I know this blog is called Shite Drivers but I feel that if things are to improve on the roads and deaths are to be reduced, then everyone who uses the roads should be more accountable. My wife and sister are sick to their teeth hearing me moan and complain about the daily stupidity on the roads…and this morning was no different.
As I was heading into Cobh town, I was using the back road past Cobh Ramblers ground. As I was approaching the Spar shop, a young girl no more than 14 or 15 suddenly stepped onto the road and proceeded to walk very slowly across the road. Had I been doing the speed limit I would have hit her. No questions there. Instead I had to brake hard and stop the car while she walked across the road.
As I was stopped I stared to see if there would be any reaction and all I got was a shrug of the shoulders and a “I couldn’t care less attitude” from her and then she walked slowly across the rest of the road to meet her an older woman.
Had I hit her then it would have been assumed that it was speed and not plain and simple stupidity that caused this situation. Pedestrians as well as cyclists, joggers, runners and drivers all need to just think a bit more and respect the road and people who use it.
All I can say is thank some deity that my driving instructor taught me to watch ahead, assess everything around you and take caution when driving as you never know what is around the next corner.
16 Comments
The fact that you saw her shows a good attitude to your driving. We should always be ready for something unexpected to happen.
I do agree that people should be more aware of the road, but I think the main onus should be on the person with the lethal weapon (the car/bus/van etc.) to be the most vigilant.
I recently took up cycling to work at least twice a week to avoid the boring task of sitting in traffic each day. What I have noticed is that most drivers, do not give a toss about cyclists. I’ve had people pull out in front of me, open car doors when parked and coming on top of me in cycle lanes. I’m only cycling the past 4 weeks and have been close to death on numerous occassions. Nothing I did created any of these situations. It’s pure “shite driver” syndrome.
Anyway, I’m sure we all have our own stories of poor drivers, how do we go about informing you of them to include on your website??
Totally agree with this – I live near Castlebellingham in Co. Louth where people regularly wander across the road with abandon to visit the liquor store, etc. and double park in the main road to visit the shop (even a massive stretch limo was double parked the other day). Some cars (like me) approach Castlebellingham with caution, whilst BMW drivers want to race through like it\’s the national highway (which it was… once)… As an Aussie in Ireland I do find drivers, on the whole, to be very relaxed here, and courteous to a good degree. Australia is far more aggressive now.
if anyone checks out the stats on road deaths then you will be shocked to see that the massive majority are pedestrian deaths by a long way.
i was amazed to see this and not one single advert on the tv to show this
tom my heart is with you 100%
i have been t boned off a motorbike and the words ringing in my ears are.. “Garda he came from no where”
PLEASE……………..
if anyone checks out the stats on road deaths then you will be shocked to see that the massive majority are pedestrian deaths by a long way.
i was amazed to see this and not one single advert on the tv to show this
tom my heart is with you 100%
i have been t boned off a motorbike and the words ringing in my ears are.. “Garda he came from no where”
PLEASE……………..
YOU NEED TO USE THOSE SHINY MIRRORS THAT ARE ON THE SIDE OF THE CAR…..
Old drivers slowly trundling along with lines of eager commuters behind them, should by law be made pull over to the hard shoulder and let others pass. Some people are working against the clock and have places to be. In fact all slow drivers, not just the old folk (whom I have unfairly targetted here) should just pull over to the hard shoulder (if available) untill the queue has passed.
Slow drivers, GET OUT OF THE WAY
Slow drivers are the bane of my life! I am on the road daily, covering up to 200 miles and my life consists of overtaking one slow driver, only to be stuck behind the next one. Some are courteous enough and pull over, but some people seem to think to think that if they’re going 60 km/h on a 100 km/h stretch it is they’re god given right to do so and everyone else should be grateful to be stuck behind them to be taught a lesson.
Worst offenders here are usually massive SUV’s towing a horsebox and because they are so important it is far beneath them to lower themselves to pull over and let us lesser mortals get by.
In all fairness I must say that of course not one group of motorists should be singled out, be they mammies bringing little johnny to school 100 meters down the road in their Landrover Discoveries, 134 year old Americans who never drove stick, let alone on the left hand side, farmers who are more interested in what’s going on in their field rather than the road ahead of them, business execs in their BMW’s who are more important than the rest of us and of course my favorite, the random person abandoning their car in the middle of the road, blocking up the entire town so they can skip into the shop for a 99.
Except boyracers. I must protest and step in for their defense!
It’s current trendy thinking (it’s dem boyracers, all along it was dem what did all that bad driving) to blame a single, easily identifiable group for all ills, but I beg to differ.
Most of them are car enthusiasts, they are interested in all aspects of driving and car ownership. They maintain their cars and most importantly they are the most watched group on the road by the police. Most car enthusiasts driving modified vehicles keep exactly to the speedlimit (or they’ll be caught) and to 99% cause me no grief whatsoever. Of course there’s the odd bad apple, but mostly I don’t say “look at that maniac”, but “I think that guy in front of me died 3 days ago and his car just failed to drive off the road”
One of my most confused memories is about the guy driving from Ennis to Kilrush a few years ago at 60 km/h on a 100 km/h stretch. As I proceeded to overtake (on a completely clear 1 mile stretch), he speeded up, pulled into my way, shook his fist at me and followed me for another good mile while flashing his lights and beeping. To this day I don’t know what his problem was.
Back on the subject of crazy pedestrians, Letterkenny is a black spot! Theres a section of road near a primary school where a lollypop lady usually operates; one evening around six o’clock as i was coming down the road i saw two girls walk up to the crossing point, they both stopped and one of them looked left right and walked straight across in front of traffic, all the cars stopped but it was such a stupid thing to do. There are two white lines running across the road to mark it as a crossing point but its not a zebra crossing so she was totally in the wrong.
Yesterday a bunch of 16-17 year olds were walking towards me on the left hand side when i was close to them one jackass raised his skateboard up to stop traffic, i slowed down but kept moving and he shouted ‘fuck you’ as i went past,
then this evening another bunch around the same age were crossing just before a busy roundabout, one dumb girl wasn’t watching at all and when her group stopped she kept walking, she didn;t even have the sense to cross in a straight line, half way across she glanced over her shoulder.. by that time i’d stopped and the rest were crossing behind her.
What the hell is going on up here.. are they suicidal, or is the safe cross code just not part of the Donegal syllabus
Not just Donegal. Limerick pedestrians have a legendary reputation for general recklessness. Some people appear to wait at the pedestrian lights until the lights for the cars have gone green, and then push their way into traffic, crossing very slowly, while looking at drivers with a “what are you going to do about it” look. Single mothers using their pram as a battering ram and sticking it out into the road into the path of an oncoming truck in order to force their way across the road there and then, rather than wait 30 seconds at the lights 10 meters up the road, but they’d only cross at red anyway.
LIMERICK PEDESTRIANS: WHEN THERE IS A LITTLE MAN SHOWING ON THE LIGHT, HE’S STANDING STILL AND HE IS RED, WAIT TILL HE MAGICALLY CHANGES COLOUR TO GREEN!
That means you may now cross the road without being hit by an 18 wheeler.
I’m just amazed that not at least 17 pedestrians get flattened on the road in Limerick city every day, but they seem to think they’re so hard they don’t have to bother looking out for cars anymore.
Just to add another one to this. I was driving down Parnell Street in Cork earlier this morning. I was turning right at the lights by Merchants Quay. At this junction, the lights go green for left turning traffic and about 30 seconds later they go green for both directions.
The lights went green for left and the traffic moved and then stopped due to volume. Just before the other lights went green, the entire footpath decided to cross. The lights changed and I started driving. I couldnt believe it as there were two buggys (but people with children now have more rights on footpaths, cars, shops and walking than taxis, execs and buses) and some older people. Some fairly moved when they saw me moving and I pointed to the lights to show that they had no right to cross. If there had been a cop there I would have asked for them all to be done for jaywalking which IS an offense in Ireland but just not enforced.
Really…it really is not wonder so many are killed when such idiotic behaviour exists at the moment.
While I aggree that pedestrians can be ridiculously stupid when crossing the road – see the corner of Stephens Green any weekday morning (the corner at Leeson Street where about 4 lanes of traffic converge) and you’ll find evidence of this. Twice in about 6 weeks i’ve had to pull grown men and women out of the way of busses that were about to mangalise them as they strolled as cool as you like accross the road, not realising that the bus lanes operate on a different light stystem there.
But thats because pedestrians are people. And people are stupid. But drivers are people too, and they are just as stupid. The only difference is that a stupid person who is a driver is surrounded by a 5 tonne hunk of metal.
So basically, drivers should expect people top step out in front of them.
I certainly know I never expect a driver to stop for a red light.
I for one KNOW that I will never cause a car crash on foot. I wish I could say the same for drivers though. They cant guarantee that they won’t ever hit me…
For those of you who cant stand slow drivers yes they can be annoying but for those towing livestock it is not that easy, as you have to take into consideration of the animals being transported.
true but they showld into the hard shoulder when they see a line of traffic behind. some tossers feel that they should stay next to the white line
How often have I been driving along the main road at 100 km/h and saw a farmer with livestock just up ahead. Invariably he will wait until I’m really close and then pull out on me just a few yards ahead. I have so nearly T-boned several old guys pulling just this stunt. Then they proceed to dawdle on at about 30 km/h.
This will carry on for the next few miles with the poor auld dear almost on the wrong side of the road despite a mile wide hard shoulder.
I had tractors weaving in order not to let me pass.
So, for “those of you towing livestock”, you cannot seriously tell me that’s not done deliberately to piss me off/force me to have an accident and hope for some payout.
Just a note on the boy racers.
Was coming from Sarsfield rd roundabout to bandon rd round about one morning and a beautifully finished car in front of me (Must point this out here: It was above a car space infront of me or in other words a 2 second gap as I was once told is sufficient) and suddenly he braked with no body infront of him, causing me to jam hard and head for the ditch in case of a collision. He then decided to proceed. I pulled up nect to him to see what the hell is wrong with him and got the 2 fingers. I was so angry that if the lights on the roundabout ahead went red i was getting the hurley from the boot of the car.
And one more note as Im on my rant, leavving that gap in front of me is not an invitation for other cars to squeeze in there with or with out indicators and especially when doing 100k
Rant over, feel much better
On pedestrians….
Back in March, I was first at the red light heading north on Gardener Street, (junction before ballybough road with the filter right) the lights changed in my favour when a pyjama girl and her buddy then started to saunter accross pushing pram etc. I gestured to them to hurry up. So they told me to quite loudly to Fuck off while they continued slowly almost druggedly across the road.
The 4X4 behind me beeped, I have no idea why.
Usually people beep to tell the person in front to move. I couldn’t without causing a fatality. Much as I want to some times I cannot violently enforce natural selection.