# Dangerous driving



## STEINER (3 Jun 2013)

I see a lot of dangerous driving around.  Do some people not care or realise that they endanger other road users?

Speeding is crazy.  Mobile phone usage whilst driving is endemic.  Lane changers don't use their mirrors.

On Friday the car in front of myself and wife just did a u-turn without warning at 50km/h.

On Friday an artic driver had a mobile welded to his ear whilst negotiating a busy roundabout on a busy street.  After the roundabout, he switched the mobile to the right hand!

Also on Friday, a car overtook a cyclist on an 80km/h road with oncoming traffic dangerously close having to brake and flash.

I travelled on a Bus Eireann bus recently before their strike.  The driver drove with one hand for about 12 km, through 3 villages, mobile phone pressed to his head without fail.  He was discussing the coming strike and union/croke park stuff!  Passengers paid their fares and he kept yapping away on it as they stated their destination etc!  Sadly we passed the spot where a fatal RTA had happened just a fews days earlier, wreath tied to a pole.

I think these drivers need to cop themselves on.  I also think that traffic policing in general needs to get real and start enforcing rules.


----------



## RonanC (3 Jun 2013)

STEINER said:


> I travelled on a Bus Eireann bus recently before their strike.  The driver drove with one hand for about 12 km, through 3 villages, mobile phone pressed to his head without fail.  He was discussing the coming strike and union/croke park stuff!  Passengers paid their fares and he kept yapping away on it as they stated their destination etc!  Sadly we passed the spot where a fatal RTA had happened just a fews days earlier, wreath tied to a pole.



Did you.......

A. Report the driver to Gardai?

B. Report the driver to Bus Eireann? 

C. Ask driver to stop talking on phone while driving?


----------



## Latrade (4 Jun 2013)

STEINER said:


> I see a lot of dangerous driving around. Do some people not care or realise that they endanger other road users?
> 
> Speeding is crazy. Mobile phone usage whilst driving is endemic. Lane changers don't use their mirrors.
> 
> ...


 
In fairness you're posting on the wrong forum. On this forum we like to ignore dangerous driving from vehicle operators and instead state that the most heinous criminals on the road right now are cyclists. Just so you know for next time. 

However, on your Bus Driver and mobile phone tale. I can top that with a recent event where the Bin Lorry driver was driving using his feet around the estate while talking on the phone. Even more unfortunate was that it was during the school holidays so plenty of kids were out playing. Even more unfortunate was that at least twenty parents immediately phoned the waste company to complain and the the gardai. Even more unfortunate was the waste company denied even being in the estate at that time (pictures were sent to them) and the gardai never turned up. 

But good job he wasn't a cyclist going through an empty pedestrian crossing, then I'd have been really mad.


----------



## liaconn (4 Jun 2013)

Wow, that's unbelievable Latrade. Is there anyway you can take that any further?


What really irritates me is when you pull into the overtaking lane on the motorway to pass someone out and a car coming behind you, obviously convinced it's a 'fast lane' speeds right up behind you only stopping when they've practically touched your bumper (and given you a heart attack) and then sits on your tail until you pull back in. Had an absolute wagon do this to me on the M50 a couple of weeks ago and then the arrogant cow had the cheek to angrily blare her horn at me when I pulled  back in and she sped past at way over the speed limit.


----------



## blueband (4 Jun 2013)

while we may have some bad drivers on the road our overall driving is very good, think i read somewhere we are the third safest drivers in europe.  having been to countries like spain and italy. ect....we are way safer drivers!


----------



## micmclo (4 Jun 2013)

A complaint to Bus Eireann may get ignored or you'd probably get a_ bla bla looking into it_ letter reply

Recording the driver yapping and driving with one hand and then putting it up on youtube would get Bus Eireann's attention 


And +1 to the post from blueband.
Drivers in Rome are flamin lunatics


----------



## Sunny (4 Jun 2013)

Recently started to bring a learner driver out on the road. Had not really realised the ignorance of a significant number of drivers until I had L plates on the car. If a learner stalls a car at lights, he doesn't deserve to get beeped to hell out of it. I had cars overtake on dangerous roads, drive up our This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language even if we were going the speed limit. I was actually driving the car one day with the plates on and still witnessed aggressive driving towards me simply because they thought I was a learner.


----------



## Latrade (4 Jun 2013)

liaconn said:


> Wow, that's unbelievable Latrade. Is there anyway you can take that any further?


 
I wasn't there unfortunately, but I was a bit annoyed that there were a couple of fathers there who just recorded the driver. I hate that kind of passive agressive stuff anyway, I would have stopped him driving and called the guards. But at the moment, the company is denying being there at all. 



Sunny said:


> Recently started to bring a learner driver out on the road. Had not really realised the ignorance of a significant number of drivers until I had L plates on the car. If a learner stalls a car at lights, he doesn't deserve to get beeped to hell out of it. I had cars overtake on dangerous roads, drive up our This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language even if we were going the speed limit. I was actually driving the car one day with the plates on and still witnessed aggressive driving towards me simply because they thought I was a learner.


 
I see that all the time and had experiences when accompanying a learner driver. The thing is I remember well from when I was learning just how intimidating it was and vowed to have patience with a learner driver, I would have thought everyone else would have the same memories and sympathies. 

And, in fairness to the learners (and their instructors) when I'm cycling, they give loads of room and overtake very nicely unlike the qualified drivers behind them.


----------



## mandelbrot (4 Jun 2013)

liaconn said:


> What really irritates me is when you pull into the overtaking lane on the motorway to pass someone out and a car coming behind you, obviously convinced it's a 'fast lane' speeds right up behind you only stopping when they've practically touched your bumper (and given you a heart attack) and then sits on your tail until you pull back in. Had an absolute wagon do this to me on the M50 a couple of weeks ago and then the arrogant cow had the cheek to angrily blare her horn at me when I pulled back in and she sped past at way over the speed limit.


 
What you've described there could equally be a case of someone pulling out to overtake without having due regard for a vehicle already in the overtaking lane - the rule of thumb I always use is that if a car already in the lane will have to slow substantuially to allow me to do my own overtaking manoeuvre then I should wait until they've overtaken me and I can use the lane without causing disruption to another driver's progress. Maybe you're inclined to impede other people's progress and this causes them to intentionally driver up your This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language to make sure that you actually know they were/are there - I'm not saying it's right, but I can understand the frustration of having someone dawdle out obliviously.


----------



## liaconn (5 Jun 2013)

mandelbrot said:


> What you've described there could equally be a case of someone pulling out to overtake without having due regard for a vehicle already in the overtaking lane - the rule of thumb I always use is that if a car already in the lane will have to slow substantuially to allow me to do my own overtaking manoeuvre then I should wait until they've overtaken me and I can use the lane without causing disruption to another driver's progress. Maybe you're inclined to impede other people's progress and this causes them to intentionally driver up your This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language to make sure that you actually know they were/are there - I'm not saying it's right, but I can understand the frustration of having someone dawdle out obliviously.


 

Eh, no. I had made very sure that I had loads of room to move out and this car zoomed up suddenly from nowhere. I also only moved out to overtake a car and certainly wasn't doing so in order to sit in the lane dawdling up the M50. I agree that shooting out in front of someone and then tootling along is irritating, so it's something I don't do. It would also be very dangerous to do it on a motorway and the last thing I want is a car having to make a split second decision to avoid running into me.

This girl was not overtaking anyone, she was using the lane as a fast lane and continued to drive in it, well over the speed limit, after I had pulled back in. She was just rude and arrogant and heedless. If a garda car had been around she would have been pulled over, and rightly so.


----------



## Seagull (5 Jun 2013)

I've never understood the instant aggression towards a car with L plates. Driving aggressively behind a learner driver is likely to make them even more nervous, so they'll go slower, and are more likely to stall. Back off and show a little patience, and you'll wind up getting where you want faster.


----------



## liaconn (5 Jun 2013)

Seagull said:


> I've never understood the instant aggression towards a car with L plates. Driving aggressively behind a learner driver is likely to make them even more nervous, so they'll go slower, and are more likely to stall. Back off and show a little patience, and you'll wind up getting where you want faster.


 
Also, do those people not remember learning to drive themselves or realise how often _they_ held up traffic or stalled at green lights. The only time impatience is understandable is if a total beginner is brought out into heavy rush hour traffic, particularly morning traffic when people are trying to get to work on time. And even then, driving angrily up their boot is hardly going to help the situation.


----------



## Leo (5 Jun 2013)

liaconn said:


> This girl was not overtaking anyone, she was using the lane as a fast lane and continued to drive in it, well over the speed limit, after I had pulled back in. She was just rude and arrogant and heedless. If a garda car had been around she would have been pulled over, and rightly so.



OK, so sounds like this person was driving like a lunatic. But if you pulled into the lane ahead of them, forcing them to brake, the Gardai might have stopped you too. You are supposed to assess the speed of approaching traffic before overtaking.


----------



## Betsy Og (6 Jun 2013)

I dont find driving standards to be that bad of late- and I recently did a test (trailer) so it's been on my radar, so to speak -  a few years back I recall more incidences of people indicating one way and turning another etc. One bugbear is slow moving traffic - people doing 50k on a 100k open road, big tail back of people gagging to overtake, slow driver hugging the white line. Either speed up or occasionally pull in and generally drive to the left of the lane.

 I think part of the solution is recognising that there are ignorant people and bad drivers out there, you wont change them there any then by anything you might do, and certainly being aggressive will make it worse. So re the fast lane example- if I see someone 'bombing it' in the fast lane I let them off, even if I'm at the limit and want to overtake I wont pull out to "enforce the legal limit".

One thing that hasnt happened to me lately but did to someone I know is where queued behind slow car, obvious everyone want to overtake, someone from back the queue "gets the jump" on other would-be overtakers in front. They probably did this by starting their manouvre too early to be safe (e.g. at a brow, bend, before the full way ahead was clear) - but anyway there's a chance that someone in front wont check their mirrors/shoulder (the overtaking time can be short) - so a situation to be aware of.

What I do if I'm directly behind the slow guy and therefore "first in the queue" is a) put on my indicator just before anyone could possibly be overtaking (e.g. while the oncoming car is still approaching) so boy racer types know for a fact I'm about to pull out & b) get out there as quick as possible to claim my right to overtake. If I'm back the queue I tend to let everyone ahead off first, unless its v obvious that someone is happy to hang on behind.

What really shocks me with this thread is that no-one has been reprimanded for using the 'a' word - as a reformed offender in this regard I've become a zelous advocate of exceedingly high standards on AAM.......


----------



## Purple (6 Jun 2013)

Betsy Og said:


> What really shocks me with this thread is that no-one has been reprimanded for using the 'a' word - as a reformed offender in this regard I've become a zelous advocate of exceedingly high standards on AAM.......



What 'a' word?


----------



## Bill Struth (6 Jun 2013)

Purple said:


> What 'a' word?


 The only one I can see on the thread is 'This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language.'

We're not at the level of foul mouthed Ray D'Arcy yet, but it's a slippery slope! Fair play Betsy!


----------



## Kine (6 Jun 2013)

I blame women drivers, cyclists and foregin nationals!


----------



## DB74 (6 Jun 2013)

Kine said:


> I blame women drivers, cyclists and foregin nationals!



And the public sector unions obviously


----------



## bazermc (6 Jun 2013)

DB74 said:


> And the public sector unions obviously


 
And FF


----------



## bazermc (6 Jun 2013)

Kine said:


> I blame women drivers, cyclists and foregin nationals!


 
How about a female cycling foreign national?


----------



## Betsy Og (6 Jun 2013)

bazermc said:


> How about a female cycling foreign national?


 
Ah yeah, & I bet she got the bike for nothing and she wont lock it up because the State will just buy her another NEW one  

(oops, I just got temporarily possessed by Taxi Drrooiiivarrrr there for a minute)


----------



## Purple (7 Jun 2013)

bazermc said:


> How about a female cycling foreign national?



... who's in a Union, votes FF and used to work in banking.


----------



## bazermc (7 Jun 2013)

Purple said:


> ... who's in a Union, votes FF and used to work in banking.


 

And doesnt wear a helmet and breaks the lights!


----------



## liaconn (10 Jun 2013)

Leo said:


> OK, so sounds like this person was driving like a lunatic. But if you pulled into the lane ahead of them, forcing them to brake, the Gardai might have stopped you too. You are supposed to assess the speed of approaching traffic before overtaking.


 
I agree that would be a stupid thing to do. But that was not the case. I checked, loads of room, no cars nearby, moved out and, from the distance she came speeding up at a crazy rate and only stopped when she was nearly touching my bumper. Seriously, I'm actually quite a cowardly driver and never change lanes or move onto roundabouts unless I'm absolutely sure I've got time and room.


----------



## emmt (10 Jun 2013)

Liaconn - this type of driver then tends to stay out in the overtaking lane (because it BELONGS to them!) thus forcing other drivers to stay in the inside lane until they have passed because they are hogging the lane. So many times I'm ready to overtake only to see a car, well behind me in the overtaking lane, not passing any cars, but if I pull out to overtake, I'll be slowing them down...so we wait until these selfish drivers pass by...


----------



## mandelbrot (10 Jun 2013)

emmt said:


> Liaconn - this type of driver then tends to stay out in the overtaking lane (because it BELONGS to them!) thus forcing other drivers to stay in the inside lane until they have passed because they are hogging the lane. So many times I'm ready to overtake only to see a car, well behind me in the overtaking lane, not passing any cars, but if I pull out to overtake, I'll be slowing them down...so we wait until these selfish drivers pass by...


 
Yes some people do like to hog the overtaking lane and use it as a 
driving lane but that post makes no sense!

If, as you say, they are "well behind" you (i.e. using the lane as a driving lane) then I don't see how you pulling out will slow them down - unless either you are travelling relatively slowly or they're travelling very fast.

In either case, the point still stands that if there's someone already in the overtaking lane, and your overtaking manoeuvre is going to force them to hit the brakes then you shouldn't pull out there, as they are arguably already in the act of overtaking (notwithstanding that they are also using the lane as a driving lane).


----------



## Sunny (10 Jun 2013)

The good news is that someone did this to me at the weekend whereby they started flashing me and beeped while I was overtaking a row of 4 or 5 cars and travelling just at the speed limit to get out of their way. I pulled in when I could and let them pass. They shot off up the road. How I laughed when one of the cars we had overtaken turned on their own flashing lights and I passed them both on the side of the road 2 miles further on. Made my day.


----------



## Purple (10 Jun 2013)

Sunny said:


> The good news is that someone did this to me at the weekend whereby they started flashing me and beeped while I was overtaking a row of 4 or 5 cars and travelling just at the speed limit to get out of their way. I pulled in when I could and let them pass. They shot off up the road. How I laughed when one of the cars we had overtaken turned on their own flashing lights and I passed them both on the side of the road 2 miles further on. Made my day.



I love when that sort of thing happens!


----------



## emmt (11 Jun 2013)

> Yes some people do like to hog the overtaking lane and use it as a
> driving lane but that post makes no sense!
> 
> If, as you say, they are "well behind" you (i.e. using the lane as a driving lane) then I don't see how you pulling out will slow them down - unless either you are travelling relatively slowly or they're travelling very fast.



apologies, let me be clearer. I'm in the inside lane, approaching a car that is going slower than I am so I prepare to overtake. Check my mirrors and see a car in the overtaking lane, overtaking no cars, but approaching at speed. So you have to wait until it passes before overtaking - which can be a not inconsiderable wait. 

Some motorists appear to be afraid to move into the inside lane for some reason, even though there are no cars in there.

Make more sense mandelbrot?!


----------



## liaconn (11 Jun 2013)

Sunny said:


> The good news is that someone did this to me at the weekend whereby they started flashing me and beeped while I was overtaking a row of 4 or 5 cars and travelling just at the speed limit to get out of their way. I pulled in when I could and let them pass. They shot off up the road. How I laughed when one of the cars we had overtaken turned on their own flashing lights and I passed them both on the side of the road 2 miles further on. Made my day.


 
Brilliant. 

 There's never, ever a guard around when someone behaves like a knob around me but that would make me feel like cheering.


----------



## mandelbrot (11 Jun 2013)

emmt said:


> apologies, let me be clearer. I'm in the inside lane, approaching a car that is going slower than I am so I prepare to overtake. Check my mirrors and see a car in the overtaking lane, overtaking no cars, but approaching at speed. So you have to wait until it passes before overtaking - which can be a not inconsiderable wait.
> 
> Some motorists appear to be afraid to move into the inside lane for some reason, even though there are no cars in there.
> 
> Make more sense mandelbrot?!


 
No, not really, maybe I'm the one who wasn't clear enough 

What I'm saying is that if, when you look in your mirror before indicating and changing lane, there's already someone in that lane and your judgement tells you that by pulling out you'll force them to slow substantially, then they are by definition already in the act of overtaking you (it doesn't matter whether they've been out there for 10 mins or 2 seconds). Just as you will be in the act of overtaking the car in front of you as soon as you pull out, regardless of whether you are 20 metres behind them or 80 metres.


----------



## Leo (11 Jun 2013)

mandelbrot said:


> No, not really, maybe I'm the one who wasn't clear enough



Maybe it's just me, but I think you're both saying the same thing


----------



## TarfHead (6 Nov 2013)

Not 'dangerous' but I was looking for an existing thread to vent in and this is the first one I found.

This morning, driving up Booterstown Avenue, waiting to turn left onto the N11. Other lane splits into two, both for turning right onto N11.

As the cars in front of me started to stop for the red light, I stopped short of a yellow box, leaving a car length free on the far side of the box.

One of the cars in the right turn lane then moved into the yellow box and indicated left like he intended to 'jump' in front of me. I got a dose of red mists and drove forward, filling the road space on the far side of the yellow box and leaving him 'stuck' in the yellow box.

I hate it when people act in such an inconsiderate manner  and that I fall to their level in response .


----------



## Betsy Og (6 Nov 2013)

TarfHead said:


> I hate it when people act in such an inconsiderate manner  and that I fall to their level in response .


 
To err is human, to not get caught is lucky.

Sure at least you've shown contrition, that puts you ahead of nearly everyone in power in this country that has gotten it wrong (maliciously, greedily, imcompetently, unluckily or otherwise), so don't be beating yourself up too much.


----------

