Petrolhead culture

[Eamonnca1]

Is it just me or do a lot of young fellas in Ireland get involved in an unhealthy petrolhead culture? I remember ripping and tearing around the roads with my mates as soon as we could drive, and we had a whole language built around the act of unsafe driving. It's like the part of our brain that dealt with consequences hadn't developed yet. I look back in horror at some of the stuff we used to get up to in motors.

Every time I hear about roads deaths in the wee hours of the morning and "single vehicle collision" I feel like it could have been any of us back in the day.

"Thoughts and prayers" are all well and good, but I think we need to talk about the culture that surrounds driving, as well as the lack of enforcement of traffic laws at night time when the roads turn into racetracks.

[Milltown Row2]

Is it just me or do a lot of young fellas in Ireland get involved in an unhealthy petrolhead culture? I remember ripping and tearing around the roads with my mates as soon as we could drive, and we had a whole language built around the act of unsafe driving. It's like the part of our brain that dealt with consequences hadn't developed yet. I look back in horror at some of the stuff we used to get up to in motors.

Every time I hear about roads deaths in the wee hours of the morning and "single vehicle collision" I feel like it could have been any of us back in the day.

"Thoughts and prayers" are all well and good, but I think we need to talk about the culture that surrounds driving, as well as the lack of enforcement of traffic laws at night time when the roads turn into racetracks.

Awful deaths.. putting a curfew on lads driving after a certain time? Or insurance incentives to reduce speed?

Should be a control box with speed restrictions..

[Harold Disgracey]

Absolutely horrific accident. One of the girls was in my son's class at school and the other girl had a little 3 year old son.

[Saffron_sam20]

Is it just me or do a lot of young fellas in Ireland get involved in an unhealthy petrolhead culture? I remember ripping and tearing around the roads with my mates as soon as we could drive, and we had a whole language built around the act of unsafe driving. It's like the part of our brain that dealt with consequences hadn't developed yet. I look back in horror at some of the stuff we used to get up to in motors.

Every time I hear about roads deaths in the wee hours of the morning and "single vehicle collision" I feel like it could have been any of us back in the day.

"Thoughts and prayers" are all well and good, but I think we need to talk about the culture that surrounds driving, as well as the lack of enforcement of traffic laws at night time when the roads turn into racetracks.

Awful deaths.. putting a curfew on lads driving after a certain time? Or insurance incentives to reduce speed?

Should be a control box with speed restrictions..

I genuinely believe a good fix would be you cant drive anything over 1.2 until you have your test 1 or 2 years. one of the main problems is young lads(and girls) with a motor with a lot of power and cant handle it and push it on.

[marty34]

On  similiar vein to this road safety issue, I think it should be complusory that anyone out walking, day or evening, should have a hi-viz vest on.

The amount of people I see out at dusk walking, wear black/dark clothes is scary.

Plus all school uniforms and bags should have a few hi-viz strips or reflections on them.  I'd say it'd be simple enough to design and install.

[clonian]

Is it just me or do a lot of young fellas in Ireland get involved in an unhealthy petrolhead culture? I remember ripping and tearing around the roads with my mates as soon as we could drive, and we had a whole language built around the act of unsafe driving. It's like the part of our brain that dealt with consequences hadn't developed yet. I look back in horror at some of the stuff we used to get up to in motors.

Every time I hear about roads deaths in the wee hours of the morning and "single vehicle collision" I feel like it could have been any of us back in the day.

"Thoughts and prayers" are all well and good, but I think we need to talk about the culture that surrounds driving, as well as the lack of enforcement of traffic laws at night time when the roads turn into racetracks.

Awful deaths.. putting a curfew on lads driving after a certain time? Or insurance incentives to reduce speed?

Should be a control box with speed restrictions..

I genuinely believe a good fix would be you cant drive anything over 1.2 until you have your test 1 or 2 years. one of the main problems is young lads(and girls) with a motor with a lot of power and cant handle it and push it on.

Cars are faster now than the bangers we drove when young. Insurance is very high for young ones but it doesn't seem to have a lot to do with the engine in the car etc. Young lads at 18 in A4s and 3 series BMWs. Parents want them in a 'safer' car but that usually means its faster than they should have. The tracking box would be a good start

[Milltown Row2]

Is it just me or do a lot of young fellas in Ireland get involved in an unhealthy petrolhead culture? I remember ripping and tearing around the roads with my mates as soon as we could drive, and we had a whole language built around the act of unsafe driving. It's like the part of our brain that dealt with consequences hadn't developed yet. I look back in horror at some of the stuff we used to get up to in motors.

Every time I hear about roads deaths in the wee hours of the morning and "single vehicle collision" I feel like it could have been any of us back in the day.

"Thoughts and prayers" are all well and good, but I think we need to talk about the culture that surrounds driving, as well as the lack of enforcement of traffic laws at night time when the roads turn into racetracks.

Awful deaths.. putting a curfew on lads driving after a certain time? Or insurance incentives to reduce speed?

Should be a control box with speed restrictions..

I genuinely believe a good fix would be you cant drive anything over 1.2 until you have your test 1 or 2 years. one of the main problems is young lads(and girls) with a motor with a lot of power and cant handle it and push it on.

Cars are faster now than the bangers we drove when young. Insurance is very high for young ones but it doesn't seem to have a lot to do with the engine in the car etc. Young lads at 18 in A4s and 3 series BMWs. Parents want them in a 'safer' car but that usually means its faster than they should have. The tracking box would be a good start

Daughter had the tracker box in car for that first year or so. Insurance was cheaper, also she had to drive sensibly.

That said once it was taken out, I was parked at the shop and I seen this car flying round a junction, it was my daughter! Even though I gave her a rollicking it took her actually having a bumper hit (minor no damage) and the lady gave her such a telling off that it calmed her.

Unfortunately those involved in this accident won't have that chance!

[Armagh18]

The black box thing is a load of shite. Driving too slow is hazardous as well. Limiting young ones to 1.2 litre would make more sense.

[marty34]

The black box thing is a load of shite. Driving too slow is hazardous as well. Limiting young ones to 1.2 litre would make more sense.

Good idea, Very hard to police though.

I see vans are limited to 50mph. 

[Saffron_sam20]

The black box thing is a load of shite. Driving too slow is hazardous as well. Limiting young ones to 1.2 litre would make more sense.

Good idea, Very hard to police though.

I see vans are limited to 50mph. 

Think it be handy enough to police, when getting insurance and your licence issue date is within the last 2 years when the insurer puts the vehicle reg in it gives you the vehicle details. if its engine size is over 1.2 then they cant offer a policy. honestly, the saying speed kills is so true, not saying it'll solve everything but it would certainly cut down on how severe some accidents are.

[gallsman]

There's something about the nature of youth though as well. Haven't done any research to back this up, but gut feel to me is vast majority of accidents like these are on country roads? Culchies need cars and the ability to drive from a younger age to maintain a degree of independence. Once the roads aren't as busy and they open up in front of you without a light or junction for miles, there seems to be an irresistible urge to put the foot down.

[Tony Baloney]

A very very dark time for that area of Armagh after 3 road deaths back in November. That's a very bad bend the accident happened at but these were locals and would have known all about it so I suspect speed will be the cause. The word locally is that one fella was able to get out of the car before it went on fire but have heard nothing on the news so it could be a load of balls.

[Milltown Row2]

The black box thing is a load of shite. Driving too slow is hazardous as well. Limiting young ones to 1.2 litre would make more sense.

The box is to keep within the speed limits, are you encouraging driving over the limits?

Talk me through that

[general_lee]

Teaching learners how to drive on the motorway would be a start. Absolutely ridiculous 1. That they aren't and 2.
They're restricted to 45mph on a road where most users bomb on at 80+

[Milltown Row2]

Teaching learners how to drive on the motorway would be a start. Absolutely ridiculous 1. That they aren't and 2.
They're restricted to 45mph on a road where most users bomb on at 80+

There are less deaths on a motorway than country roads I'd imagine. It's country roads which are killing people