I hate the M50 [Warning post #222]

First Up

RayCun wrote:

Idiots on their phones

But why do the cars in front brake suddenly?

RainyDay

First Up wrote: »

But why do the cars in front brake suddenly?

Probably because they're watching their phones, not the road ahead.

First Up

RainyDay wrote:

Probably because they're watching their phones, not the road ahead.

So there were no accidents before mobile phones. Hadn't realised that.

OldMrBrennan83

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RayCun

First Up wrote: »

But why do the cars in front brake suddenly?

'Suddenly' here meaning "faster than the driver behind could react to "
Which doesn't have to be that fast if the driver behind is sending a text

marno21

First Up wrote: »

So there were no accidents before mobile phones. Hadn't realised that.

There wasn't 160k vehicles a day using the M50 before mobile phones.

RayCun

First Up wrote: »

So there were no accidents before mobile phones. Hadn't realised that.

Yeah, that is what everyone is saying. Before mobile phones were invented nobody ever crashed. Also travelling over the speed limit will make your car disintegrate and traffic lights will zap you with a laser if you break a red.
Gosh, it does sound foolish now that you point it out. Thanks so much for sharing your clear vision with us all!

RainyDay

First Up wrote: »

So there were no accidents before mobile phones. Hadn't realised that.

Was that the question that was asked?

First Up

Patww79 wrote:

This post has been deleted.

I suspect you are right. Maybe the RSA could move it forward by publishing an analysis of the causes of accidents on the M50. Plenty of material available.

First Up

RainyDay wrote:

Was that the question that was asked?

Don't know about the question but in some peoples' opinion it is the cause of all accidents.

In my opinion the main causes of crashes on the M50 are:- (in no particular order)
1, bad lane discipline - drivers in the wrong lanes
2. weaving to get "pole position"
3. racing to fill the gap.
4. incorrect merging/demerging - going over the solid lines at the junctions.


I would put the "twin evils" of speeding & mobile phones at the bottom of the list.

OldMrBrennan83

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Patww79

Patww79 wrote: »

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yes points 1, 2 and 3 above.

OldMrBrennan83

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plodder

First Up wrote: »

I suspect you are right. Maybe the RSA could move it forward by publishing an analysis of the causes of accidents on the M50. Plenty of material available.

Sending or receiving texts is the big hazard. You'd like to think people don't do it when traffic is moving normally, but it's hard to believe that some aren't doing it when traffic is stop/start because you see it all the time on ordinary roads. Not many people are going to admit it though. So, I'm not sure how you would analyse it. Also, when one person slams on the brakes, the effect can still be present several minutes later, increasing the chances of a rear-end.

First Up

plodder wrote: »

Sending or receiving texts is the big hazard. You'd like to think people don't do it when traffic is moving normally, but it's hard to believe that some aren't doing it when traffic is stop/start because you see it all the time on ordinary roads. Not many people are going to admit it though. So, I'm not sure how you would analyse it. Also, when one person slams on the brakes, the effect can still be present several minutes later, increasing the chances of a rear-end.

Of course that is stupid behaviour but is there evidence that phones are the main or even a significant cause of accidents on the M50? A large number of the accidents I hear reported are in the outside lane which is the least likely place anyone would be texting in. That suggests to me that at least some are caused by cars changing lanes without due care and a big reason for that is people trying to get around the middle lane hoggers.

But this is all speculation; lets ask the RSA to do a proper analysis.

plodder

First Up wrote: »

But this is all speculation; lets ask the RSA to do a proper analysis.

No need. Variable speed limits with automatic enforcement will avoid the problems you are talking about. Reduced limits (that are enforced) eliminate this sense of entitlement that some drivers have to get ahead of everyone else. They improve throughput as well. So, everyone wins.

Irish Steve

Too much over analysing.

The basic issue with rear end incidents on the M50 is that there are too many people who have no idea of what a sensible distance from the vehicle in front is. 40 plus years of experience in a wide range of vehicles in terms of both performance and size means I leave a distance that allows me to respond to a red light on the back of the vehicle in front of me without a heart stopping moment, but way too often, that gap gets taken by someone that's desperate to gain less than 10 metres of advantage over the vehicles around them, and if the vehicle in front of them stops suddenly, or even slows unexpectedly, they are in trouble.

It's going to be very interesting to see what happens when self driving cars are added in to the mix, as their programming is going to be leaving sensible braking distances, and if a moron takes that gap, the self drive will re create it, what will be interesting to see is how aggressively it will do so, in terms of the effect on the other vehicles around it, if the self drive brakes firmly to ensure safety, that could well be the start of a potential rear end as the vehicle behind is caught unawares.

Phones, breakfast, make up, all of them totally inappropriate activities in high speed high density traffic, and even more so when more than one of these are being done at the same time, which I've seen on a number of occasions.

If possible, I avoid the Dublin area at peak periods, simply because I don't need the aggravation.

It's not going to improve any time soon, as the political will to deal with the underlying causes is not there, as there is a real risk that the changes needed to improve driver behaviour will lose votes for whoever introduces them, so it's a long way down the political agenda.

First Up

plodder wrote:

No need. Variable speed limits with automatic enforcement will avoid the problems you are talking about.

Variable speed limits have their benefits but they won't eliminate people getting on to the M50, moving into the middle lane and switching off their brains.

Nice video, ignore the last minute.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHzzSao6ypE

plodder

Some serious headcases on the roads in Dublin this morning. Be careful out there. If I had got the reg of the gravel truck that exited and re-entered the M50 at Ballymun, breaking two red lights in the process, I would have reported him. That driver needs to be put off the road.

M94

plodder wrote: »

Some serious headcases on the roads in Dublin this morning. Be careful out there. If I had got the reg of the gravel truck that exited and re-entered the M50 at Ballymun, breaking two red lights in the process, I would have reported him. That driver needs to be put off the road.

That would literally mean nothing, giving them a number plate and saying that the truck broke the red light will not do anything whatsoever. Gardai have to see the violation taking place before they can do anything.

plodder

M94 wrote: »

That would literally mean nothing, giving them a number plate and saying that the truck broke the red light will not do anything whatsoever. Gardai have to see the violation taking place before they can do anything.

I don't think that's true. Otherwise what would the point of this be?

http://www.garda.ie/Controller.aspx?Page=111

This wasn't just a normal red light breaking (which you see most drivers taking a chance on every day). There was no way this guy could have stopped if a car was going through the opposite way. The truck driver would have been fine, but any car colliding with the thing would have been pulverised.

First Up

I got told off for posting in the "official" M50 thread about the 2 hour standstill northbound at rush hour yesterday.

It seems to have been caused by a truck shedding its load and from the photos, it looked quite a mess.

My question is, are any sanctions applied to the truck companies or their staff who cause this kind of thing? I heard no mention of an accident so this was presumably due to pure negligence. Does anyone know what is done about it?

ohnonotgmail

First Up wrote: »

I got told off for posting in the "official" M50 thread about the 2 hour standstill northbound at rush hour yesterday.

It seems to have been caused by a truck shedding its load and from the photos, it looked quite a mess.

My question is, are any sanctions applied to the truck companies or their staff who cause this kind of thing? I heard no mention of an accident so this was presumably due to pure negligence. Does anyone know what is done about it?

Is that what caused the problem? There was no mention of the cause of the problem on the NRA website yesterday. Really glad i avoided it.

Seth Brundle

According to the Indo yesterday (not sure what happened regarding the abandoned car in the left lane)...
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/major-delays-of-up-to-90-minutes-on-m50-as-car-abandoned-in-left-lane-and-dumper-truck-sheds-load-35353907.html

markpb

ohnonotgmail wrote:

Is that what caused the problem? There was no mention of the cause of the problem on the NRA website yesterday. Really glad i avoided it.

Yesterday saw a truck spilling it's load, a car abandoned, a crash and an abandoned Christmas tree. You couldn't make it up! Traffic on local roads around Sandyford at 6:30 yesterday was abysmal because everyone was trying to avoid the traffic jam that was m50n.

trellheim

It was also the first day back to work for many.

Pinch Flat

trellheim wrote: »

It was also the first day back to work for many.

Do people forget how to drive over Christmas :pac:?

Dravokivich

trellheim wrote: »

It was also the first day back to work for many.

That has nothing to do with yesterday though. A lot of the M50 bridge was closed off. It's quite the pinch point on the M50 and the alternate routes to get around it.