Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Please note that it is not permitted to have referral links posted in your signature. Keep these links contained in the appropriate forum. Thank you.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2055940817/signature-rules
Hi all! We have been experiencing an issue on site where threads have been missing the latest postings. The platform host Vanilla are working on this issue. A workaround that has been used by some is to navigate back from 1 to 10+ pages to re-sync the thread and this will then show the latest posts. Thanks, Mike.
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

Are terrible driving habits on the rise?

12467

Comments

  • Posts: 24,714 [Deleted User]


    In a short trip to a petrol station to grab some lunch had three separate incidents:
    1. When pulling into the petrol station I was blocked by someone reversing out of a car park space. I couldn't advance into the petrol station as the driver was reversing into my path. As I waited for them to finish I got absolutely blasted on the horn by a driver displaying an "L" badge behind me.
    2. Parked adjacent to an empty space that was clearly marked for Motorcyles. As I walked away from my car I saw a car squeeze into it. When I came back out an entirely different car was parked in it
    3. On the return journey someone absolutely flew through a round-a-bout I was about to enter. From their perspective I was waiting at the second exit. They ended up taking the third exit without using their indicators at any point, entering or leaving.

    None of them major but just an accumulation of these in a very brief period of time.

    In fairness who gives a feck about petrol station parking spaces! Park in the handiest place and get on with it!!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,889 ✭✭✭chooseusername


    In a short trip to a petrol station to grab some lunch had three separate incidents:
    1. When pulling into the petrol station I was blocked by someone reversing out of a car park space. I couldn't advance into the petrol station as the driver was reversing into my path. As I waited for them to finish I got absolutely blasted on the horn by a driver displaying an "L" badge behind me.
    2. Parked adjacent to an empty space that was clearly marked for Motorcyles. As I walked away from my car I saw a car squeeze into it. When I came back out an entirely different car was parked in it
    3. On the return journey someone absolutely flew through a round-a-bout I was about to enter. From their perspective I was waiting at the second exit. They ended up taking the third exit without using their indicators at any point, entering or leaving.

    None of them major but just an accumulation of these in a very brief period of time.

    What an eventful lunchbreak you had!


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,355 ✭✭✭Jim Gazebo


    antix80 wrote: »
    I'll add a few.

    Indicating while switching lanes without even checking if the lane is clear.

    Slowing .. slowing.. breaking .. nearly at a stop... then indicating and turning a corner.

    Not driving up to a red light... instead letting the car come to a natural stop because there's a red light 400m ahead, regardless of the fact that the people behind you may be turning at a junction or entrance before the lights.

    Coming to a halt on a main road to allow someone to "filter" from a side road. Bonus points if they're making a right turn and there's traffic coming from the other direction.

    Refusing to move out of the overtaking lane on the motorway because you're doing the speed limit (or 110kph) and it's fast enough.

    Coming to a complete stop when going over ramps that aren't even that high.

    Not accelerating to reach a motorway-safe speed in the slip lane when joining a motorway.. bonus points if you don't use the full length of the slip-lane and join traffic while driving at 80kph.

    Not accelerating when moving off from a red light, taking a minute to reach 50kph.

    On windy roads, driving at a snails pace around bends and breaking constantly, then accelerating to dangerous speeds to prevent people from overtaking you.

    I don't really agree with your last one. I am a relatively new driver less than a year licenced , I have made mistakes, everyone does but I'd class myself as a safe driver, I haven't put myself or anyone in danger. I regularly end up on country roads I've never been on, I have to brake around a bend I can't see around, and of course I am going to the speed limit if it gets straight because I want to get there too. Just be patient, especially if it is dark. They may not know the road. Better safe than sorry.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,419 ✭✭✭antix80


    Jim Gazebo wrote: »
    I regularly end up on country roads I've never been on, I have to brake around a bend I can't see around, and of course I am going to the speed limit if it gets straight because I want to get there too.

    If you're being overtaken (after the bend) you should keep left and not accelerate until you're overtaken.


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,360 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dravokivich


    antix80 wrote: »
    If you're being overtaken (after the bend) you should keep left and not accelerate until you're overtaken.

    The responsibilty is on the person overtaking to make sure it's safe to do so.
    degsie wrote: »
    Always remember folks, there are fully licenced drivers out there who have never sat a driving test :(

    Always remember folks, there are fully licenced drivers out there who have never sat an EDT lesson :(


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,419 ✭✭✭antix80


    The responsibilty is on the person overtaking to make sure it's safe to do so.

    And it is safe.. unless the person they're overtaking speeds up either to reach the speed limit regardless of being overtaken or worse: they accelerate to prevent safe overtaking.

    I drove in Israel before - they're not terrible drivers but if you indicate to change lanes you can be sure that someone will speed up to block you. That's similar to blocking someone from overtaking IMO except preventing someone from safely overtaking is a lot more dangerous.


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,360 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dravokivich


    antix80 wrote: »
    And it is safe.. unless the person they're overtaking speeds up either to reach the speed limit regardless of being overtaken or worse: they accelerate to prevent safe overtaking.

    I drove in Israel before - they're not terrible drivers but if you indicate to change lanes you can be sure that someone will speed up to block you. That's similar to blocking someone from overtaking IMO except preventing someone from safely overtaking is a lot more dangerous.

    They aren't, they are just driving with caution. It's only a hinderance for the people behind them, when frustrated. Because they aren't going as fast as they'd like.

    We aren't in Israel. Why bring that up?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,178 ✭✭✭Mango Joe


    I'm on the M7 a lot and sometimes it feels like I'm the only one not browsing through Facebook on my phone......

    You can often tell this is the case when you see a car ahead of you drifting off course and suddenly correcting.

    Also the phone is usually very visual in the wing mirror.

    At one time you'd very rarely see Truck Drivers on their phones or doing paperwork, now I see it daily, again you'll often see them drifting out of their lane.

    - The top honor goes to the ladies though, putting on makeup after you've pulled down the visor blocking your view of the road, sometimes you'll even see them holding around 7 different types of brush in one hand as they try to manage the steering and effectively drive blind.

    - That's just remarkably idiotic and they should get put off the road for it IMO.


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,360 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dravokivich


    Mango Joe wrote: »
    I'm on the M7 a lot and sometimes it feels like I'm the only one not browsing through Facebook on my phone......

    You can often tell this is the case when you see a car ahead of you drifting of course and suddenly correcting.

    Also the phone is usually very visual in the wing mirror.

    At one time you'd very rarely see Truck Drivers on their phones or doing paperwork, now I see it daily.

    - The top honor goes to the ladies though, putting on makeup after you've pulled down the visor blocking your view of the road - That's just remarkably idiotic.

    My preference would be to place my phone in that corner between steering wheel and wing mirror (if it'd fit). But I'd only have it running for maps. I wouldn't be using it otherwise.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,185 ✭✭✭Tchaikovsky


    giphy.gif


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,419 ✭✭✭antix80


    They aren't, they are just driving with caution. It's only a hinderance for the people behind them, when frustrated. Because they aren't going as fast as they'd like.

    It's a hindrance for the person behind if they are familiar with the road, comfortable driving faster, they indicate to overtake, move out, accelerate and then the person being overtaken hits 100kph in 6 seconds only to drive like a geriatric when they reach the next bend.


  • Registered Users Posts: 653 ✭✭✭Gonad


    Blame the fluoride


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,487 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    Jim Gazebo wrote: »
    I regularly end up on country roads I've never been on, I have to brake around a bend I can't see around,...
    If a bend is sharp enough that you can't see around it on approach, you brake, or at least slow down, BEFORE you get to it, not in the middle of it. Once you're past the apex and can see sufficiently far ahead, you can then accelerate out of the bend.

    People often complain about the lack of motorway training, which is certainly true, but many drivers could do with lessons on how to drive on windy country roads too.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,488 ✭✭✭Macy0161


    Not indicating, and giving pedestrians enough space is top of my list, after walking (rather than driving) the children around this summer. I thought it was bad when I was on the bike, but zero respect is given to pedestrians by a very significant minority of people driving. Didn't hit, doesn't mean it was fine...

    Linked to above, Not driving to a speed that you can brake in the distance you can see.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,419 ✭✭✭antix80


    Alun wrote: »
    People often complain about the lack of motorway training, which is certainly true, but many drivers could do with lessons on how to drive on windy country roads too.

    My friend was breathalysed when driving in Northern Ireland. They pulled him in for braking on bends and driving slowly and assumed he'd been drinking. His excuse: he wasn't familiar with the roads.

    (apologies to Dravokivich, I realise we're not in the UK)


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,355 ✭✭✭Jim Gazebo


    Alun wrote: »
    If a bend is sharp enough that you can't see around it on approach, you brake, or at least slow down, BEFORE you get to it, not in the middle of it. Once you're past the apex and can see sufficiently far ahead, you can then accelerate out of the bend.

    People often complain about the lack of motorway training, which is certainly true, but many drivers could do with lessons on how to drive on windy country roads too.

    This is what I am talking about, I just did not word it very well. As for poster above, no one mentioned someone indicating behind to overtake. I'm talking about people not being anyway considerate just because "they know the road". I get frustrated on roads I know when someone drives slow but I don't mind if they can hit the limit on the straights. A bit of caution on blind bends is good driving.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,355 ✭✭✭Jim Gazebo


    Today as well to follow up on many above, indicators on roundabouts, imagine how many crashes there would be if you pulled out on the basis of someone's indication on a roundabout. It's unreal, how hard is it to use them.

    Why are the gardai not out in force at rush hour to put a little discipline on road users instead of focusing on speeding all the time?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,232 ✭✭✭TheRiverman


    Unfortunately we only have a fraction of the Traffic Policing Units required to enforce the road traffic laws.We probably need about two thousand more Gardai just for to exclusively police our roads.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,232 ✭✭✭TheRiverman


    Jim Gazebo wrote: »
    Today as well to follow up on many above, indicators on roundabouts, imagine how many crashes there would be if you pulled out on the basis of someone's indication on a roundabout. It's unreal, how hard is it to use them.

    Why are the gardai not out in force at rush hour to put a little discipline on road users instead of focusing on speeding all the time?

    We don't have near enough Gardai to do it.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,500 ✭✭✭✭fullstop


    I, for one, won’t be using my indicators next time I’m in Israel. Or braking on bends in Northern Ireland.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,419 ✭✭✭antix80


    fullstop wrote: »
    I, for one, won’t be using my indicators next time I’m in Israel. Or braking on bends in Northern Ireland.

    Well... My point was some of its cultural.

    Obsession with being "in the right" as a reason for hogging roads or motorway lanes, or trying to mow down pedestrians because you sped round a bend and they're crossing at a non-designated spot, or beeping/flashing/tailgating some who who accidentally pulled out 50m from you while you were doing 80kph in a 50kph zone because you have the "right of way"

    It's a bit tiresome to see people acting so brave in the safety of their big cars, not to mention the damage they could do if they cause an accident.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,488 ✭✭✭Macy0161


    We don't have near enough Gardai to do it.
    And no political will to use ANPR camera's to their full potential. Even within the RSA.

    Speeding (including average speed), red lights, yellow boxes, bus lanes, illegal turns just off the top of my head that could be addressed by cameras. You could add in tax, insurance, nct, unaccompanied learners to the mix too.

    Not hi visibility enough for the RSA to push for....


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,164 ✭✭✭Bigbagofcans


    I don't get people not using indicators. For me, it's as natural as, say, putting on my seatbelt. It's second nature to me.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,281 ✭✭✭CrankyHaus


    Macy0161 wrote: »
    And no political will to use ANPR camera's to their full potential. Even within the RSA.

    Speeding (including average speed), red lights, yellow boxes, bus lanes, illegal turns just off the top of my head that could be addressed by cameras. You could add in tax, insurance, nct, unaccompanied learners to the mix too.

    Not hi visibility enough for the RSA to push for....

    I agree with all of this but you have to appreciate the backlash there will be against this sort of thing.

    Simply introducing a joined up public services card to address rampant fraud was an attack on civil liberties on a par with Kristallnacht as far as much of the commentariet were concerned.

    Rolling out cameras to address rampant dangerous driving will be far more vociferously attacked. As well as the useful idiots out front bleating about the surveillance state you'll have Gardai jealously guarding their purview (in the same way in which they resisted and undermined the Garda reserve) arm in arm with the many, many dangerous drivers who don't want their fun to stop.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,655 ✭✭✭i57dwun4yb1pt8


    overtaken speeder uppers - DIE VERMIN !

    over the line crossers- especially on blind bends - wtf???

    motorway joiners at 30 kmh usually from the layby

    right lane policers

    womens coffee mornings at 80kmh in the right lane

    BMW small cocks ( see first point )


  • Registered Users, Subscribers, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,591 ✭✭✭✭antodeco


    Something Im seeing more and more of is people who just dont know how to merge properly. The amount of times im coming to the end of the merging lane, indicate right (or left) and all the cars speed up to block me in. If everyone merged like a zip, all traffic would move far better.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 390 ✭✭jochenstacker


    Greetings form Germany, just wanna raise a few points.
    You don't see more Police on the roads here than in Ireland. Quite the opposite, in fact. Even just driving around Ennis, you'd see a dozen cop cars doing the rounds. When I drive around Kempten (population 70000), you may see a police car every other day and if they're going somewhere, it's mostly with lights and sirens, i.e. they're actually going somewhere other than the Centra to get a roll and a choccy bar.
    Speed cameras, there are a lot (a LOT!) of fixed ones in small villages and in 30 Zones. Sometimes the cops are out with the hairdrier, but always in the same spots.
    Red light cameras, they are on exactly one set of traffic lights in Kempten, nothing on the rest of them.
    Police stops, I've been stopped once or twice since 2016, seems the same or slightly less.
    There's gantries absolutely bristling with cameras and sensors all over the motorways, but due to nonsensical data protection laws, they do absolutely nothing, except extract tolls from trucks.

    But:
    When driving around in Germany, you don't get any of the issues raised in the OP, or not nearly to the same extend. In general people are courtious and patient on the road.
    When I drive around Limerick, I'm always on the lookout, because you know people WILL cut you up, pull in front of you, overtetake you through the roundabout, hassle you when you're going the limit, well, you know what it's like.
    Driving in the Allgäu, initially I was always on the alert for people pulling stupid sh*t and after a few weeks I could relax, because they just don't.
    People are courteous, patient, don't drive up your tailpipe, don't try to cut you off to overtake you on the wrong side, in short, it is a totally different driving experience.
    So, with enforcement out of the equation, the only reasons left are education and driving culture.
    I found people in Ireland to be far more selfish, aggressive and also oblivious and ignorant on the road.
    Ireland is a safer place to drive, but that is because the RSA has been bleating "Speed Kills" like a foghorn for decades.
    The message is, you can drive any which way you want, just drive slow. The effect they're after is bumpercars. Thousands of small crashes caused by stupidity and selfishness, but no big crashes, lives saved, job done and all for minimum effort. Wish I could work for the RSA. Print a million posters with Speed Kills, finished work at 09:30, off to the pub for the day.

    To the people making the point bUt iRElaNd is sAfEr, yes, purely on deathtoll taken entirely on it's own, but is that a preclusion for a little more driver training and enforcement?
    Yes, I know, I said there's about the same, or even less enforcement in Germany, but I think to change the culture, it would take 10-20 years of strict training, even stricter driving tests, ruthless, almost fascist levels of enforcement and steep penalties for rule breakers.
    This culture of "now you've passed your test, let me show you how to really drive" has to be eradicated and replaced by "they're teaching you those rules for a reason, so you better stick by them".
    It is a difference in attitude. In Germany people believe that the rules are there for the benefit of everyone, they make sure everything runs smoothly and everyone knows where they stand and what their rights and obligations are.
    In Ireland the rules are viewed as an obstacle to be bent, broken and overcome and with that, sadly, comes a spirit of "fcuk everyone else, I want mine!".
    I don't think this will change anytime soon, even with all the enforcement in the world.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,936 ✭✭✭Tazzimus


    antodeco wrote: »
    Something Im seeing more and more of is people who just dont know how to merge properly. The amount of times im coming to the end of the merging lane, indicate right (or left) and all the cars speed up to block me in. If everyone merged like a zip, all traffic would move far better.
    On the opposite side of that, idiots who will boot it to the very end of the merging lane and then try bully their way in to get an extra two cars ahead, or keep going up the hard shoulder until they find a gap.

    Seen a great one this morning:
    Took a detour to try avoid lots of traffic in Leixlip, and ended up joining the M4 from the Celbridge side of junction 6.
    There's a lane from the Leixlip side that merges in with the slip road coming off the flyover roundabout; Two or three cars decide that they're not sitting in traffic and drive up the divider area in between the two lanes... All to end up two cars in front of me.


  • Registered Users, Subscribers, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,591 ✭✭✭✭antodeco


    Tazzimus wrote: »
    On the opposite side of that, idiots who will boot it to the very end of the merging lane and then try bully their way in to get an extra two cars ahead, or keep going up the hard shoulder until they find a gap.

    I agree with the second point 100%. However, the first part of that is, if there are 2 lanes, and a car can drive to the end of it, then there is technically nothing wrong. People just arent using the lanes correctly. I see this all the time. There are 2 lanes, and one merges. That individual lane has no cars in it, so in essence only 1 lane is being used.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,488 ✭✭✭Macy0161


    CrankyHaus wrote: »
    I agree with all of this but you have to appreciate the backlash there will be against this sort of thing.
    I agree. "Shooting fish in a barrel, joe"...

    But anything less is just pretending to care. I get the politicians running scared, I really don't get the RSA not pushing for it. Hard.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,936 ✭✭✭Tazzimus


    antodeco wrote: »
    I agree with the second point 100%. However, the first part of that is, if there are 2 lanes, and a car can drive to the end of it, then there is technically nothing wrong. People just arent using the lanes correctly. I see this all the time. There are 2 lanes, and one merges. That individual lane has no cars in it, so in essence only 1 lane is being used.
    It's there to allow you time to merge safely, if you can merge before the very end, you should.
    Obviously, if no one will let you out, then fair enough, keep going until you can. If there's space to merge and you continue to drive up the full length of it to get an extra car or two ahead, you're just being a dick.

    But yeah, the problem is on both sides; People won't let you merge, and some people will drive to the very end and try force their way in, causing traffic behind them to have to brake.
    If people knew how to zipper merge, the M50 would be a bit more bearable.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,596 ✭✭✭RedorDead


    ianobrien wrote: »
    I drove from Cork to Killarney today and I saw one car do the following, incorrect merge at the end of a Dual Carriageway (barge his way through ignoring the zip merge), dangerous overtake and then slow down the car he just overtook, hog the overtaking lane, arbitrarily stop on a main road to let a car merge and then get thick (blowing the horn) when the car didn't move (the other lane of traffic was still barrelling along at approx 90kph, the merger had cop on not to get creamed). Thankfully I lost him on the County Bounds. If you asked the driver, s/he probably didn't know what they did wrong......

    Oh, he also ran an amber light in Macroom when there was PLENTY of time to stop (traffic was so heavy

    Not excusing this drivers antics but overly slow merging onto motorways is incredibly dangerous and one of my bugbears. Idiots thinking its a good idea to merge into the M50 at 60km/h when there are cars flying past you at 100km/h + deserve to be hauled off the road as its downright dangerous.

    I dont advocate merging at the same speed the cars on the motorway are doing (ideally you would) but at least be doing 90km/h when merging.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,936 ✭✭✭Tazzimus


    RedorDead wrote: »
    Not excusing this drivers antics but overly slow merging onto motorways is incredibly dangerous and one of my bugbears. Idiots thinking its a good idea to merge into the M50 at 60km/h when there are cars flying past you at 100km/h + deserve to be hauled off the road as its downright dangerous.

    I dont advocate merging at the same speed the cars on the motorway are doing (ideally you would) but at least be doing 90km/h when merging.
    You'd be doing well to get up to 60km/h on a good day on the M50 :pac:
    They're the same people who will pull off after stopping in a hard shoulder and immediately merge into traffic, doing less than 20km/h while everyone else is doing at least 100km/h

    Also comes back to the use of slip roads again, there are people who will use the full length when not needed and then just merge in at the end, not looking in their mirrors or being anywhere close to motorway speed.


  • Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 40,351 Mod ✭✭✭✭Seth Brundle


    Tazzimus wrote: »
    You'd be doing well to get up to 60km/h on a good day on the M50 :pac:
    In fairness, that's simply untrue and leads to excusing poor behaviour.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,936 ✭✭✭Tazzimus


    In fairness, that's simply untrue and leads to excusing poor behaviour.
    In fairness, you missed the humour, implied by the :pac:


    Outside of rush hours, it's somewhat normal.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 119 ✭✭Borgo


    Passed my driving test in April this year. Ive been on the motorway a few times since. This morning I just drove from Tullamore back to Dublin. Why cant people drive properly? Very close overtaking, no indicating, weaving in and out of traffic, and of course speeding.
    I drive a 1.8 TDCI focus and I do the 120 easy while I overtake the usual trucks vans etc but these people look down at you as if your going too slow when they fly by you. Its even worse in heavy rain as I found out yesterday.


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,360 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dravokivich


    JayMK wrote: »
    Passed my driving test in April this year. Ive been on the motorway a few times since. This morning I just drove from Tullamore back to Dublin. Why cant people drive properly? Very close overtaking, no indicating, weaving in and out of traffic, and of course speeding.
    I drive a 1.8 TDCI focus and I do the 120 easy while I overtake the usual trucks vans etc but these people look down at you as if your going too slow when they fly by you. Its even worse in heavy rain as I found out yesterday.

    Simply put, they just dont care. If anything happens, its someone elses problem.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,372 ✭✭✭bladespin


    Posted here already in the early days of the thread but the more I have posts I've read the more I'm noticing bad driving lol (was well aware of it before but even moreso now lol).


    One thing stands head and shoulders ahead of all others I've seen: phones while driving.
    What is the obsession with mobile phones? Especially holding it to your ear as you tootle along??? Especially in modern cars/vans that would/should have blutooth built in as standard, this just leaves me gobsmacked :o

    MasteryDarts Ireland - Master your game!



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,686 ✭✭✭✭Zubeneschamali


    In Germany people believe that the rules are there for the benefit of everyone, they make sure everything runs smoothly and everyone knows where they stand and what their rights and obligations are.
    In Ireland the rules are viewed as an obstacle to be bent, broken and overcome.

    Yes, but that is not just driving, this is a culture thing.

    800 years etc. have left the Irish with this resentment of government as alien and illegitimate and admiration for the rebel and the rulebreaker.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,250 ✭✭✭coogy


    Thought I would bring this thread to life again by mentioning something which appears to be a recent enough occurrence on the roads, from what I can see.

    It's the apparent disregard of the tried and trusted 'right of way' system that has worked for decades. I see it every day, without fail and it's getting worse.

    I could give endless examples but it mostly consists of drivers slowing down in mid-traffic to allow other motorists to pull out of a side road/entrance to a housing estate/garage forecourt etc. I've even seen this shocking practice on roundabouts of all places.

    You could argue that it's a good example of human kindness and consideration to others but to me it seems more like a re-writing the rules of the road by irresponsible drivers, without much thought for the possible consequences.



  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,862 ✭✭✭statto25


    On the other side of the "right of way" rule is cars overtaking a parked car on a road (not in a parking space but on the road itself) with oncoming traffic. They barrel through disregarding that traffic moving in the opposite direction has right of way.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,194 ✭✭✭Andrewf20


    In my experience its probably a little better than before with less boy racer lunatics on the road. 15 years ago you would come across hardshoulder racing or lads acting the maggot on back roads once every few weeks but I havent seen this in a good while now.

    For every other driver its not much different.



  • Registered Users Posts: 711 ✭✭✭blackvalley


    Aw yes. Yet another back slapping forum for “ really good “ drivers.

    So strange that it’s always those “ people “ who make so many mistakes on the roads. It’s never us.

    So who are all these “ people “ . Everyone that I know is a “ great driver “ and most of them spend their time giving out about those “ people “ who are dreadful drivers.



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,553 ✭✭✭Ginger83


    We live on a rural road. The other day we met a young girl come around a blind bend on two wheels and then hurled abuse at us because she had to reverse to let us into a gate.

    She lives about 1km away so a neighbour of sorts. We called to the house and it took her a few minutes to face us. We explained that there was no need to abuse anyone, that the road is to be shared and that she drives too fast. She denied all, said I don't have to listen to this and closed the door. These people are mouthy until you're standing in front of them. As we drove off a sister of about 18 came running out to give us the V sign.

    Now if I had to describe the place it would be Onslow's garden from keeping up appearances but half an acre of scrap cars and junk lying everywhere and from what we seen its cleaner outside than inside.

    How do you reason with people who believe they own the road in their banger? I told my wife on the way in there's no talking to some parts of society.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,250 ✭✭✭coogy


    Well, it would be simply untrue to suggest that there are no bad drivers on our roads, wouldn't it?

    It's pretty black and white to me. You either drive according to the rules of the road or you don't.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,815 ✭✭✭creedp




  • Registered Users Posts: 711 ✭✭✭blackvalley




  • Registered Users Posts: 1,250 ✭✭✭coogy




  • Registered Users Posts: 711 ✭✭✭blackvalley


    Of course it would be wrong to suggest that there are no bad drivers on our roads.

    However my point is that most people comment on discussions like this are self proclaimed “ good drivers “ giving out about “ people “

    Why do only “ good drivers “ post



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,815 ✭✭✭creedp


    It wouldnt be a very interesting motors forum if only people who couldn't give a shite about driving contributed. A bit like saying those on the IT forum couldn't switch on a computer to save their life



  • Advertisement
Advertisement