Are drivers getting more aggressive last 10 years, or coked up?

Dravokivich

Dravokivich wrote: »

They dont give sh!t. All they are thinking is, you're in their way. They dont care at all.

I know. But had I crashed right in front of them because I was dazzled by their full beams, given the speed they were going, they weren't getting out alive either. I just find it strange people don't have that level of basic risk assessment as natural.

Lackey

Wibbs wrote: »

If you're getting regular flashing lights and horns, it might be you. On the principle of if one person says you smell you can safely discount it, if ten do, buy soap.

Would have agreed with that until L plates went back on the car for the young one
Funnily enough it NEVER happens when shes driving with her dad beside her..or I’m driving with the young lad in the car with us ..they’re both over 6ft.

Lackey

Lackey wrote: »

Would have agreed with that until L plates went back on the car for the young one
Funnily enough it NEVER happens when shes driving with her dad beside her..or I’m driving with the young lad in the car with us ..they’re both over 6ft.

That's funny, when I had my husband in the car with his L plates he would get people sitting on the horn behind him at junctions and roundabouts even when it wasn't safe for him to.go, also the very second the light turned green. One day I left the back L plate up because I wasn't arsed getting out and opening the boot to take it down, and experienced the same. Beeping at a roundabout even though I'd only just pulled up and was waiting for a gap, and very dangerous overtaking despite not driving any differently than I do every day without plates.

I was stuck today behind a learner who was stalling repeatedly in a slow queue of traffic. Car ahead of me and me behind just stayed patiently. Others actually started to cross into the other side of the road to get onto the roundabout, some of them sitting on the horn and shouting. That is the best driving teacher obviously. The only reason a learner stalls at a roundabout is because no one has ever stressed the fcuk out of them!

Emme

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Like everything it’s a combination of things
Longer days in work
More stress at work
Less time at home
Longer commutes
More people on road
More people = more chance of accident = long delays

All of these plus more combine to a very irate Irish driver

Plus the fact most Irish drivers, myself included, are actually f**king awful drivers. No idea how to use lanes, roundabout, traffic lights , like the most basic thing on a car is indicators and 99% of drivers haven’t a fu*king clue. Plus you will always have some gobs**t with their fog lights on

Take the beeps, it’s only going to get worse not better

+100 to this. People are very stressed all round with less time to do anything. I have a very unsympathetic boss who has hauled me up in front of HR when I have been late due to train delays. I am sure some other bosses are like this and the Irish transport system (public and private) is not compatible with being dead on time for work every day no matter how early you get up. That's no excuse to drive badly of course but if you drive to work it makes somebody doing 50 in an 80 zone very annoying. I mentioned before that people tend not to dip their lights as much these days.

Here's an example of an a$$hole I encountered this morning. SUV in front of me decides to empty the contents of his ashtray/dustbin onto the road out his window. while he was driving. If the weather had been windy some of his rubbish could have ended up on my windscreen blocking my view. I beeped at him and he stopped in the middle of the road, went on, stopped and so on. I pulled in as soon as I could and put some distance between him and me. Maybe I shouldn't have beeped but littering is an offence.

Emme

Emme wrote: »

Here's an example of an a$$hole I encountered this morning. SUV in front of me decides to empty the contents of his ashtray/dustbin onto the road out his window. while he was driving. If the weather had been windy some of his rubbish could have ended up on my windscreen blocking my view. I beeped at him and he stopped in the middle of the road, went on, stopped and so on. I pulled in as soon as I could and put some distance between him and me. Maybe I shouldn't have beeped but littering is an offence.

I am loathe to use the horn for anything other than its intended use as a warning, but I believe in this instance you were right to use it to alert this driver that emptying out their ashtray in wind caused you a hindrance. It's so frustrating that all you have to alert other drivers is lights and a horn!

I once used my horn, like sat on it, when a driver overtook me on a blind corner. Lucky I did because the car coming around the blind corner heard it and pulled over. They flashed their headlights at the dangerous driver then gave me the universal thank you of a few flashes of the hazard lights. It's a road I know like the back of my hand which is the only reason I thought to let out the loud warning. Scary how close each of us come every day to being a number in the RSA statistics.

firstlight

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

your not that great a driver yourself on the road 10 to 15 hours ?

Normal day for a truck or bus driver
Total respect for anyone who does it and deals with bad drivers all day long

firstlight

firstlight wrote: »

Normal day for a truck or bus driver
Total respect for anyone who does it and deals with bad drivers all day long

I'm a dog walker and easily do six hours broken journeys on the road five days a week. No one other than a gard has a right to tell you "Ur doing it rong"

-=al=-

Absolutely hate when people litter from the windows of their cars, especially cigarette buts, absolute cretins!

People have pretty lame attention spans and definitely less patience than they used to for most things these days, and driving is just another thing that's gotten worse for sure

There is definitely a difference in drivers now for the reasons mentioned, but what I've noticed, and maybe it was always like this, but people totally drive differently depending on what cars cars around them

I've driven All sorts of different cars from old bangers to vans, trucks and fancy rides, even cars with N plates, but what I have noticed - and maybe it's just me, there is definitely a difference in how other cars drive around you depending on what you're driving.

All about the respect and a bit of common courtesy but rarely see it on the roads now

As a smoker I often get frustrated and want to light up in heavy traffic but I see it as bad of not worse than doing your make up in the car. If you break hard and drop your lipstick it won't burn a hole in your foot. That really hurts.

FixdePitchmark

pwurple wrote: »

I drive a 5 year old car, automatic, and I have no idea why on earth people are putting the car in “park” or N at traffic lights. You are not parked. Neutral in an automatic is when you need to push it! No other reason to use that in normal driving. Sounds like a hangover from old gearbox driving, rather than knowing how to drive the newer models.

Any electric car has enough torque to be away from the lights in a split second. If you’re still there after a few seconds, you’re simply not paying attention, or you are driving something older. I give allowances for the auld fellas in fossil fuel cars who are chugging through combustion sequences, but give a gentle beep to dawdling phone readers.

I knew people were not doing something right .

It sounds like these lazy automatic drivers got one and just dont know how to use one.

Get out on to a dead road and practice. Get faster .

Optimalprimerib

It's the cocoon syndrome. You are in a soundproof box, where everyone else on the road is a dickhead and a crap driver except yourself.

I don't get as angry with slow drivers, but I would beep at lights if the car in front fails to advance after 3 or 4 seconds.

Impatience from others makes me murderous though. Undertaker's on a bus lane for example.

Wibbs

Lackey wrote: »

Would have agreed with that until L plates went back on the car for the young one
Funnily enough it NEVER happens when shes driving with her dad beside her..or I’m driving with the young lad in the car with us ..they’re both over 6ft.

Oh I'd agree L plates are horn and twat magnets.

Deleted User wrote: »

I was stuck today behind a learner who was stalling repeatedly in a slow queue of traffic. Car ahead of me and me behind just stayed patiently. Others actually started to cross into the other side of the road to get onto the roundabout, some of them sitting on the horn and shouting. That is the best driving teacher obviously. The only reason a learner stalls at a roundabout is because no one has ever stressed the fcuk out of them!

True, though I have a problem with driving instructors bringing learners who haven't learned the basics of car control out in anything like rush hour. It's not the learners fault, but you need to know how to work the basics on quiet roads before being dropped into heavy traffic.

Emme wrote: »

If the weather had been windy some of his rubbish could have ended up on my windscreen blocking my view.

Oh he was an arsehole alright, but let's not exaggerate here. Unless he was throwing A2 sheets of paper out of his car it would not have come close to blocking your view.

whisky_galore

-=al=- wrote: »

Absolutely hate when people litter from the windows of their cars, especially cigarette buts, absolute cretins!

There's a special place in hell for those who throw an entire newspaper, usually it's the Sun or similar rag, out of a car window. Why?

FixdePitchmark

Again , the RSA should do some positive driving campaigns.

Drink Driving
Death

Time me moved on
Motorway driving
indications
Fast progression
Not watching Netflix
make up tips

Then a campaign for an increase in speed limit to 150 kph on certain sections.

But if everyone could try be ready to get car moving in 1 second it would seriously help good drivers on the road.

DelBoy Trotter

I definitely agree that the roads have got worse in the last few years. I even got myself a dash cam recently due to it

fullstop

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

To be honest that sounds stupid or you are doing something wrong.

Anyway - Irish drivers are so slow - you should be able to do all that before car in front moves as you are hardly always the first car.

If you can't do anything about this - change car because it is ruining everyone else life behind you .

Just do it quicker - like practice it.

The fact you are willing to then hold people up more - says more about you and why you wont learn to do it faster.

I'd have that down to F1 pace , if I had such a daft set up.

You should try actually reading his post. He moves to N because on an auto box, even if you use the hill assist to hold the car, the brake lights will be on, so it’s out of consideration for the person behind him. I don’t bother my hole doing it, but each to their own. Moving back into D is probably no slower than the car re-starting with the fuel saving feature on all modern cars.

Dravokivich

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Again , the RSA should do some positive driving campaigns.

Drink Driving
Death

Time me moved on
Motorway driving
indications
Fast progression
Not watching Netflix
make up tips

Then a campaign for an increase in speed limit to 150 kph on certain sections.

But if everyone could try be ready to get car moving in 1 second it would seriously help good drivers on the road.

Increase the speed limit to 150, you'll get people speeding and normalising 180, then where do you go?

Also, speed limits should be set to a speed most cars can comfortably obtain. If you want small engines cars to be the majority for environmental reasons, you'll end up with a lower median cruising speed. My car isnt old by any means and would not be nice to sit in, upto 150.

fullstop

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Just , try do it faster, practice with a stop watch.

You can't be holding up the whole of Dublin - try harder.

Are you ****ing serious? Practice with a stop watch?!! Jesus wept. You’re coming across as a very impatient driver on this thread.

FixdePitchmark

fullstop wrote: »

You should try actually reading his post. He moves to N because on an auto box, even if you use the hill assist to hold the car, the brake lights will be on, so it’s out of consideration for the person behind him. I don’t bother my hole doing it, but each to their own. Moving back into D is probably no slower than the car re-starting with the fuel saving feature on all modern cars.

Trust me , the person behind would prefer the brake light .

Moving to d would be slower than the speed of restart system.

Samuel T. Cogley

Knob head on the M50 last night approaching the Malahide exit which is the outside lane. Flashes me and sits right up my hole even though I was doing the limit in the correct lane for that exit. Eventually overtakes on the inside. Manages to get a car length in front by the time we're at the exit so I give him a little flash back as I pass him on the inside on the round about as he's now up the arse of a HGV.

fullstop

pablo128 wrote: »

.....but you would move over for emergency vehicles, right? Even though you say it's 'illegal' to drive in the hard shoulder?

Are you being deliberately obtuse, or are you really just a bit dull? Of course people pull over for emergency vehicles/services. The clue is in the name. In an emergency you get the **** out of the way and don’t be a martyr just to prove whatever point it is you think you’re making.

saabsaab

Yes there are many bad drivers out there. Probably one in ten, enough to cause trouble for everyone else. I seriously suspect that many haven't passed a driving test.

pablo128

fullstop wrote: »

Are you being deliberately obtuse, or are you really just a bit dull? Of course people pull over for emergency vehicles/services. The clue is in the name. In an emergency you get the **** out of the way and don’t be a martyr just to prove whatever point it is you think you’re making.

But but but it's illegal!!!

You know full well the point I'm making. It's you who is being obtuse.

Shefwedfan

saabsaab wrote: »

Yes there are many bad drivers out there. Probably one in ten, enough to cause trouble for everyone else. I seriously suspect that many haven't passed a driving test.

To be fair they probably have all passed the driving test


It is fairly simple, driver proper for 30 mins.....drive like you never have before or after. Get a pass and then head off like a f**king lunatic down the road safe in the knowledge you are now a certified drivers and the rest of the drivers on the road are useless learners

Shefwedfan

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

Knob head on the M50 last night approaching the Malahide exit which is the outside lane. Flashes me and sits right up my hole even though I was doing the limit in the correct lane for that exit. Eventually overtakes on the inside. Manages to get a car length in front by the time we're at the exit so I give him a little flash back as I pass him on the inside on the round about as he's now up the arse of a HGV.

That has to be one of the most stupid junctions in Ireland.


You have people on the outside lane in the morning driving an old heap of sh*t van doing 50-80km/h and blocks the whole thing up because they have to take that exit


Whichever clown came up with that idea should have been fired on the spot

Shefwedfan

Shefwedfan wrote: »

That has to be one of the most stupid junctions in Ireland.


You have people on the outside lane in the morning driving an old heap of sh*t van doing 50-80km/h and blocks the whole thing up because they have to take that exit


Whichever clown came up with that idea should have been fired on the spot

Approaching a roundabout at 80km/h is not ‘blocking things up’.

cajonlardo

mloc123 wrote: »

When beeped at any junction the only reasonable response is to sit with your foot on the brakes and delay the person that beeped you by at least another 30 seconds.

And if the person you are holding up is an on call fire fighter responding to a life or death situation?

If they are coastal rescue or mountain rescue, Doctor on call?

cajonlardo

cajonlardo wrote: »

And if the person you are holding up is an on call fire fighter responding to a life or death situation?

If they are coastal rescue or mountain rescue, Doctor on call?

Then they wouldn’t beep over half a second delay.

cajonlardo

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Then they wouldn’t beep over half a second delay.

Go back and read the post I quoted.

There is no mention of half a second. The poster advocates deliberately delaying another driver by 30 seconds.

cajonlardo

cajonlardo wrote: »

Go back and read the post I quoted.

There is no mention of half a second. The poster advocates deliberately delaying another driver by 30 seconds.

Delaying them if they’re being a ****. Drivers like this won’t act the **** behind you.

cajonlardo

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Delaying them if they’re being a ****. Drivers like this won’t act the **** behind you.

Again.
Read the post quoted.

If you are on call emergency personnel driving your own car responding to a life and death situation and approach a car that is dittering and doddling you most likely will sound the horn to alert the other driver.

Been there, done that.
Even had an idiot deliberately block a junction at silly o clock in the morning and then pursue me to the station because he got upset that I flashed my headlights as we approached a green light

You wouldn't believe the amount of dopey gits who will deliberately delay without it ever occurring to them there may be a very valid reason why that other driver needs to drive at the legal limit instead of 30kph below it.

Dravokivich

cajonlardo wrote: »

And if the person you are holding up is an on call fire fighter responding to a life or death situation?

If they are coastal rescue or mountain rescue, Doctor on call?

Why are you putting this forward, when it's never the case?

Pinch Flat

Dravokivich wrote: »

Why are you putting this forward, when it's never the case?

We all know its most likely to be some run of the mill tool who is always in a rush nowhere

cajonlardo

Dravokivich wrote: »

Why are you putting this forward, when it's never the case?

I have first hand experience of being deliberately held up as posted

It’s still a minuscule chance of it ever being the case.

cajonlardo

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

It’s still a minuscule chance of it ever being the case.

Just because you and several other posters keep repeating that doesn't make it true.

Even if it was true, would that minuscule chance matter if it was one of your loved ones?

To keep this in context, I initially posted in response to a poster advocating DELIBERATELY delaying other road users.

Most of the on call crews I worked with encountered deliberate or ignorant delays by other road users. I would go as far as saying it is regular enough whilst trying to get to the station in your personal vehicle.

tuxy

cajonlardo wrote: »

Just because you and several other posters keep repeating that doesn't make it true.

Remember the life lost when an ignorant cyclist held up this doctor in London? :mad:

topper75

MrCostington wrote: »

Another trend I noticed in the last 10 years, if you are first at the lights and don't move off within 0.5 seconds, BEEP! I'm talking a delay literally less than 2s.
...

Are we talking a half second or two seconds? They are awfully different as reaction times.

I think two whole seconds to get the car moving would have me worried that I'm sharing the road with another driver whose reaction time is that bad, from a safety perspective (Letter plate drivers excepted).

Many junctions in Irish cities have lights with stupidly short sequences e.g. Sexton St./Mulgrave St. junction in Limerick. If somebody is dozy, that adds a pointless five minute wait on the days of three or four people a least. Rude, if nothing else.

buried

The Epidemic of Impatience.

FixdePitchmark

buried wrote: »

The Epidemic of Impatience.

The epidemic of people who can't get a car moving - but are out on the road.

buried

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

The epidemic of people who can't get a car moving - but are out on the road.

How fast would you like them to move? What will make it acceptable for you? Should they get up to 50mph from 2nd gear while taking off?

FixdePitchmark

buried wrote: »

How fast would you like them to move? What will make it acceptable for you? Should they get up to 50mph from 2nd gear while taking off?

ABout .5 to 1 second - just be ready and watch light sequence

We probably should change to UK system - to get the orange light flashing in the day dreamy Irish heads.

buried

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

ABout .5 to 1 second - just be ready and watch light sequence

We probably should change to UK system - to get the orange light flashing in the day dreamy Irish heads.

But you have no control over how somebody else chooses to drive their own car so why get so worked up over it? What is the point? Its like going to the shop to buy something and some person in front of you wants to check 20 lotto tickets at the counter in front of you. Sure what can you do? Get worked up over it? Curse them for doing what they are entitled to do themselves? Whats the point? You are only working yourself up, flooding your own veins with cortisol that will kill you quicker. They don't give a $hit.

FixdePitchmark

buried wrote: »

But you have no control over how somebody else chooses to drive their own car so why get so worked up over it? What is the point? Its like going to the shop to buy something and some person in front of you wants to check 20 lotto tickets at the counter in front of you. Sure what can you do? Get worked up over it? Curse them for doing what they are entitled to do themselves? Whats the point? You are only working yourself up, flooding your own veins with cortisol that will kill you quicker. They don't give a $hit.

I don't agree with this.

We can change behavior.

I think no matter what you think of the various attitudes on the thread - we all agree the Irish are a bit asleep at the wheel and there is generally terrible driving out there.

The RSA have run campaigns on
Seat Belts
Drink Driving
Mobile Phones - (this has been less successful)

But there needs to be a new phase of a public campaign to improve driving.

Motorways
Concentration at lights
Mobile Phones done again in city (maybe killing a cyclist)

Saying , what is the point , you can't do anything is just the wrong attitude.

In the absence of a formal campaign the public will take it into their own hands as has been seen.

Horns
Road rage
general anger
Going slow to wind people up
Breaking to annoy people

The Irish have a driving problem - we need to do something about it.

buried

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

I don't agree with this.

We can change behavior.

I think no matter what you think of the various attitudes on the thread - we all agree the Irish are a bit asleep at the wheel and there is generally terrible driving out there.

The RSA have run campaigns on
Seat Belts
Drink Driving
Mobile Phones - (this has been less successful)

But there needs to be a new phase of a public campaign to improve driving.

Motorways
Concentration at lights
Mobile Phones done again in city (maybe killing a cyclist)

Saying , what is the point , you can't do anything is just the wrong attitude.

In the absence of a formal campaign the public will take it into their own hands as has been seen.

Horns
Road rage
general anger
Going slow to wind people up
Breaking to annoy people

The Irish have a driving problem - we need to do something about it.

The only problem I find with drivers here is the rules or courtesy at roundabouts and on motorways. People not using their indicators at roundabout exits is a serious problem, but I don't think its such a big deal to get worked up over and loose your rag over it. People are going to be laxadiasy in every facet of their lives, that's just a fact. You cant make people into robots, you just have to give consideration for yourself that others may not be so careful or rule worthy as yourself. That's on them. No point working yourself over it into a realm of stress that could effect your own driving. Look out for yourself and you will be grand.

People using the outside lane on motorways on the speed lane is another problem here but nobody is taught how to drive on motorways for the test either. And indicator use/non use, there is no law for that either. These things are far more serious than people taking a few seconds to find the biting point at a traffic light.

P_1

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

ABout .5 to 1 second - just be ready and watch light sequence

We probably should change to UK system - to get the orange light flashing in the day dreamy Irish heads.

Tbh, that's the first thing you've posted in this thread that makes sense.

Pinch Flat

buried wrote: »

The Epidemic of Impatience.

Wonder how many impatient drivers carry on like this when not in the car

https://youtu.be/50PprbwULAI

It is very frustrating driving on our roads. A few weeks back I was on the M3 doing 120 in the right hand lane getting ready to overtake a car on the left lane. For some strange reason, the car in the left lane indicates right and moves in right in front of me.

That’s bad enough as it is. What happened next terrified me. He dropped to 40!!! Eventually he put his hazards on. I almost came to a complete stop. Then he suddenly started driving off as normal, moved back into the left and I overtook him.

There was nothing in front of him in either lane so I’ve no idea what happened.

Then a few days back, I came up behind a car going 25 in a 60 zone. He then stopped at a roundabout when he didn’t need to. I had to beep him to go. Then he moved off very slowly. On the straight, he kept hitting up on the kerb. I thought he was drunk. Eventually I got a glimpse of him and he was about 80.

Strumms

buried wrote: »

The only problem I find with drivers here is the rules or courtesy at roundabouts and on motorways. People not using their indicators at roundabout exits is a serious problem, but I don't think its such a big deal to get worked up over and loose your rag over it. People are going to be laxadiasy in every facet of their lives, that's just a fact. You cant make people into robots, you just have to give consideration for yourself that others may not be so careful or rule worthy as yourself. That's on them. No point working yourself over it into a realm of stress that could effect your own driving. Look out for yourself and you will be grand.

People using the outside lane on motorways on the speed lane is another problem here but nobody is taught how to drive on motorways for the test either. And indicator use/non use, there is no law for that either.

You can’t make people into robots, but you can certainly enforce the Road Traffic Act so that it focuses people’s minds and makes the roads safer. I’m sick of seeing traffic corps cars sat at places where say the speed limit changes from 100 to 80 and they are going to target some poor fûck who is guilty of no more than just not slowing in time... it’s in breach of the road traffic act technically but not overly dangerous driving... that’s what should be targeted, dangerous driving, not slight technicalities like not slowing time.

The roads are now over populated with shît and dangerous drivers, traveling 30 kmh over the limit, merging into other lanes unsafely and forcing traffic to jam on, people driving at speed only feet from the car in front, breaking red lights I could go on... I’d rather see Garda cars actually actively mobile, moving and pulling over people trying to combat this actually instead of sitting and shooting fish in a barrel... while excessive speed can be very dangerous, pure bad driving...disregard for the rules of the road, ALL of them, can and DO contribute to accidents, serious injury, fatalities and so on, takes a LOT more effort than sitting in a hard shoulder...with a speed gun :rolleyes:

Antares35

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Yes

Because people are too slow or on phone too much.

Like a red light , need to check my phone.

Be ready - move as the light goes green - everyone move and move fast.

We are just **** drivers and too slow. Some people just don't seem to be able to get a car to move.

People are d#cks all the time on the road not just at lights. If you dont have 2 seconds to wait while someone puts their car into gear then leave the house earlier.