Should speeders lose their driving licence?

Crock Rock

Speeding is rampant in this country and we are a nation of chronic speeders. This culture needs to be nipped in the bud once and for all.


On my commute to work, I always use cruise control and drive upto the speed limit on the button. Every day, without fail some cars will overtake me. Despite the fact that I am already driving at the speed limit.


I understand and appreciate that certain speed limits are set too low (and some are also set too high) but rules are rules and they must be obeyed.


Some people might come in with the argument that my speedo might be under reading, but whenever I'm being overtaken, they overtake me like I'm standing still and vanish away in the blink of an eye. So this point is moot. Besides, my speedometer only overreports by 1 or 2 km/h. I've verified this against two different GPSs.


On certain stretches of raod where I drive where the speed limit is 60 km/h, I am often overtaken by some people who appear to be driving at 80 km/h ! This is a dangerously high breach of the speed limit.


There must be something causing this:



Either:

[A] They are well aware of the speed limit but choose to ignore it.


They are ignorant of the speed limits and don't notice the signs and just drive to suit the conditions.


We need to smash our speed culture.

stefanovich

Controversial post. Your speedometer is likely over reporting your speed so that would make you under for a start.

What about all the people who never indicate, cut through roundabouts, break unnecessarily, drive too slowly, tailgate, can't overtake when they should, can't drive at night. All worse than speeding.

GBX

The Garda are over stretched as it is. How do you expect them to catch everyone who speeds?

Crock Rock

GBX wrote: »

The Garda are over stretched as it is. How do you expect them to catch everyone who speeds?

Hidden average speed cameras everywhere.
They can even be built into traffic lights, couple this with red light cameras.

amcalester

The rules we have are fine, we just need more enforcement.

Tomw86

Need to get a proper review of speed limits on our road as a first port of call.

100km/h on the M50 and 100km/h on some country road barely wide enough for 2 cars - that is the type of inconsistency that we are dealing with and causes many fatal crashes on rural roads.

100km/h on certain motorways is too low in the first place so that should be brought up to the European counterparts levels.

GBX

Crock Rock wrote: »

Hidden average speed cameras everywhere.
They can even be built into traffic lights, couple this with red light cameras.

And the budget for this is coming from?? Chicken and egg ... Cameras already out there. How's it being spent - revinvested back into policing?

Crock Rock

Personally I'd like to see a zero tolerance approach.

A leeway of 5 km/h should apply (if we're going to be generous) but I'd prefer no leewy at all.
As soon as you breach the limit, you will receive a fine equal to a month's net wages.

If you are on welfare, then there will be a flat fine of €50 to be fair.

stefanovich

GBX wrote: »

The Garda are over stretched as it is. How do you expect them to catch everyone who speeds?

What about if you are speeding behind a speeding Garda car? Traffic corps do not obey the rules they just enforce them. Undertook by a motorcycle cop on the hard shoulder en route to lunch. Forced off the road by traffic corp en route to subway.

Crock Rock

Tomw86 wrote: »

Need to get a proper review of speed limits on our road as a first port of call.

100km/h on the M50 and 100km/h on some country road barely wide enough for 2 cars - that is the type of inconsistency that we are dealing with and causes many fatal crashes on rural roads.

100km/h on certain motorways is too low in the first place so that should be brought up to the European counterparts levels.

I agree with everyhing you said.
I acknowledge that some limits are too low, but rules are rules and they must be obeyed. Until the limits are increased, they must be obeyed as is.

amcalester

Tomw86 wrote: »

Need to get a proper review of speed limits on our road as a first port of call.

100km/h on the M50 and 100km/h on some country road barely wide enough for 2 cars - that is the type of inconsistency that we are dealing with and causes many fatal crashes on rural roads.

100km/h on certain motorways is too low in the first place so that should be brought up to the European counterparts levels.

What country road barely wide enough for 2 cars has a speed limit of 100 kmh?

You sure it’s not 80 kmh?

whomitconcerns

Crock Rock wrote: »

Personally I'd like to see a zero tolerance approach.

A leeway of 5 km/h should apply (if we're going to be generous) but I'd prefer no leewy at all.
As soon as you breach the limit, you will receive a fine equal to a month's net wages.

If you are on welfare, then there will be a flat fine of €50 to be fair.

So based on your system, if your on welfare you can buy a 'break the speed limit' ticket for €50?

Same fine for everyone. Double it every time you get one. Problem gets solved eventually

mgn

What about the person doing 40 mph where the speed limit is 60 mph with 20 or 30 cars and trucks stuck behind them.

Crock Rock

mgn wrote: »

What about the person doing 40 mph where the speed limit is 60 mph with 20 or 30 cars and trucks stuck behind them.

It's a limit, not a target. Can you not overtake?

Where is the speed limit 60 mph in Ireland anyway? We use km/h here.

Yakult

amcalester wrote: »

What country road barely wide enough for 2 cars has a speed limit of 100 kmh?

Ring of Kerry has roads that are 100kmh limit, yet even 80kmh seems too quick on it. Not very wide and has plenty of tight bends. Absolute madness.

That is one of many roads that have a higher limit and should only allow 80kmh max.

stefanovich

Crock Rock wrote: »

It's a limit, not a target. Can you not overtake?

What about 20 mph on a motorway?

jammiedodgers

Crock Rock wrote: »

Personally I'd like to see a zero tolerance approach.

A leeway of 5 km/h should apply (if we're going to be generous) but I'd prefer no leewy at all.
As soon as you breach the limit, you will receive a fine equal to a month's net wages.

If you are on welfare, then there will be a flat fine of €50 to be fair.

How is that fair?

stefanovich

jammiedodgers wrote: »

How is that fair?

Well a month of welfare would be fair. 180 x 4. Why are you driving a car if you have no job?

Crock Rock

jammiedodgers wrote: »

How is that fair?

Fines are proportional to income.


The more you earn the more you should pay.


Under the current system you can speed with impunity if you have deep pockets.

The high horse brigade

I would say phone use and other distractions while driving are a bigger issue than speeding

coolisin

This is a little tricky OP.

I appreciate what you are saying but speeding on a motorway in dry conditions with great visibility is different to speeding in heavy fog or heavy rain.

I do the same stick on cruise control and enjoy my commute.

Personally a person who pulls onto a motorway,from a stop, after stopping on the hardshoulder is more dangerous then the person doing 130kmh in the overtaking lane.

Or what about a person I saw stopped on a entrance to a roundabout to answer their phone.
These types of people are more dangerous then speeding.

I will give you that speeding in a built up area is a big no no.
Generally a 50kmh zone.

Crock Rock

stefanovich wrote: »

What about 20 mph on a motorway?

reductio ad absurdum

mgn

Crock Rock wrote: »

It's a limit, not a target. Can you not overtake?

Where is the speed limit 60 mph in Ireland anyway? We use km/h here.

What do you mean we use km/h here.When i started driving it was mph here so if it was good enough then it is good enough for me now.

jammiedodgers

Crock Rock wrote: »

Under the current system you can speed with impunity if you have deep pockets.

Not really, you'd be off the road after 12 penalty points whether you're employed or not

Yakult

You could also say that the root of the problem lies within how one acquires a licence in this country in the first place. If a trip around the town/city constitutes as a test, then we have a big problem. Drivers who aren't trained to react at higher speeds (disregarding law breaking speeding).

Crock Rock

mgn wrote: »

What do you mean we use km/h here.When i started driving it was mph here so if it was good enough then it is good enough for me now.

That's then, this is now.


There are no roads in Ireland whatsoever where the speed limit is in mph, so your question is invalid.

kirving

Crock Rock wrote: »

On certain stretches of raod where I drive where the speed limit is 60 km/h, I am often overtaken by some people who appear to be driving at 80 km/h ! This is a dangerously high breach of the speed limit.

We need to smash our speed culture.

Driving above an arbitrary limit is not dangerous, driving too fast for the conditions is. All too often, these two speed aren't even close to one another.

Your misplaced emphasis on Speeding neglects the one thing that has the most significant impact on road safety, and that is driver training. It's certainly improved a lot in recent year, but is still inadequate to say the least.

mgn

Crock Rock wrote: »

It's a limit, not a target. Can you not overtake?

Not every road in the country is a dual carriage or motorway so a lot of the time it's impossible to pass.A lot of people who complain about speeding wouldn't know how to drive on a country road in first place.

demanufactured

Motorway limits should go up imo,
And awful lot of dawdellers on the road barely doing 100.
They should stick to the national roads.

mgn

Crock Rock wrote: »

That's then, this is now.


There are no roads in Ireland whatsoever where the speed limit is in mph, so your question is invalid.

So if go to the UK what do you use.
If you go into a pub i bet you don't ask for a liter of beer.

Crock Rock

demanufactured wrote: »

Motorway limits should go up imo,
And awful lot of dawdellers on the road barely doing 100.
They should stick to the national roads.

Again, I agree that some limits are set too low.



In fact, I'd like to see a limit of 160 km/h on the motorway, enforcement of keeping left (aided by cameras) and points for failing to do so.
But the limit is what it currently is, you can't have 80 % of people obeying the limit and 20%+ pissing by above it.


In fact, I'd say it's worse that 20%, I'd say 30-40% pass be by every day despite me driving at the speed limit.

Wishbone Ash

mgn wrote: »

What do you mean we use km/h here.When i started driving it was mph here so if it was good enough then it is good enough for me now.

Do you still tender pounds, shillings and pence when you go to the shop?

Crock Rock

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Do you still tender pounds, shillings and pence when you go to the shop?

There's no need to attack or insult the man.

You can disagree without beig caustic.

mgn

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Do you still tender pounds, shillings and pence when you go to the shop?

I used them last week when i was in the UK.

Have you ever being to the UK.

Wishbone Ash

The poll is missing the most important option - enforcement of existing legislation. People exceed the speed limit because they have a 99% chance of getting away with it.

yrreg0850

Crock Rock wrote: »

Hidden average speed cameras everywhere.
They can even be built into traffic lights, couple this with red light cameras.

Visable cameras in known/advertised locations would slow traffic.


The present method of hidden speed vans are only for revenue gathering.
On a number of occasions I even observed these vans parked on hard margins in the dark totally unlit.
This does not contribute to road safety.
In fact if a motorist parked a private car in some of these locations in darkness they could be liable to get a ticket.

Crock Rock

yrreg0850 wrote: »

Visable cameras in known/advertised locations would slow traffic.


The present method of hidden speed vans are only for revenue gathering.
On a number of occasions I even observed these vans parked on hard margins in the dark totally unlit.
This does not contribute to road safety.
In fact if a motorist parked a private car in some of these locations in darkness they could be liable to get a ticket.

Don't break the speed limits and you won't have to worry .. EVER!

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

stefanovich wrote: »

Well a month of welfare would be fair. 180 x 4. Why are you driving a car if you have no job?

What a stupid comment. As if only the employed have a right to drive...

Can an unemployed person wipe their arse with triple ply or do they need to used recycled toilet paper?

Fines as % is the fairest, if fair is what you want, but it's probably not.

Crock Rock

mgn wrote: »

So if go to the UK what do you use.
If you go into a pub i bet you don't ask for a liter of beer.

This isn't the UK.


Pints of beer and lbs of butter are the only exception to metrication in Ireland. Besides, speed, weight and volume are different quantities.

NSAman

amcalester wrote: »

What country road barely wide enough for 2 cars has a speed limit of 100 kmh?

You sure it’s not 80 kmh?

Most of the Ring of Kerry is 100kph......

Crock Rock

NSAman wrote: »

Most of the Ring of Kerry is 100kph......

What is kph?

I never heard of such a unit.

Infernal Racket

There are plenty of speed vans and garda speed checks around the country. As soon as they are set up there are multiple Facebook pages telling everyone exactly where they are. Same with checkpoints. Guards set up checkpoints which is a good opportunity for them to stop and check drivers out, see what criminals are using the roads but then even more Facebook posts pop up notifying people about them.

Tacklebox

I don't speed myself but I think if say some smarmy guy's driving a big powerful vaheicle and he's honing down the road at epic speeds he should be off the road forever and e ever...

That'll stop him, there with his wolex and paul Smith sleeves, who does he think he is?

James Dean.

And another thing, he should loose his house, wife and his standing in the hollow he spun out of....

Maybe im being harsh, put him in a 1992 micra and a Guiney shirt with micky mouse sunglasses....

mgn

Crock Rock wrote: »

This isn't the UK.


Pints of beer and lbs of butter are the only exception to metrication in Ireland. Besides, speed, weight and volume are different quantities.

Well i'll start using the metric system when everything is metric not because someone decided to use it for somethings and not for others.

NSAman

Crock Rock wrote: »

What is kph?

I never heard of such a unit.

https://www.metric-conversions.org/speed/kilometers-per-hour-to-miles-per-hour.htm

Google is your friend

Crock Rock

NSAman wrote: »

https://www.metric-conversions.org/speed/kilometers-per-hour-to-miles-per-hour.htm

Google is your friend

The unit of speed is km/h, not kph.

Crock Rock

Crock Rock wrote: »

Personally I'd like to see a zero tolerance approach.

A leeway of 5 km/h should apply (if we're going to be generous) but I'd prefer no leewy at all.
As soon as you breach the limit, you will receive a fine equal to a month's net wages.

If you are on welfare, then there will be a flat fine of €50 to be fair.

That last line was like lifting your skirt so everyone could see ‘troll’ tattooed around your arsehole.

_Kaiser_

Sorry OP, I have to complete disagree with your post and attitude - but it's common in those "better, safer" drivers in my experience.

There's a lot more to safe driving than slavishly following an arbitrary speed limit (which generally is either too low or too high when outside the built up areas). There's things like changing lanes at the last moment without warning, tailgating, lane-weaving, dangerous overtaking, driving in poor conditions with no lights on, texting while driving etc etc

All far more dangerous than someone doing a bit over on a road that's probably well capable of it if it happens to you so often

andekwarhola

mgn wrote: »

What about the person doing 40 mph where the speed limit is 60 mph with 20 or 30 cars and trucks stuck behind them.

You know it's possible for many types of bad driving to exist? The existence of one type doesn't negate the other.

Pkiernan

Crock Rock wrote: »

Personally I'd like to see a zero tolerance approach.

A leeway of 5 km/h should apply (if we're going to be generous) but I'd prefer no leewy at all.
As soon as you breach the limit, you will receive a fine equal to a month's net wages.

If you are on welfare, then there will be a flat fine of €50 to be fair.

Why not a months dole?

vectra

I think somebody is just a cranky old busybody.