me the finger and pointing as if to say, 'why did you keep pulling in and out in front of me'. I would love to talk to these people and try and explain the rules of lane use but I reckon a lot of these people are so ignorant of the rules, they think they are 100% right.

H3llR4iser

Hachiko wrote: »

I was back home for easter, all I can say is brutal drivers. Would never move back to Ireland. Every 5 minutes passing out idiots doing 40mph and rinse and repeat.

This is in the sthicks but probably repeated all over the land.

I may as well add the fog lights, whats with everyone having them on, weather was fantastic and absolutely no need to use them.

unreal.

I am starting to think they got the working of them the other way around.

Cork this morning - fog. Every car with the foglights off. Baffled to say the least!

Eric Cartman

H3llR4iser wrote: »

I am starting to think they got the working of them the other way around.

Cork this morning - fog. Every car with the foglights off. Baffled to say the least!

but nobody can see how cool you look with your fogs on if theres fog.

ofcork

I saw plenty with NO light on at all.

Truckermal

https://twitter.com/GardaTraffic/status/627379503451475968

Fair play AGS!

Autosport

On the M9 this morning and the Gardai had an L driver pulled over, do some Learner drivers not know that they're not supposed to be on the motorway

sdanseo

Danjamin1 wrote: »

It's a particularly annoying problem on Irish roads, I actually explained the lane dynamic of a three lane motorway to someone a few weeks back and they genuinely didn't know they were supposed to keep to the left lane when driving. This person has been driving roughly 10 years so I was shocked they didn't know this, not only that but they disputed it! I picked up an RSA booklet on motorway driving from a local Garda station to show them & only then was it accepted.

Anyway, it's good to see some enforcement & hopefully there's plenty more if it to come. I'm sick of seeing people hogging the middle lane on the M50 when lane 1 is almost completely empty.

...I've flashed the headlights at people (politely) only to end up overtaking in Lane 3 anyway, to be given looks of confusion and hysterical anger. The most annoying part of the problem is people not understanding what they're doing wrong (and more importantly, not understanding the consequences it has to traffic flow on the M50 - I'm convinced it's a primary reason that it becomes a car park at times).

I mailed the NRA a year or so back about putting "keep left unless overtaking" on the VMS. It seems red tape is at play - that would have to be "part of an agreed national campaign" between RSA/AGS/NRA.

Daaryl wrote: »

Why did that person just stop in the focus? Could of caused a unnecessary crash!

Stupidity, and a lack of driving knowledge contributed to by no motorway or dual carriageway training whatsoever as a mandatory part of driving instruction.

Sometimes I want to go out and buy a huge-ass LCD message board and chuck it in the back window.

AndyBoBandy

I drive in the U.K. A lot and I regularly see on the motorway information boards "don't hog the middle lane", that's all we need, as our signs are not used most of the time!

DopeTech

Finally is right. Saw the cops flash the blues and twos at an elderly man crawling along at 85-90 in the 3rd lane of the m50. Man didn't pull over for a good mile or two. When he eventually moved over to lane 2 the cops just took off. Surely they should have pulled him and told him to stick to lane 1 if he's going to be doing speeds like that.

fullstop

Autosport wrote: »

On the M9 this morning and the Gardai had an L driver pulled over, do some Learner drivers not know that they're not supposed to be on the motorway

They generally know, but don't care as nothing is ever done about it. A work colleague of mine has been driving on the motorway to work for the last 2 years with an L-Plate. Sometimes I wonder why I bothered doing the test.

pippip

Autosport wrote: »

On the M9 this morning and the Gardai had an L driver pulled over, do some Learner drivers not know that they're not supposed to be on the motorway

Just cause it had L plates doesn't mean the driver was the learner. Might have been doing something else to cause getting pulled over.

ofcork

Can afford a 5 series but still doesn't know correct motorway driving!

Pov06

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

I drive in the U.K. A lot and I regularly see on the motorway information boards "don't hog the middle lane", that's all we need, as our signs are not used most of the time!

There is no point telling drivers "don't hog the middle lane" if they don't even understand what lane hogging is.

TheChizler

Drove on the M50 for the second time ever last week, quite a few times when I went to overtake they sped up to match my speed (cruise control on the whole time), so it looked like I was just sitting in the second/third lanes. Driver behavior noticeably changed once on the city side of Naas.

Pov06

TheChizler wrote: »

Drove on the M50 for the second time ever last week, quite a few times when I went to overtake they sped up to match my speed (cruise control on the whole time), so it looked like I was just sitting in the second/third lanes. Driver behavior noticeably changed once on the city side of Naas.

The M50 is probably the most horrible motorway to drive on in the country from my experience. I always enjoy the drive on the M1/2/3/7 but it's a different game on the M50.

sdanseo

TheChizler wrote: »

Drove on the M50 for the second time ever last week, quite a few times when I went to overtake they sped up to match my speed (cruise control on the whole time), so it looked like I was just sitting in the second/third lanes. Driver behavior noticeably changed once on the city side of Naas.

It's the three lanes that melts people's brains. The two lane motorway still sees a lot of hogging, but people seem to know they're doing wrong.

When it goes to three lanes, it's an "ah sure there's a lane either side for people to pass" mentality.

Celly Smunt

ofcork wrote: »

Can afford a 5 series but still doesn't know correct motorway driving!

How does income correlate with motorway discipline?

mags1962

Did you not know that those pesky bmw and audi drivers are the worst in the world and are to blame for everything bad that happens on the roads?
Sure they are always looking to overtake others that are driving at the speed limit in the fast lane anyways

challengemaster

Truckermal wrote: »

Fair play AGS!

Fair play for finally starting to do their job? o.O

It's good they're doing it, but they should have been all along.

AndyBoBandy

Pov06 wrote: »

There is no point telling drivers "don't hog the middle lane" if they don't even understand what lane hogging is.

maybe large billboards are required at the beginning and along all the motorways explaining what it is for a few years is whats required for the current drivers.

and better training/testing for the new drivers coming through.

highdef

pippip wrote: »

Just cause it had L plates doesn't mean the driver was the learner. Might have been doing something else to cause getting pulled over.

If L plates are up, the driver should be a learner. I remember seeing one of the UK police shows a few years ago. The police pulled in a car with L plates. They were going to do the learner driver for driving on the motorway. Upon speaking to the driver, he was not a learner at all and had a full licence. So instead he was done for wasting police time.

inforfun

1 penalty point for lane middle lane hogging?
NCT out is 5 points?

Can we have that the other way around please?

While a car should be tested, al clear sign of not knowing how to behave on a road should be punished harder than a car being a month out of the NCT.

_Kaiser_

Seriously, I sometimes think all you who give out about these "middle lane hoggers" never drive on 3-lane roads like the M50, because if ye did you'd understand how this is a minor consequence of much larger issues...


- People who can't merge properly.. either ridiculously slowly or even stopping dead at the end of the slip road - or the other sort who jump out over the hatch markings directly into the path of oncoming traffic in Lane 1

- People in Lane 1 who won't move over to accommodate merging when safe to do so - if even out of courtesy and common sense/personal safety!

- Dawdlers in Lane 1/2 doing 20 km/h+ lower than the limit for no good reason (no, saving fuel doesn't count, nor does the whole "it's a limit not a target" shyte.. it's a motorway not a country lane. Drive the f*ck on!)

- poor junction design like the Ballymount N merge leading directly onto one of the busiest exits in the country (the Naas Road/N7) or the Stillorgan/J14S exit beyond which the M50 becomes 2 lanes so you get a stream of cars trying to exit at the same time as trucks and others lumber across into the middle-but-soon-to-be-left lane

- Idiots undertaking (because even here there's lots of people who think it's perfectly fine!) or aggressively lane-hopping to get a few car lengths ahead

- People leaving it to the last minute to get across for their exit, or who'll even slow dramatically/stop until someone lets them across

- People changing lanes without indicating, or even looking!, or who think they can force their way over regardless. This is worse again when it's a 40 foot truck overtaking another, AKA elephant racing

- Tailgating asshats .. admittedly partly to dissuade the group above I suppose

- Honorable mention too to the eejits driving in the dark/rain (particularly with the poor drainage on the M50) with no/minimal lights.. these become practically invisible which just adds to the chaos


The M50 is impossible to use in the same manner as a "normal" motorway as a result.. mostly because of the above but also the volume of traffic and number of exits/merges that are placed over a few km (particularly the busiest stretch.. Tallaght to Blanch) but for "fun" I tried to rigidly follow the "rules" on the 3-lane stretch of the N7 recently and between all of the above carry on it was an incredibly stressful and indeed dangerous idea.

So I'll stick to my normal practise thanks.. drive at the limit/traffic flow if safe to do so and in a defensive manner, and seeing as that normally means moving faster than anything to the left I usually find myself in lane 3, while constantly overtaking a line of slower traffic beside me... but for the pedants, this is not the same as "holding up" other traffic - as above it seems that most can't even keep up with traffic nevermind overtake it.


When AGS start addressing the above (and I wouldn't be surprised if the only reason those guys on the Twitter feed were pulled was because the Gardai were speeding along in the outside lane behind them themselves) then maybe "middle lane hogging" will be a valid complaint