Standard of driving in NI
Discussion
stevieturbo said:
ohtari said:
Funny that, because the A4 past Dungannon that I drive to work every day has none. Nadda. Zilch.
I must need my eyes tested!
And as per the last post, you absolutely do need them tested !I must need my eyes tested!
There will always be a sign indicating speeds. There may not always be repeater signs within an NSL limit, but there will always be, and is always signage at the start of any limit change.
Well, by "signed" you seemed to be implying they all had numerical limits. You also seemed to imply that my statement that the speed limit on a dual carriageway is 70 was somehow wrong. So let's agree that the speed limit on a dual carriageway is 70 unless there are signs to the contrary. So yes, my plea to the judge would be entirely reasonable!
My point is that you know that, I know that, and most people on PH know that. But why do most NI drivers not know that? And again, why do they drive round the outer ring at Shaw's Bridge at just under 40 when it is clearly signed 50? OK it's not compulsory, but their lemming like behaviour indicates to me that they don't see the signs. Just an example of the total lack of observation of many drivers. Another example is the complete inability of many drivers to see and understand when bus lanes are not in force.
Riding my motorcycle most of this week (I ride all year round not like 95% of bikers in NI) and just observing (cause you REALLY have to) the standard of knowledge of drivers when using the motorway.
Do people just exhale their brain cells prior to leaving the onslip/ramp and totally become brain dead?
What is one of the most fundamental rules of driving ... from the very first time you take a lesson (well it was when i started)?
MIRROR SIGNAL MANOEUVRE ... so 3 very simple things and yet the vast majority of drivers on the M1 for example have no understanding of this.
When you indicate (if you decide to bother that is) you have the DIVINE right to move into that lane. End off. Forget that you are in the flow of traffic etc etc you are not there. ITs absolutely crazy. For me personally its a constant worry, who has seen me even though I am kitted with reflective jacket, full beam (if required) headlights, sports exhaust etc. I might as well be a fly on their windscreen.
If some of the drivers over here had to use the motorway's in England they would be killed; the standard of driving their in terms of lane discipline is so much higher.
This week for example, I had a woman in a sliver Golf join at sprucefield, I was in the left lane nowhere else to go as per usual the right lane (not to be confused with fast lane) was just a steady stream, I was coming alongside her, she had just entered the green cat's eye zone with plenty of ramp left and just sails on over. I had to then position bike quickly on the middle lines. i blow the horn and stare at her and she looks up and puts her hand up ... I mean c'mon!!!
Rant over, but Im sure all of you have experieinced this whatever vehicle you drive ... just that bit more hellish when on a bike
Do people just exhale their brain cells prior to leaving the onslip/ramp and totally become brain dead?
What is one of the most fundamental rules of driving ... from the very first time you take a lesson (well it was when i started)?
MIRROR SIGNAL MANOEUVRE ... so 3 very simple things and yet the vast majority of drivers on the M1 for example have no understanding of this.
When you indicate (if you decide to bother that is) you have the DIVINE right to move into that lane. End off. Forget that you are in the flow of traffic etc etc you are not there. ITs absolutely crazy. For me personally its a constant worry, who has seen me even though I am kitted with reflective jacket, full beam (if required) headlights, sports exhaust etc. I might as well be a fly on their windscreen.
If some of the drivers over here had to use the motorway's in England they would be killed; the standard of driving their in terms of lane discipline is so much higher.
This week for example, I had a woman in a sliver Golf join at sprucefield, I was in the left lane nowhere else to go as per usual the right lane (not to be confused with fast lane) was just a steady stream, I was coming alongside her, she had just entered the green cat's eye zone with plenty of ramp left and just sails on over. I had to then position bike quickly on the middle lines. i blow the horn and stare at her and she looks up and puts her hand up ... I mean c'mon!!!
Rant over, but Im sure all of you have experieinced this whatever vehicle you drive ... just that bit more hellish when on a bike
Ah, the old Mirror, Signal, manoeuvre ploy.... Like turn into a side road, and THEN signal your intention. See it every day, all day.
What baffles me is how folk pass their test, having swotted up on the Highway Code, and then claim they didn't know when they do something wrong. Like yellow-box blockage (what do they think "your exit is clear" means), and yellow lines ("I wasn't sure officer"), and as you have discussed, speed limits. The signs are there, to paraphrase Loyd Grossman.
I've had 30 years of driving here after 13 years in England. You see bad driving everywhere, it's not just NI, but I have to say that on the whole the proportion is higher here. As one Canadian visitor wrote in the Belfast Telegraph, drivers here use their cars like a donkey and trap. See a shop you want, just stop your car there. Want to talk to someone, just stop and talk. No common sense, no taking into account of the circumstances re other traffic.
Worst thing for me? Not using indicators when turning left at traffic lights. If the indicators aren't on, as far as I'm concerned they're going straight on, and that means I'm expecting them to accelerate, not slow down to turn. Hey ho.
What baffles me is how folk pass their test, having swotted up on the Highway Code, and then claim they didn't know when they do something wrong. Like yellow-box blockage (what do they think "your exit is clear" means), and yellow lines ("I wasn't sure officer"), and as you have discussed, speed limits. The signs are there, to paraphrase Loyd Grossman.
I've had 30 years of driving here after 13 years in England. You see bad driving everywhere, it's not just NI, but I have to say that on the whole the proportion is higher here. As one Canadian visitor wrote in the Belfast Telegraph, drivers here use their cars like a donkey and trap. See a shop you want, just stop your car there. Want to talk to someone, just stop and talk. No common sense, no taking into account of the circumstances re other traffic.
Worst thing for me? Not using indicators when turning left at traffic lights. If the indicators aren't on, as far as I'm concerned they're going straight on, and that means I'm expecting them to accelerate, not slow down to turn. Hey ho.
nicanary said:
Ah, the old Mirror, Signal, manoeuvre ploy.... Like turn into a side road, and THEN signal your intention. See it every day, all day.
What baffles me is how folk pass their test, having swotted up on the Highway Code, and then claim they didn't know when they do something wrong. Like yellow-box blockage (what do they think "your exit is clear" means), and yellow lines ("I wasn't sure officer"), and as you have discussed, speed limits. The signs are there, to paraphrase Loyd Grossman.
I've had 30 years of driving here after 13 years in England. You see bad driving everywhere, it's not just NI, but I have to say that on the whole the proportion is higher here. As one Canadian visitor wrote in the Belfast Telegraph, drivers here use their cars like a donkey and trap. See a shop you want, just stop your car there. Want to talk to someone, just stop and talk. No common sense, no taking into account of the circumstances re other traffic.
Worst thing for me? Not using indicators when turning left at traffic lights. If the indicators aren't on, as far as I'm concerned they're going straight on, and that means I'm expecting them to accelerate, not slow down to turn. Hey ho.
The turnoff into Boucher Crescent is the worst for this, especially if you're heading towards Stockman's Lane. What baffles me is how folk pass their test, having swotted up on the Highway Code, and then claim they didn't know when they do something wrong. Like yellow-box blockage (what do they think "your exit is clear" means), and yellow lines ("I wasn't sure officer"), and as you have discussed, speed limits. The signs are there, to paraphrase Loyd Grossman.
I've had 30 years of driving here after 13 years in England. You see bad driving everywhere, it's not just NI, but I have to say that on the whole the proportion is higher here. As one Canadian visitor wrote in the Belfast Telegraph, drivers here use their cars like a donkey and trap. See a shop you want, just stop your car there. Want to talk to someone, just stop and talk. No common sense, no taking into account of the circumstances re other traffic.
Worst thing for me? Not using indicators when turning left at traffic lights. If the indicators aren't on, as far as I'm concerned they're going straight on, and that means I'm expecting them to accelerate, not slow down to turn. Hey ho.
Lights turn green, car in front of you crawls forward a few feet, stops in the middle of the junction and then puts the indicators on.
I find that that people who suddenly pull out in front of you from side streets or junctions nevitably exit at the next side street or junction. That seems to be peculiar to NI.
And as for box junctions in Belfast, well they might as well not even exist. So much for only entering one when the onward path is clear.
And as for box junctions in Belfast, well they might as well not even exist. So much for only entering one when the onward path is clear.
What all of the above boils down to is a basic inability to use both their eyes, and brains.
And those than rule the roads seem to encourage it, by their severe lack of action in tackling the real problems.
So many lives could be saved every year if more work was done to ensure people used their eyes when driving. Be it looking to ensure it's safe to pull out of a junction, or observing roadsigns.
Nope, instead all they seem to do is slap stupid speed camera vans everywhere, usually on the safest stretches of road they can find !!!
Is it any wonder there are so many road deaths and injuries.
It'd be a bit like seeing a house on fire with people inside about to die, and the governments solution for the problem is have a barbecue at the house.
And those than rule the roads seem to encourage it, by their severe lack of action in tackling the real problems.
So many lives could be saved every year if more work was done to ensure people used their eyes when driving. Be it looking to ensure it's safe to pull out of a junction, or observing roadsigns.
Nope, instead all they seem to do is slap stupid speed camera vans everywhere, usually on the safest stretches of road they can find !!!
Is it any wonder there are so many road deaths and injuries.
It'd be a bit like seeing a house on fire with people inside about to die, and the governments solution for the problem is have a barbecue at the house.
stevieturbo said:
What all of the above boils down to is a basic inability to use both their eyes, and brains.
And those than rule the roads seem to encourage it, by their severe lack of action in tackling the real problems.
So many lives could be saved every year if more work was done to ensure people used their eyes when driving. Be it looking to ensure it's safe to pull out of a junction, or observing roadsigns.
Nope, instead all they seem to do is slap stupid speed camera vans everywhere, usually on the safest stretches of road they can find !!!
Is it any wonder there are so many road deaths and injuries.
It'd be a bit like seeing a house on fire with people inside about to die, and the governments solution for the problem is have a barbecue at the house.
I agree absolutely. A speed trap on the Malone Road in Belfast does effectively slow traffic to 30 and catches a few drivers. But does it contribute to road safety?And those than rule the roads seem to encourage it, by their severe lack of action in tackling the real problems.
So many lives could be saved every year if more work was done to ensure people used their eyes when driving. Be it looking to ensure it's safe to pull out of a junction, or observing roadsigns.
Nope, instead all they seem to do is slap stupid speed camera vans everywhere, usually on the safest stretches of road they can find !!!
Is it any wonder there are so many road deaths and injuries.
It'd be a bit like seeing a house on fire with people inside about to die, and the governments solution for the problem is have a barbecue at the house.
A short distance further along my daily commute I pass through the Broadway/Glenmachan Sreet roundabout. A game I play is to count the number of cars going through the same red light. My record is two cars and an articulated lorry. Dangerous in the extreme and illegal, but never are there any traffic police around. Why not?
And why is it that cars can be left parked on the Lisburn Road in a Clearway in full view of the PSNI station, but no action is taken?
Deramore said:
I agree absolutely. A speed trap on the Malone Road in Belfast does effectively slow traffic to 30 and catches a few drivers. But does it contribute to road safety?
A short distance further along my daily commute I pass through the Broadway/Glenmachan Sreet roundabout. A game I play is to count the number of cars going through the same red light. My record is two cars and an articulated lorry. Dangerous in the extreme and illegal, but never are there any traffic police around. Why not?
And why is it that cars can be left parked on the Lisburn Road in a Clearway in full view of the PSNI station, but no action is taken?
It doesnt even make a difference if someone causes a crash at a red light either. Phone the police....."nothing to do with us"A short distance further along my daily commute I pass through the Broadway/Glenmachan Sreet roundabout. A game I play is to count the number of cars going through the same red light. My record is two cars and an articulated lorry. Dangerous in the extreme and illegal, but never are there any traffic police around. Why not?
And why is it that cars can be left parked on the Lisburn Road in a Clearway in full view of the PSNI station, but no action is taken?
Mind you....go for a drive, cause no harm or inconvenience to anyone, but travel a little over the speed limit...and you can bet they'll try their damn hardest to nail you.
Crash, damage, injur....nope, they dont give a f
k.The current enforcement methods, speed cameras etc etc are all helping to kill people on our roads. Anyone involved with these cameras really should hang their heads in shame. I'm sure waste hundreds of thousands of pounds every year between equipment, wages, etc, lining their own pockets whilst helping people die. WTF !!!!
Just take a look at the number of serious road accidents and deaths so far this year. Any coincidence there is a huge rise in the use of mobile speed cameras ?
More cameras, and less proper road safety enforcement = more deaths.
stevieturbo said:
It doesnt even make a difference if someone causes a crash at a red light either. Phone the police....."nothing to do with us"
Mind you....go for a drive, cause no harm or inconvenience to anyone, but travel a little over the speed limit...and you can bet they'll try their damn hardest to nail you.
Crash, damage, injur....nope, they dont give a fk.
The current enforcement methods, speed cameras etc etc are all helping to kill people on our roads. Anyone involved with these cameras really should hang their heads in shame. I'm sure waste hundreds of thousands of pounds every year between equipment, wages, etc, lining their own pockets whilst helping people die. WTF !!!!
Just take a look at the number of serious road accidents and deaths so far this year. Any coincidence there is a huge rise in the use of mobile speed cameras ?
More cameras, and less proper road safety enforcement = more deaths.
And it's not as if the police set a good example. I've lost count of the number of times I have seen police cars parked on double yellow lines while an officer uses the auto bank or buys buns for his mates. Er, yellow lines are there for a reason: to prevent parked cars obstructing junctions and otherwise to reduce the risk of accident. A police Mondeo stopped illegally at the Lisburn Road/Bawnmore Road junction may be handy for the shops but it is also a hazard for other road users. Mind you....go for a drive, cause no harm or inconvenience to anyone, but travel a little over the speed limit...and you can bet they'll try their damn hardest to nail you.
Crash, damage, injur....nope, they dont give a f
k.The current enforcement methods, speed cameras etc etc are all helping to kill people on our roads. Anyone involved with these cameras really should hang their heads in shame. I'm sure waste hundreds of thousands of pounds every year between equipment, wages, etc, lining their own pockets whilst helping people die. WTF !!!!
Just take a look at the number of serious road accidents and deaths so far this year. Any coincidence there is a huge rise in the use of mobile speed cameras ?
More cameras, and less proper road safety enforcement = more deaths.
JuniorD said:
I find that that people who suddenly pull out in front of you from side streets or junctions nevitably exit at the next side street or junction. That seems to be peculiar to NI.
What is that all about!?! You see them all the time. You see their thought process:"That car is too close,
I'd better wait,
or maybe it isn't after all,
I'll start moving,
they're even closer now,
maybe I'm so far out now I have to go,
no- I'd better stop again,
yes I'd better stop,
now that I've stopped I'm not so sure,
I actually think I can go,
yes I'm definitely going,
right here I go"
Que slow exit from side road followed by immediate indication to turn off again. This is always very annoying, but even more so when you have nobody behind you anyway and all they had to do was wait a bit anyway.
Idiot driver on Larne line at Corr's Corner today pulled of hard shoulder right across into outside lane at 25mph and then put indicator on stood on the brakes and did u turn cutting across the central grass!
Driving a C3 thing and get this at least 50 year old
Accident waiting to happen
Rant over
Colin l
Driving a C3 thing and get this at least 50 year old
Accident waiting to happen
Rant over
Colin l
BMW's seem popular....
I guess I should commend the two BMW pricks this morning. T333 SHA and R9 RFD or something like that.
Why they feel the need to blast past you at the very end of an overtaking lane when you're already at the speed limit and have been for the last few miles, only to barge in then slam on the brakes, and start driving slower than you have been.
WTF ????
If you're going to overtake, speed the fk up, not slow down and hold up the people you just tried so hard to pass !!
I guess I should commend the two BMW pricks this morning. T333 SHA and R9 RFD or something like that.
Why they feel the need to blast past you at the very end of an overtaking lane when you're already at the speed limit and have been for the last few miles, only to barge in then slam on the brakes, and start driving slower than you have been.
WTF ????
If you're going to overtake, speed the f
k up, not slow down and hold up the people you just tried so hard to pass !!Edited by stevieturbo on Saturday 28th December 23:11
A little bit OT, but forgive me. Went to the local convenience store at 9am to get a paper - no car in sight, town centre deserted. Directly outside the store is a pelican crossing with the usual zigzag lines. An Alfa 147 pulls up, parks and the driver locks the doors, all on the zigzag lines. I repeat, no other cars in sight. 20 yards further up the road are a line of legal parking spaces - across from the store are a further 12 spaces, all of ...oh... 10 yards away.
What went through his mind? I know we've all done a bit of naughty stopping on double yellows to let someone out of the car, or just put a letter through a box or something of that type. But this was just so crass - am I being pedantic? Probably....
I said in an earlier post that comments have been made about people in Ulster treating their car like a donkey and trap. They just leave it where they feel like. Are they all cripples? Can't they walk 10 yards?
What went through his mind? I know we've all done a bit of naughty stopping on double yellows to let someone out of the car, or just put a letter through a box or something of that type. But this was just so crass - am I being pedantic? Probably....
I said in an earlier post that comments have been made about people in Ulster treating their car like a donkey and trap. They just leave it where they feel like. Are they all cripples? Can't they walk 10 yards?
Going along M1 around midday last week came up to a car in the overtaking lane going 60mph or so. Little traffic at the time and the inside lane was clear. Eventually the car pulled into the inside lane and I passed it. I then pulled into the inside lane as traffic was still light and the lane was clear. When I did that the guy driving the car I had just passed pulled out into the overtaking lane- where he stayed until an Audi managed to get him to move over a few miles later. Don't know what goes on in some peoples heads (if indeed there is anything going on!)when they get behind the wheel.
Bravo147 said:
Don't know what goes on in some peoples heads (if indeed there is anything going on!)when they get behind the wheel.
Xmas pressies, X factor results, what to have for tea... everything except driving.Which most are programmed to think is perfectly fine as long they remain below an arbitrary speed limit while sitting in the wrong lane, pulling across others, failing to signal in any meaningful way or having any sort of real courtesy towards other drivers.
I'd like to add people who flash you after being overtaken, happened last night on the long straight between Newcastle and Dundrum. 3 cars all in a line at 35/40, hung back a few seconds to see if anyone was going to move. Neither of the rear cars showing any interest so moved out and passed to be greeted by repeated flashing of the main beam from the imbecile in the little hatchback.
I don't mean a quick flash either, kept flashing until I was round the corner. I'd love to ask them for an explanation as I cannot fathom why anyone thinks this is a wise course of action
I don't mean a quick flash either, kept flashing until I was round the corner. I'd love to ask them for an explanation as I cannot fathom why anyone thinks this is a wise course of action
Bravo147 said:
Going along M1 around midday last week came up to a car in the overtaking lane going 60mph or so. Little traffic at the time and the inside lane was clear. Eventually the car pulled into the inside lane and I passed it. I then pulled into the inside lane as traffic was still light and the lane was clear. When I did that the guy driving the car I had just passed pulled out into the overtaking lane- where he stayed until an Audi managed to get him to move over a few miles later. Don't know what goes on in some peoples heads (if indeed there is anything going on!)when they get behind the wheel.
I just pass them on the left, that really winds them up! 
This staggeringly bad driver yesterday could not seem to control their vehicle at all:
Constantly drifting into the middle of the road (much worse than photo kindly taken by passenger) then snapping back into lane just in time to avoid a head on collision. Seemingly completely unaware of the problem and totally lacking the ability to learn from the repetitive near misses. Needs removed from the roads asap.
Constantly drifting into the middle of the road (much worse than photo kindly taken by passenger) then snapping back into lane just in time to avoid a head on collision. Seemingly completely unaware of the problem and totally lacking the ability to learn from the repetitive near misses. Needs removed from the roads asap.
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