Have you ever overtaken a Garda Car?

mike65

I just mention this as last week when driving between Newcastle West and Adare I followed a Garda car out of town going east and when it was safe to do so I pulled out and passed it, the sky
did not fall in nor was I expecting it to however no one behind me would follow as one would expect.

On monday betwen Dungarvan and Waterford a car was about to overtake me while remaining within the 60 limit and just as he started to draw level he hit the brakes I wondered what was up and then I spotted a Garda up ahead on the other side of the road having pulled someone over. The driver who braked had no need to yet his first instinct was to slow down, for a nation of "rebels" poeple are scared stupid of the sight of the law on the roads it seems to me.

Any views?

Mike.

Bard

Of course I have (overtaken a Garda car) on occasion. They're no different, really, to other road users - 'cos I stay well within the law when driving.

The_Bullman

I also have overtaken a garda car but it wasn't really great as he was just on the slow lane of the M50. I also have overtaken an ambulance which was nice. I am now waiting on a slow moving fire engine to be my next conquest.


My favourite overtaking move was this subaru impretza that i overtook on a downhill straight, while he was slightly snagged in traffic. It was great as i was in a inca van at the time. Proudest moment of my dirving life. Of course, the next oppertunity to overtake me arose he took me(at well over the speed limit), but I had my moment

Mills

I've overtaken a garda van, never a car though, don't know if I would either, are you supposed to stay within the speed limit while overtaking? I'd say you are, but when I'm overtaking I tend to just floor it and get past as fast as I can (roads around monaghan are very twisty and any straight areas with good visibility are not very long, so it's wise to get past and back unto your own side of the road as quickly as possible).

Winning Hand

Originally posted by Mills
are you supposed to stay within the speed limit while overtaking?

Afaik you are allowed 10% leeway on overtaking maneuvers provided it isnt a protracted one. At any rate you can use the "speedos are built to be 10% accurate" excuse, never done so myself as I have never been pulled over.

As for overtaking a cop car, yup done so on both sides of the pond (hard to do in america cos they bomb along, V8s tend to do that). Once a cop followed me for a mile or so after I did, kinda fun seeing him p*ss off as he had nothing to pull me over for .
On the other hand, I wouldnt break the speed limit much to overtake a police car, im too law-abiding for my own good

rymus

Originally posted by Mills
are you supposed to stay within the speed limit while overtaking?

Last I was told was that while overtaking, the object of the exercise is to minimise the time spent in the process of overtaking (i.e. get out of the oncoming traffic asap). Obviously this isint an excuse to overtake at 150mph but if you saw the regular idiots on the macroom road it would make you wonder.

Anyway, I only say the above because a few friends of mine were given speeding tickets for speeds they were doing while overtaking. It turned out that a few of them got their tickets torn up because of the above "no speed limit while overtaking" thing..

it would seem that if you debate the ticket with the powers that be you could get it torn up... anyway, back to the grind...

Robbo

Overtook one doing 60 in a 30 zone. Bad juju. A mile later I saw the blue lights in the mirror. Twas ok though, at 5 in the morning they just wanted to be sure I wasn't drunk/unlicensed/uninsured/unlawfully driving the car. 3 months later and still no recriminations

mike65

Originally posted by Robbo
...3 months later and still no recriminations

#

...but i bet you don't do it again!

Mike.

NeRb666

I overtook a van on the Athlone Bypass one time. It was orgasmic.

seamus

Overtook one who was driving very poorly in ballyfermot. He indicated to turn left into a garage, so I proceeded to overtake, then he decided not to turn, and I was left in the middle of the road, having to complete the manouver. If he stopped me, I was going to eat the head off of him. He didn't

Vexorg

I have overtaken garda cars on a couple of occasions, but never broken the speed limit to do so, it is funy the way that when a garda car drives below the limit, there is always a string of cars behind it like a funeral procession..... I must admit to always having to double check before overtaking, just in case I am missing a new speed limit sign or something.

Best one I ever saw was a line of cars following a very slow moving marked mondeo, coming up to a round-about, a learner driver undertakes the garda car on the hard shoulder and proceeds to cut up the garda car to get into the outer lane again.

Brought a tear to my eye......


V.

PS.... the gardai (who alledgely smelt of bacon) did go after and pull her over.

ToxicPaddy

Was pulled into a pertol station one afternoon back home, filling the car, when I heard this car (a Jag) tearing down the road, doing at least 60 in a 30mph zone at that, overtook a car infront of him.... and nearly ran a car coming against him off the road.. next thing the car which was an unmarked mondeo which does a U turn into the pertol station and tears off up the road after the Jag...

So I paid for the petrol.. and headed up the road to see a guy, well dressed in a suit standing very red faced beside the Jag and 2 very pissed off gardai giving him one serious earful... very funny.. but he should have been put off the road for that one..

was right beside a park and 2 schools where he pulled his manouver.. could've killed a kid... :mad:

SantaHoe

Originally posted by ToxicPaddy
next thing the car which was an unmarked mondeo which does a U turn into the pertol station and tears off up the road after the Jag...

Yeah, I love those unmarked Garda cars... a few years ago I saw one performing a skidding U'ey across the center isle on O'Connell St. to persue a car on the opposite side.
They slapped a cherry on the roof of the car aswell ... very 1970's-cop-show
Certainly brightened up my long boring wait for the bus anyway

woosaysdan

i never overtook a cop car but i saw a joy rider slap in2 one after overtaking me!!!
i was coming up to a T junction going in2 a housing estate and a red accent over took me & pulled the handbrake and da cop car that was coming out of da housing estate was hit wit da back of da accent!!! very nasty.

BeatTun

one night on the bray bypass going south i was still doing 75 as i came off the motorway into the 60 zone

and i seen a white mondeo cruising along the inside line, i gave it a bit of a look, saw what i thought was a sleeping back in the back window or something (later turned out to be the arm of a garda's yellow jacket)

so boppin away 75 flew past the car, 2 minutes later my mate says...."here, look, thats gards....." so i look to my left and heres the car, with 3 lads with shiny yellow jackets, matching my speed and all looking in at me, so i sort of tapped the brakes a bit too hard and they shot past me, so i picked up my speed (i cant remember why) and they braked, and i shot past them.

so it mustve looked like i was taking the piss

anyway stopped me in kilmacanogue, told me i was an arsehole and then they pissed off.

??????????????????????????????????????????????????

SantaHoe

LOL
I've never been stopped by the gardí, (since I don't drive), but every time I see someone pulled in - they always look like they're getting a good ear-bashing from the garda ... always makes me laugh.

I was going home in a Taxi with some girls out of work at about 2am on a weekday... the Taxi stopped at a red light... no other traffic to be seen, so one of the girls in the back whisperingly taunts the driver to break the red light
Surprisingly the taxi driver breaks the red light and swirves around the corner... seconds later we see the blue flashing lights of the law.
We all had a good laugh through the rear window at him taking an ear-bashing... but I'm convinced he left the meter running
Worth every penny though

Mythago

Overtook a slow moving unmarked corrolla at speed in a hidden dip with a fiesta coming towards me!! I then proceeded to accelerate back upto 80 for the rest of my journey. Needless to say he followed me flashing his headlights. Naturally since he had no blues I ignored him for about 2 miles thinkin he was just an angry farmer. When he finally lit up the blues I pulled over quite quickly. He gave me an unmerciful b0llickin & fined me 20 quid!!!!!?????????? I woulda thrown the book at me!

Clinical Waste

I was pushing a rented astra in the UK on the motorway to see how fast I could get it to go, and somewhere around the 90 mark with my foot about to break throught the floor, I noticed a cop car up ahead. Slowed the best I could (never realized how much distance you need) and managed to pull up before rear-ending him.
Bricking it, but he didn't seem to notice. Moved into the outer lane and took the next exit off. (This was a few years ago)
Anyway the closest I ever got. S'not worth taunting them really. (especially the english ones)

Saruman

yup.. i have overtaken Garda cars and bikes while within speed limit! I think that if you are overcautious while a Garda is about then chances are you have or believe you have something to hide.. its suspicious and more likely to make the Garda take notice of you!

I was pulled over ONCE for speeding years ago when i was 18.. it was on the N4 Chapelizod bypass.. there is a 50mph limit and i was doing 67mph... the road is perfectly safe to do that speed but law is law and i was stopped at a speed trap i KNEW was there but hoped maybe they were not checking that day... Got a £50 fine and it was the best thing that ever happened to me! Seriously!! I had not been paying attention to my speed so did not know how fast i was going... i was a good driver otherwise! Also was told not to drive as i was a provisional.. anyway decided to take note.. for one thing my speedo was kph so i got stickers and did conversions so i would know in future! Took note of my speed and have not speeded since with the exception of a few seconds if im overtaking someone on the M50 and go just over 70!

Only other time i was stopped was again on the M4 in palmerstown, always congested and i go up kennelsfort road so i nipped in to the bus lane about 10 meters before the official turn left and the garda pulled me over! That i was not happy about... 10 meters!! 10 seconds in the bus lane, no bus in sight and im not adding to the congestion on the main road and i get a fine for it.. nothing better to do i suppose... i try not to do that any more now also... anyway thats my garda experience!

Cyphide

Heres a good one for yea...
Used to have a moped last year and I was driving home on a long straight (bath ave. around ringsend, if anyone knows it).
There was a blue corrolla (never do anything around corrolla's btw, its the most common garda car these days, the blue and the wine coloured ones) ahead of me doing 30 or so, so I went to accelerate and overtake it (on a 50cc moped btw ) and a car came turning out from one of the turnoffs whilst I was overtaking. I was just passing the garda car when I saw the other car pulling out. I accelerated away in front of the garda car (which I didnt know was a garda car yet) and let the other car turn out.
At this stage, cos I had to speed off ahead, I was past my turn off so I kind of had to do a small U'ey to turn in to my street, so I did
Next thing I know, I'm driving down the road, blue lights + siren wail!
Fvck!
After all that I thought I was losing the bike, I nearly killed myself, the (3!!) guard's in the car and the person who was turning out.
All he said was 'watch the auld' dodging and weaving about that traffic, you never know when you'll get some eejit turning out like that'!!!'
No problem guard!!!
Little did he know it was my fault and I nearly killed the bastard!!

amp

I was coming back from Roscrea a while ago and there was a clump of cars going about 40 on a 60 mph road. The slow car was a Garda 4x4 and the car behind it seemed too scared to overtake it. The guard switched into the hard shoulder and timid lad still was too scared to go ahead. The 4x4 was making it perfectly obvious that it was giving way but timid lad kept braking when the 4x4 braked thus causing the rest of us to brake.

Eventually the guard braked hard (still in the hard shoulder) and must have shouted something at timid lad, and he overtook him.

Muppet.

Ba$tard

The following paragraph is indeed true.....

I was driving home one nite from a LAN match at about 5.30am. Lovely dry summers morning....decided to stretch the legs of the da wonderly wagon for a few hundred yards as there was nothing on the road for miles... lets not go into figures, but I was doing well above double the speed limit...
I passed a cop car (sirens blaring) chasing a knackered old Renault 21. They were merging onto the dual-carriageway from a slip-road when I screamed by.... I immediately took the first exit into the bat cave...phew...

I wonder what was going on in the mind of the cop at the time...."Mmmm..donuts.." / "I am gonna get this ba$tard" / "Jeez us Crust...look at that looney..if only this banger wasnt infront of me, I could race him" / "Ohhh to be him.."



J.

Dempsey

I was walking down to the pub with me mates when I was absolutely gobsmacked to see a Nissan R390 GT1 zoom by.

Its a two seater, english reg on it and costs roughly a bomb!! Its in Gran Turismo 2 but was delighted to actually see one flash by me but......followed by a marked Toyota Avensis. It seemed normal, I say the gardai wanted a good gawk at it

KyUss

One night Southbound on the M7 at Naas , I came upon a long line of traffic travelling at 50mph or less , all in the fast lane ( of course ) .
After a few seconds, I viewed that the front vehicle was in fact a garda van , holding everyone back.
No one had the balls to go around them , although they were travelling 20 mph less than the 70mph limit.

After a half mile of frustration i said f this, and went in the slow lane and overtook 10 odd cars on the inside ( but at a decent pace ) ... to get just behind the garda van.
Still travelling then at appr. 50, I kept my right indicator on for ages waiting on the gards to pull over and let me through.

Of course, they didnt ! Some drivers they are.
After a mile, I decided what the hell , and went around them on the inside.
Nothing ever happened. and I got home 10 minutes earlier.
Noticed though that no one followed my lead, and were kept back for miles.
Hahah.
*** THE MOST ANNOYING THING IN THE KNOWN UNIVERSE IS PPL IN THE FAST LANE WHO WILL NOT ABIDE BY THE MOTORING RULES - AFTER OVERTAKING , GET BACK IN THE LEFT LANE - THE RIGHT LANE IS FOR OVERTAKING ONLY ***
Otherwise I would not have had to use the left lane, and nobody would have been confused ...
Whatya think ?

mike65

Originally posted by KyUss
*** THE MOST ANNOYING THING IN THE KNOWN UNIVERSE IS PPL IN THE FAST LANE WHO WILL NOT ABIDE BY THE MOTORING RULES - AFTER OVERTAKING , GET BACK IN THE LEFT LANE - THE RIGHT LANE IS FOR OVERTAKING ONLY ***
Otherwise I would not have had to use the left lane, and nobody would have been confused ...
Whatya think ?

I understand your frustration, there is no "fast" lane, only a lane for overtaking, on a three lane road the inside is for slowest traffic the middle for traffic driving at the average speed of the
majority of vehicles and the outside for overtaking only.
That said you still should'nt have "undertaken". In the States you can I understand.

The Naas dual-carrigeway (surely the mangiest such road in the state) is particuarly bad as cars stick to the right as they will be turning right in about 3 miles (agh!).

Mike.

Terran

I'm not of the legal age to drive, but I did overtake one on my bike once. (It was parked, but I don't really think that matters in this day and age.)

winegum

Over took a jeep on the M50 while back...doing double the 60mph limit (Section from tallaght to dundrum), got pulled over at a check point after the end of the motorway 'n though they'd got on the radio, they were just checking tax 'n havent heard anything since

KyUss

is it not true that you may pass on the left , if the traffic on the right is moving slower than you and it is "safe" to do so ?

If you drive on the continent, no one seems to pass ever on the inside lanes.
This is because ppl have the courtesy to move over out of the overtaking lanes. Irish dirvers find it scary actually cos there is so much movement from lane to lane. But theyre safety records show that driving on the motorways in England for example is 50% safer than here.

Did a test this morning on the way in from Kildare to Dublin all the way up the n7/m7 ... stayed as much as I could in the left lane.
Still got to Newlands Cross at the exact same time as an Alfa 156 that overtook me at Newbridge at about 90mph.
in the end, theres not much point in bombing it. You just put yourself and all others at higher risk .

sceptre

Originally posted by KyUss
is it not true that you may pass on the left , if the traffic on the right is moving slower than you and it is "safe" to do so ?

Yes and no. You may pas on the left if the traffic in the right lane is moving "slowly" and, basically, in a queue. This does not mean they're going at 60 and you want to go at 70.

Passed someone on the left only once - someone who was doing 30 in the non-slow lane between Mallow and Cork. Wouldn't make a habit of it as it ain't legal and ain't safe

If you drive on the continent, no one seems to pass ever on the inside lanes.
This is because ppl have the courtesy to move over out of the overtaking lanes. Irish dirvers find it scary actually cos there is so much movement from lane to lane. But theyre safety records show that driving on the motorways in England for example is 50% safer than here.

Absolutely. Trouble in Ireland is most of the time you're not forced into the slow lane where there is one - by default you find yourself in the fast lane and have to move over (which I always do, whether I'm going at 20 or 60). In a few places they have it right (notably outside Nenagh on the Limerick-Dublin road - traffic is guided into the slow lane - you then have to make the decision to move into the other lane if you wish)

KyUss

I dont agree on anyone passing on the left at all anyway .
All this does is makes ppl think that it is the "norm" .
For example, recently I have made every effort I can when on Motorways to overtake, then move in left , even when im fast approaching another overtaking manouvere.

Its amazing then to look in your r v mirror, and see cars that were not interested in using the left lane , start to cop on and do it too.

Therefore - I hereby start a campaign to teach ppl to use the lanes properly , and not exceed the speed limit - by example.
If more and more do it , then all will learn in time.

Then , the few that insist on continueing to hog the right lanes will be left on their own obviously in the wrong.

The_Bullman

yep those feckers on the right hand lane of a dual carriageway just plain annoy me. keepin it at about 5 mph less than the speed limit too. seems like they are tempting me to undertake them. which according to the rules of the road i am perfectly entitled to do. the one about safe to undertake when traffic in the other lane is slower moving.

Ba$tard

That said you still should'nt have "undertaken". In the States you can I understand

Yes indeed, you can overtake on either side on freeways and interstates. Its a wee bit eerie thou first time you do it.

Try it.
Scenario: A slow moving fat-american V6 ploding along at 50mph. 2 faster-moving cars in left + right lanes.
Both pass slow car and get the same idea to move into the middle lane at the same time from opposite directions...
Thats right....you guessed it...2 into 1 doesnt go...disaster...

When I was over there, I saw it happen a fair few times (impact or close-impact) on the MA. Interstate 495. Never mind the amount of rubber-necking when an accident happens.

J.

Coyote

Why are people proud of the stupid things they do?
Your not meant to do 80mph or more.
For a point your killing people!!!!!!!!!!
Speed in the wrong places kills, People who do 80mph on the motorway though are not as bad as those who want to do 35mph – 40mph on small roads in towns/city’s or when going around corners.

People seem to talk about going fast and not being done for it as if it’s cool.
People here have posted about some of the things they have done and if you read them, you will see that what they are doing is pure stupidity. You cannot do this with out killing someone in the end. Fine you might not kill someone in your life but you’re the people who will kill someone.

Now I’m not saying I like going slow I hate it, and I drive a 2.5 liter car so if I want to I can speed, but I know I have to stop my self from speeding.
As a point, I live one a small road in town where there is a junction that people speed, after 10 years, they have built a roundabout on it. 4 times, I have call the ambulance and fire brigade for people hurt quite badly, there used to be 4-5 bad crashes ever year. Now it’s down to just about one. However, the road is not dangers it’s the drivers.



Going by on the inside.
Your not allowed to pass in the inside lane IE: move from the outside lane in then pass and then back to the outside lane. However, you are allowed to go passed someone when you’re in the inside lane and he or she is in the outside lane. Your just not meant to use the inside lane as a overtaking lane.

BeatTun

Originally posted by Coyote

People seem to talk about going fast and not being done for it as if it’s cool.
People here have posted about some of the things they have done and if you read them, you will see that what they are doing is pure stupidity.

not really, the topic is actually have u ever overtaken a garda car, it just so happens that most of the replies here are from people who have overtaken a garda car, some at speed and just happened to not get done for it.

so i think ur getting a bit touchy in the wrong topic, try starting a topic : Speed Kills (i do agree with u by the way, but not with slating people for replying to the topic)

mike65

Just to get picky for a mo. Speed does'nt kill, its the inappropriate use of speed that kills. Nothing wrong with doing 100 on an empty dry motorway but you'll loose your licence if you do (if you get caught) yet folk drive at stupid speeds past schools, busy urban junctions etc but never get caught as the Gardai almost never use speed cameras within urban area 30 zones.

Mike.

Coyote

I did not pick on the people replying to this thread.
What I’m talking about is some of the people who if you read what they have posted and what they say they have done are pure stupid. As for speed what I posted was that people speeding in some places is not as bad as other places like the on small streets in Dublin when people are legally let do 30 but it’s really still too fast
And I’m not some boring old fart, I love Speed just in the right places.
How can anyone write off a car on a road by them self ? but they still do.

KyUss

This thread is turning into a speed debate now rather than about overtaking garda vehicles.

But I agree that speed is a relative issue.
Caution though is required AT ALL TIMES while propelling a 1 tonne plus aglomeration of steel parts meeting hard surface through contact with only 4 rings of rubber - ever wondered what it would be like to be hit by a car at any speed ? Any one out there have been and lived to type the tale ?

Might start a new thread on tales by those whove survived a car hitting them .
This might help people understand what they are risking when doing 40+ mph past a school yard at 9.00 am

noelo

The_Bullman wrote: »

I also have overtaken a garda car but it wasn't really great as he was just on the slow lane of the M50. I also have overtaken an ambulance which was nice. I am now waiting on a slow moving fire engine to be my next conquest.


My favourite overtaking move was this subaru impretza that i overtook on a downhill straight, while he was slightly snagged in traffic. It was great as i was in a inca van at the time. Proudest moment of my dirving life. Of course, the next oppertunity to overtake me arose he took me(at well over the speed limit), but I had my moment

My friend told me today a story that he did'nt really overtake a garda car but more like just drove by him at a T junction,i supose he should of really let him out like a gentleman would seen as traffic was moving quit slow but he did'nt.
So anyway he drove on and the garda pulled out behind him and followed him down the road and pulled him in at the local shop and then done him for havin no tax in addittion to a 60 euro fine,the gard was pretty bitchy so he said.he did'nt have his licence on him because he left it at home so in the usual manner he has to produce his lisence,tax and insurance,the problem is his licence is an old one which he never handed in after he got a 2 year drink driving ban 3 years earlyier,he lost the licence when he got banned and then found it again so just start using it when his ban was up,i wonder what will happen to the poor sod when he goes to produce his credentails at the police station?

leitrim lad

i have often passed garda cars, within the speed limit or course, dont give them the excuse,

but another thing have done is fail to stop at check points, this was in my younger years as a teenager driving around on a gsxr750hiper
sher i was gone by them before they even noticed me, and i was never followed, or not that i know of anyway

Alanstrainor

This thread is 7 and a half years old:eek:
Closed.