Gerry Dunne
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Where did I ever even mention anticipating a potential hazard? In the event of anticipating a hazard, shouldn't you be slowing down? Again, I'm just stating what the law says, the law is written on the basis of an expectation that people will obey it. The fact that so many don't doesn't permit you to pick and choose pieces of the law you want to ignore. The law allows for the override of rules in emergency situations, but your typical merge does not constitute an emergency.If you think anticipating a hazard like a slow moving vehicle ahead, and not reacting to it, because of "the law" is good driving I can't agree.
That's very true, and they changed it very quickly, the rule to stay left has been in place for decades.The law used to say cyclist had to stay left and in the cycle lane, until it was pointed it out was dumb, and often dangerous, especially for the inexperienced, and those that follow law blindly. Thus they changed it.
Of course not, but luckily the judge will have a much better understanding of the law than you are demonstrating there. Have a read of the section on non-application.I am driving along a road with a continuous white line and a pedestrian suddenly falls off the footpath in front of me. I do not have time to stop and the road is clear of approaching traffic. I drive over the pedestrian and kill them. In court I explain to the judge that I did not swerve to avoid killing the pedestrian because it was illegal to cross a continuous white line. Would the judge interpret the law to agree that I was correct to take this action ? I don't think so.
I don't see what parking has to with staying in lane unless you think cyclists would blindly queue up behind a parked car because they're unable to leave the lane to pass it.Where did I ever even mention anticipating a potential hazard? In the event of anticipating a hazard, shouldn't you be slowing down? Again, I'm just stating what the law says, the law is written on the basis of an expectation that people will obey it. The fact that so many don't doesn't permit you to pick and choose pieces of the law you want to ignore. The law allows for the override of rules in emergency situations, but your typical merge does not constitute an emergency.
The legislation exists in an ideal world where it is illegal to join a road ahead of faster moving traffic, and in that world, there is no potential hazard and so no basis for legislating for it.
That's very true, and they changed it very quickly, the rule to stay left has been in place for decades.
The biggest factor in driving that change wasn't the mandatory use of cycle lanes being potentially dangerous, it was the lack of appetite to start prosecuting motorists who parked or obstructed cycle lanes. Was it the commissioner or deputy at the time who appeared on TV stating that they had a responsibility to protect the commercial viability of our cities and prosecuting all those motorists would go against that...
From rsa.ie under "Using lanes properly"You may also need to move out of the left lane at a junction, to make room for vehicles merging from the on-ramp. Again, move back into the left lane as soon as it is available.
Lane 2 – On a two lane motorway, you should only use this lane for overtaking. You must move back to lane 1 once you have finished overtaking and it is safe to do so. You can also move into lane 2 to allow vehicles coming from your left to join the motorway.
That's exactly the fault that was in the legislation that made the use of cycle lanes mandatory, it made it an offence for cyclists to leave the cycleway and enter the roadway even if there was an obstruction. The Gardai cane out very quickly saying it was unenforceable as drafted.I don't see what parking has to with staying in lane unless you think cyclists would blindly queue up behind a parked car because they're unable to leave the lane to pass it.
The problem arises if the person moving into a lane on the right causes the traffic in that lane to break.From theaa.ie under "Keeping Left on Motorways"
From rsa.ie under "Using lanes properly"
Lane 2 – On a two lane motorway, you should only use this lane for overtaking. You must move back to lane 1 once you have finished overtaking and it is safe to do so. You can also move into lane 2 to allow vehicles coming from your left to join the motorway.
That's exactly the fault that was in the legislation that made the use of cycle lanes mandatory, it made it an offence for cyclists to leave the cycleway and enter the roadway even if there was an obstruction. The Gardai cane out very quickly saying it was unenforceable as drafted.
Obviously, but Leo wasn't making any allowance for such common sense in his understanding of the law. It goes without saying that you cannot move into a lane until it is safe to do so.The problem arises if the person moving into a lane on the right causes the traffic in that lane to break.
The problem arises if the person moving into a lane on the right causes the traffic in that lane to break.
There will always be some event which will cause a driver to brake.
It should not be a safety issue.
The problem is not the driver who brakes, it's the convoy of tailgaters behind who create the danger.
Is it possible to have a thread about driving and poor driving etiquette (EG. Bullying of small cars) without bring cyclists into it. Even more so where a lot posts on this thread are about motorway driving and etiquette, where cyclists are nowhere to be seen.That's exactly the fault that was in the legislation that made the use of cycle lanes mandatory, it made it an offence for cyclists to leave the cycleway and enter the roadway even if there was an obstruction. The Gardai cane out very quickly saying it was unenforceable as drafted.
Absolutely.One desirable practise IMO when driving should be to accelerate and brake as little as possible when driving, and cause others not to have to it also.
Yes, that's the same thing; the cars entering the lane are driving slower than the flow of traffic and so cause the breaking. It is the responsibility of the traffic entering the lane to ensure that they do so safely. If they are causing the traffic in that lane to break then they are not doing so safely.Same applies to someone brakes due to slower traffic joining.
Or the cars in that lane are speeding or tail-gating?Yes, that's the same thing; the cars entering the lane are driving slower than the flow of traffic and so cause the breaking. It is the responsibility of the traffic entering the lane to ensure that they do so safely. If they are causing the traffic in that lane to break then they are not doing so safely.