If your car broke down on the motorway...

Poll Dubh

EdgeCase wrote: »

If your car suffers a sudden component failure (very rare) that the stops the engine you need to immediately indicate and coast into the hard shoulder. Don't slam on and stop in the fast lane.

You should have enough forward momentum to take you in.

I don’t now how rare it is but my alternator failed once but I was lucky to be in a 50km zone. I wouldn’t fancy trying to coast across two busy lanes of the M50.

aaakev

I drove passed that crash in the outside lane of the North bound side a few hours after it happened and the car was unreasonable, it looked like it had been in a crusher. The boot was pushed up to the front sests, there was no way it was going to be anything but a fatal accident.

Timing belt snapped in an old van i was driving on the m7 years ago in the pissing rain. Rolled to a stop in the hard shoulder and spent an hour and a half standing up the bank getting soaked instead of staying in the van waiting for the recovery truck.

CJhaughey

aaakev wrote: »

Timing belt snapped in an old van i was driving on the m7 years ago in the pissing rain. Rolled to a stop in the hard shoulder and spent an hour and a half standing up the bank getting soaked instead of staying in the van waiting for the recovery truck.

But you are still here to post on that incident.

thunderdog

I got a blowout on the m50 a few years ago. Luckily it was a Saturday morning so not too bad but still tricky to manouevre into the hard shoulder.

It was the front left wheel which I changed there and then but I’ve since been told (by a colleague) that it’s illegal to change a tyre on the motorway. Is that correct?

tomoliver

How do they manage in the UK where there is no hard shoulder in places

They've been converting them into extra lanes

punisher5112

tomoliver wrote: »

How do they manage in the UK where there is no hard shoulder in places

They've been converting them into extra lanes

They have signs which actually work, have crews that close lanes sharpish and in most cases the speed lower signs which can also act as lane closed ahead signs at the flick or tick of a mouse.

What it all come down at, any person with any clue would get away from the stopped car. In this crash, the person was lucky not to be hit many times earlier. I think she stays in the car because she doesn't want to get wet. Which insurance company takes a call at 05:00?

tomoliver

[Deleted User] wrote: »

What it all come down at, any person with any clue would get away from the stopped car. In this crash, the person was lucky not to be hit many times earlier. I think she stays in the car because she doesn't want to get wet. Which insurance company takes a call at 05:00?

Probably breakdown assistance tied into insurance co

AndrewJRenko

Deleted User wrote: »

Which insurance company takes a call at 05:00?

All of them, via their breakdown service, like this example;


https://www.fbd.ie/car-insurance/services/emergency-assistance/

TeaBagMania

freddyuk wrote: »

How can you condone not paying attention while driving?

im not but people are going to do what people want to do.
We all know text\talking on the phone while driving is wrong but thats not going to keep the idiots in our population from doing it

Teddy Daniels

RustyNut wrote: »

I've been one of these artic drivers for over 30 years and I can totally understand how this happened.

Just wanted to know, what is the law regarding trucks in the right hand lane on motorways ?

flazio

thunderdog wrote: »

I got a blowout on the m50 a few years ago. Luckily it was a Saturday morning so not too bad but still tricky to manouevre into the hard shoulder.

It was the front left wheel which I changed there and then but I’ve since been told (by a colleague) that it’s illegal to change a tyre on the motorway. Is that correct?

Not sure about "illegal" but definitely "life threatening". Now be honest, did the blowout happen because your tyres were in such a condition that you wouldn't voluntarily call the Guards out to see them?

OldMrBrennan83

flazio wrote: »

Not sure about "illegal" but definitely "life threatening". Now be honest, did the blowout happen because your tyres were in such a condition that you wouldn't voluntarily call the Guards out to see them?

Really?

punisher5112

Teddy Daniels wrote: »

Just wanted to know, what is the law regarding trucks in the right hand lane on motorways ?

On a three lane motorway they may use lane two but aren't allowed in lane three.

thunderdog

flazio wrote: »

Not sure about "illegal" but definitely "life threatening". Now be honest, did the blowout happen because your tyres were in such a condition that you wouldn't voluntarily call the Guards out to see them?

Nope, 4 months into buying (well PCP) a brand new car. If I called out the AA, surely they would just change the tyre there and then as well, albeit their recovery vehicle is much more visible than my car.

freddyuk

Teddy Daniels wrote: »

Just wanted to know, what is the law regarding trucks in the right hand lane on motorways ?

Not sure in Ireland but I guess you cannot ban them from lane 2 if there are only 2 in the first place! In the UK on 3 lanes they are not allowed in the third lane as no need to be there. Now there are more 4-5 lane motorways they can use the third lane but tend to sit in the second lane thus leaving the inside lane clear and free for many miles. No consideration or awareness in many cases but that is not all drivers. There are enough out there that can cause all the chaos. M25 has a problem every day and they are stupid rear enders most of the time which is careless driving. Any sort of hold up and they start changing lanes to make a couple of yards which is where many collisions happen.

Motorway quickly becomes blocked for hours and they just walk away without any consequences. Dedicated "traffic management" officers are cruising the motorways and can close lanes very quickly.

Isambard

thunderdog wrote: »

Nope, 4 months into buying (well PCP) a brand new car. If I called out the AA, surely they would just change the tyre there and then as well, albeit their recovery vehicle is much more visible than my car.

i imagine they'd assess the quickest and safest way to clear the road , which may well be changing the wheel.

Isambard

freddyuk wrote: »

Not sure in Ireland but I guess you cannot ban them from lane 2 if there are only 2 in the first place! In the UK on 3 lanes they are not allowed in the third lane as no need to be there. Now there are more 4-5 lane motorways they can use the third lane but tend to sit in the second lane thus leaving the inside lane clear and free for many miles. No consideration or awareness in many cases but that is not all drivers. There are enough out there that can cause all the chaos. M25 has a problem every day and they are stupid rear enders most of the time which is careless driving. Any sort of hold up and they start changing lanes to make a couple of yards which is where many collisions happen.

Motorway quickly becomes blocked for hours and they just walk away without any consequences. Dedicated "traffic management" officers are cruising the motorways and can close lanes very quickly.

On motorways, trucks and other similarly speed restricted vehicles are not permitted in the outer lane, even if there are only two

Teddy Daniels

Isambard wrote: »

On motorways, trucks and other similarly speed restricted vehicles are not permitted in the outer lane, even if there are only two

I heard that before but wasn’t sure, link?

Teddy Daniels

Found this

https://www.google.ie/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/motors/hauliers-oppose-motorway-ban-1.1028576%3fmode=amp

So technically he was in the wrong lane and if he’d not pleaded guilty the prosecution could have brought this up.

TheChizler

Teddy Daniels wrote: »

I heard that before but wasn’t sure, link?

Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 > Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) Regulations, 1997 Section 33.

monkeybutter

I remember about 5 years ago, coming back from the airport, circa 9pm, a car was broken down in the middle lane, between blanch and the n4, down in the dip there, and the people were there, in the darkness, farting about getting bit and pieces out of the boot like it was a car park.

I slowed down of course, but shouted at them to get off the road. Then we rang the Police. They hadn't even bother to do so.

Some people do some stupid ****

RustyNut

Teddy Daniels wrote: »

Just wanted to know, what is the law regarding trucks in the right hand lane on motorways ?

Trucks are banned from the right hand lane of motorways. The thickest least thought through law ever in relation to road use.

OldMrBrennan83

RustyNut wrote: »

Trucks are banned from the right hand lane of motorways. The thickest least thought through law ever in relation to road use.

And the least enforced by a mile. Non existent enforcement, so it really doesn't matter. Was always pointless anyway in the big scheme of things.

Guy:Incognito

A truck overtaking another truck can hold things up for ages while he goes by at 1mph faster than the ones he's overtaking.

Dublin Coach's drivers love the outside lane on the m50

OldMrBrennan83

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

A truck overtaking another truck can hold things up for ages while he goes by at 1mph faster than the ones he's overtaking.

Dublin Coach's drivers love the outside lane on the m50

It was changed that buses are allowed.

Isambard

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

A truck overtaking another truck can hold things up for ages while he goes by at 1mph faster than the ones he's overtaking.

Dublin Coach's drivers love the outside lane on the m50

In truth it would only delay traffic by half a minute or so. Imagine the delay if a truck was forced to follow a slightly slower truck for 100 km. That delay costs you money in effect.

OldMrBrennan83

Isambard wrote: »

In truth it would only delay traffic by half a minute or so. Imagine the delay if a truck was forced to follow a slightly slower truck for 100 km. That delay costs you money in effect.

Exactly. In reality the time lost being behind a lorry overtaking is negligible. That said, if the rule is there then it should be enforced or gone.

RustyNut

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

A truck overtaking another truck can hold things up for ages while he goes by at 1mph faster than the ones he's overtaking.

Dublin Coach's drivers love the outside lane on the m50

I hear what you're saying but think about the alternative, if the law was strictly enforced.

Hypothetically, let's say one of Nolan transports trucks is leaving Tivoly docks in Cork heading for dublin fully freighted, grossing 40 tonnes. Nolan limiters all seem to be set at 80 k's the same as Stobarts were, so that's the fastest it is going to go.

Once he hits the Dunkettle interchange no other truck can pass him but the vast majority will catch up because they have a limiter set to 85 or 90 k's and will not be as heavy so will be quicker uphill. Now by the time he reaches Portlaoise there will be a huge tailback of trucks maxing out at 80 but often going a lot slower.

All it takes then is one car driver who is happy to pootle along at 85 or 90 to start overtaking the convoy that has built up, or even worse on a wet road one of those drivers that will come up behind a truck but have to sit there for a while to get the nerve up to push through the spray and do this for each truck and the whole motorway is reduced to the speed of the slowest car.

An overtaking ban in appropriate places, big hills etc would be a reasonable provision but a blanket ban is just stupid.

Just my €0.02

goat2

Poll Dubh wrote: »

I don’t now how rare it is but my alternator failed once but I was lucky to be in a 50km zone. I wouldn’t fancy trying to coast across two busy lanes of the M50.

Since this could be a problem for any of us, if a car dies suddenly,
What is the correct procedure,
First for me are the hazard warning lights, but on a busy highway, motorway, how do I disembark if there people that are so much in a hurry and I cannot disembark the vehicle because of the amount of traffic on the road at the time,
and some are not patient enough to hit the brake for a few seconds so that I can run to safety