driving debate

[pullhard]

If 50 is all you're comfortable doing on a motorway, then you shouldn't be on the motorway. It's no place for deficient drivers.

Ideally older drivers should be retested every 5-10 years.
However I have a couple of bachelor uncles and elderly neighbours who I know in my heart wouldn't have a hope in hell of ever passing the test.
The car is their way of staying connected with the world. They only drive the roads from their house to the town and that is about it. They'd never be near or motorway and would never want to be. It would be a tough blow to them to take them off the road.

This bit is sad, I have people in a similar position. I suppose its a bit like the kerry drink driving thread from a while back. If a child or dog ran out would they have the reactions or eye sight to deal with it, i doubt it. But it would make the roads safer.

[Ash Smoker]

Why is everyone in such a hurry these days, slow down, leave plenty of time for your journey, relax ffs.

Of course, but the slowest driver on the road shouldn't always dictate the speed that everyone else should go.

[All of a Sludden]

Why is everyone in such a hurry these days, slow down, leave plenty of time for your journey, relax ffs.

Of course, but the slowest driver on the road shouldn't always dictate the speed that everyone else should go.

No but you have to make allowances. If you are planning a journey you have to make allowances for these people, not everyone is in a hurry and I have found that since I have slowed down I have become a much more relaxed and considerate driver.

Walking and running on the roads over the last few years may have helped me look at things differently.

[ONeill]

Why is everyone in such a hurry these days, slow down, leave plenty of time for your journey, relax ffs.

Of course, but the slowest driver on the road shouldn't always dictate the speed that everyone else should go.

No but you have to make allowances. If you are planning a journey you have to make allowances for these people, not everyone is in a hurry and I have found that since I have slowed down I have become a much more relaxed and considerate driver.

Walking and running on the roads over the last few years may have helped me look at things differently.

I ran the road last night and it also helped me to see things differently - through 9000 buckin midges.

[pullhard]

Why is everyone in such a hurry these days, slow down, leave plenty of time for your journey, relax ffs.

Of course, but the slowest driver on the road shouldn't always dictate the speed that everyone else should go.

No but you have to make allowances. If you are planning a journey you have to make allowances for these people, not everyone is in a hurry and I have found that since I have slowed down I have become a much more relaxed and considerate driver.

Walking and running on the roads over the last few years may have helped me look at things differently.

There is slowing down and there is a being a dangerous driver. 50 on the motorway, causing trucks to overtake you is dangerous.

How do you feel about compulsory retesting?

[laoislad]

Why is everyone in such a hurry these days, slow down, leave plenty of time for your journey, relax ffs.

Of course, but the slowest driver on the road shouldn't always dictate the speed that everyone else should go.

No but you have to make allowances. If you are planning a journey you have to make allowances for these people, not everyone is in a hurry and I have found that since I have slowed down I have become a much more relaxed and considerate driver.

Walking and running on the roads over the last few years may have helped me look at things differently.

Same as that. Also having a child in the back of the car has really made me change my driving habits.
I still let the odd roar at someone but I don't try and chase them down and run them off the road anymore....

[Tony Baloney]

The persistent misuse of the lanes on the motorway is a huge problem. Driving at 60 on the motorway (50 is too slow imo) shouldn't be an issue if motorists use the outside lane for overtaking and not as a "fast lane". I was coming home from Belfast on the M1 on Monday and the cars on the inside lane were going faster than the outside lane. Something not right there.

[God14]

That'll be the next money racket for Govt. We'll be paying £40+ every 10 years to be tested for driving. As long as theirs money to gleamed from it, id say they'll be keen.

[armaghniac]

There is always someone, who describes any initiative as a money making racket. Such tests will cost money to run, I doubt if any net profit would result.

[NAG1]

The persistent misuse of the lanes on the motorway is a huge problem. Driving at 60 on the motorway (50 is too slow imo) shouldn't be an issue if motorists use the outside lane for overtaking and not as a "fast lane". I was coming home from Belfast on the M1 on Monday and the cars on the inside lane were going faster than the outside lane. Something not right there.

This is a completely different issue, that is about lane usage and awareness of other drivers as opposed to speed.

[qubdub]

Speaking from experience one night I was driving to Belfast and near slammed into the back of someone travelling at 50 mph or less. The road was busy enough hence me being in the slow lane as cars doing 80+ passed me. Admittedly I had been distracted for a split second (radio) and any resultant accident would have been solely my fault.. Anyway I was coming round the bend just before the slip off for Sprucefield at no more than 70 mph, went to change cd when all of a sudden the car that was a good 400 yards in front was now right in front of me, as I was being over taken by a few cars in the outside line I couldn't swerve to avoid it so had to jump on the breaks. Luckily there was no one behind me. I feel that had there been an accident the law would say I was at fault which I would accept to a certain degree but would also blame the driver travelling 50mph for being careless.

[Oraisteach]

qub, is there a mandated minimum speed limit on the motorway?  Sounds to me, by your own admission, that it was your fault, distracted as you were by changing cd's.  What if there had been a dead animal in the road?  Aren't you expected to maintain an assured clear distance?  No, I think Judge Judy brings down the gavel on this one.  Life (in Craigavon) without chance of parole.

[armaghniac]

There is case for a minimum limit on motorways.

A guy was jailed last week in England for slamming on the brakes when he missed an exit and killing a motor cyclist who ran into him. But that is not comparable with steady slowing travel, this is anti-social but only dangerous if the driver behind is dangerous.

[Bud Wiser]

DRIVING TEST EXAM – LEARNER LEVEL FOR GAA BOARDERS
Q1.  You are driving along a motorway and you come up to a car driving at 50Mph. Do you (a) take up the "Hamster Position"  where you sit up real close to the steering wheel with your knuckles white on the wheel and curse the day that person ever got a licence for the next 100 miles or (b) do you use the width of the motorway and overtake and go on about your business?

Q2. You have this fixation that falls short of shooting pensioners to keep them off the road but you would like to see them do a speed test because if they are travelling at 50mph they are a danger to HGV's.  The law in Ireland on motorways is that all HGV's must travel at 80Kmh or 50mph maximum on motorways.  Which is the biggest danger (a)  the person carefully driving along at around 50mph which is the speed the HGV should be doing in the first place, or (b) the trucks that travel at 100+kmh, almost double their speed limit and outside their braking capability?

Q3. You have just bought your first or second car and along with all the flash wheels it has a CD player. You are in a hurry to nowhere that is a life and death matter and you want to listen to your music and you need to put in a new CD. You do this on a slip road while you are travelling at 75mph (120kmh), the maximum speed for a motorway. There is an accident ahead of you and the ambulance is loading a person onto a stretcher (or there is a slower driver) and you brake hard and avoid a serious crash. Are you (a) Stupid but lucky, or (b) Think you are a hero for avoiding a collision?

Q4.  You are coming out of Newry heading Southbound on the M1 and you are driving  a car with English registration plates.  About 30 miles on you see a sign that says 120kmh and you say to yourself (a) Oh, they have metric signs down here, that means 75mph where I come from so I must obey and drive carefully, or, (b) to hell with them and their metric signs, I will floor it up to 120mph and if am stopped I pretend I didn't know, and I don't really care anyway because I won't pay the fine?

[The Biff]

Spot on there Bud.  The excessive speeds are rarely worth it anyway.  Next time someone flies by you on any main road or motorway, wait until you come to the next town or traffic light and yer man will probably be just 5 or 6 cars ahead of you.  Then you get through the same traffic light about 10 secs after he does.  That's all he has gained.

Alternatively if you are the speedster, then have you gained only 10 seconds at the expense of your blood pressure?