Comments on: Idiots on the roads… Part 2

By: diflock

diflock — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 16:54:12 +0000

A car travelling at 100k/mh covers about 28 mtrs in a second. The advised total stopping distance for a car travelling at 100k/mh is 78 mtrs approx. That equates to over 100m before your car will come to a stop assuming you are even slightly distracted, when the time comes that you may need to brake in an emergency. It is not legal to use a car horn while you are stationary, unless it is to warn a vehicle that is about to hit you. If a cyclist hits a car the likely outcome is that the car will be dented, if a car hits a cyclist the outcome is likely to be injury or death. The motorist has a legal obligation to drive in a manner that will allow him stop safely, without damage or injury. When people queue at an atm machine for instance, the person who is second or third doesn’t roar abuse at the person in front to hurry up or get out of their way. If you are driving on any road and you consider the driver in front to be impeding your progress… tough. It is the prevailing condition on the road at the time and drivers that can’t deal with it should leave that road until such time as their tempers settle down.

By: Paul D

Paul D — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 13:16:10 +0000

What is all this bs about using a camera while driving. Surely to god if you are alert enough to spot the lunatics, holding up a camera, pointing it in the general direction and pressing a button is not going to distract your driving. Its not like you have to focus it and so on.

Im sick of all these fools saying “oh, you bad boy, using a camera while you drive”. Personally I dont care if you have a friend or not, taking the photos. I dont think it matters. There’s so much more fools on the roads than someone who is aware enough to use a camera. It takes more of your attention to change a CD than it does to hold up a little box with a lens and press a button.

So sod the wankers who say you’re breaking the law if taking photos.

By: Niall O'K

Niall O'K — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 07:07:01 +0000

Miaowww, if you read right to the end of the article, you’ll see that this entry was taken from my own personal blog, “blog.niallok.com” which (in all fairness) IS all about me. It’s my personal blog. This entry was written before shitedrivers.com was created.

The ‘practical and safety issues’ are more-or-less the same as the legal issues. Taking a photograph while driving is unsafe and plain stupid. However, there were no photos in this article, so exactly what you’ve got issue with, I’m not sure – unless it was my “idea” at the time about having a camera with me in order to photograph bad driving/drivers with the intention of uploading the photo to a web site and shaming them online – which HAS happened since – look where we are…

I never condoned taking photos WHILE DRIVING. If I’d even taken any for this article (and there were plenty of opportunities, I just didn’t have a camera with me at the time), I’d have done so when I was stopped at the lights or when I’d pulled over.

Nevertheless, I’m sure you won’t be the last one to lecture me on using a camera while in my car… but you can guess just how much notice I’ll take of that.

By: Miaowww

Miaowww — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 02:16:51 +0000

Niall,

“all the practical and safety issues associated with taking photos while driving

”
Your words and not mine. No mention of legal considerations at all.
IT IS ILLEGAL TO USE A MOBILE PHONE WHILE DRIVING. Get around that one mate without the use of your “friend”.

There are no practical or safety issues only legal ones as any Guard will tell you.

By: Miaowww

Miaowww — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 02:04:30 +0000

There you go again Niall

“Months ago, the thought hit me, â€œwhy not bring my camera with me in the car, so that when I encounter such idiocy on the road, I can take a photo, upload it, and name and shame them online?â€

No mention of your “friend” there! Go on and admit it. You break the law about as much as everyone else except no one has broken the law by photographing you in the process.

Did the thought not enter your head to tell the Guards and make a statement and have these people taken to court?

This is all about you is it not? Talk about an ego trip!

By: ray

ray — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 10:59:50 +0000

When I come across someone blocking the road, double parked, or just simply coming to a halt to ogle young girls in short skirts, I sound my horn & KEEP it going until they move. It always works because the commotion means everyone in the street stops to see what’s going on, causing the offender much embarrassment. If I didn’t do it I know they’d leave me sitting there all day because these people have no regard for other road-users.

By: IrishUnicorn

IrishUnicorn — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 12:35:22 +0000

I think Horns should be sounded a lot more, then people might actually suffer a bit of shame as everyone stares at the car when an angry horn is sounded!

By: Niall O'K

Niall O'K — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 17:17:09 +0000

In most or all of those situations, I WAS warning them of my approach, or – more accurately – alerting them to my presence – AS WELL AS conveying my disgust.

By: corktina

corktina — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 20:52:34 +0000

sorry to be picky but,honking your horn in most or all of those situations is illegal.It is only to warn of your approach…not a means of conveying your disgust.