Lane Discipline on Multi-Lane Roads

[Marathon Man]

While driving home last evening, 17:45, I came across a combine harvester, going at about 30kph in a 100kph zone, in the middle lane of a three lane dual-carriageway! On the same stretch I regularly come across JCBs, Dumpers, tractors ......even mopeds!

Lane discipline seems to be getting worse in Ireland. It's now regular to see slow moving traffic in the outer lanes. What do we do? Everyone tails along behind the offender, at anything down to 60 kph in a 100kph zone, or undertake?

Has anyone ever seen someone being pulled over by the Gardai for "failing to make reasonable progress" while driving in the outer lane(s), or better still, anyone heard of someone being prosecuted for it?

I used to car-pool with a guy who used to head straight onto the outer lane of a dual-carriageway, and drive at about 10mph+ BELOW the speed limit, on the way to work. His logic? "I'm turning RIGHT at X!" X was about 10 miles down the road! Needless to say people undertook - and he complained about them! The "funny" thing - he was a Safety Officer!!

 

[efm]

Lane discipline seems to be getting worse in Ireland. It's now regular to see slow moving traffic in the outer lanes. What do we do? Everyone tails along behind the offender, at anything down to 60 kph in a 100kph zone, or undertake?

Has anyone ever seen someone being pulled over by the Gardai for "failing to make reasonable progress" while driving in the outer lane(s), or better still, anyone heard of someone being prosecuted for it?

I agree 100% - BTW I have seen the odd Garda pull in someone for lane hogging but they've been far and few between

 

[foxylady]

These are spped limits as in dont go above them, doesnt mean you have to drive at those speeds

 

[Squire]

I once had a professional driver (small 3Tn pick up) complain that he hated it when people undertook him.

He maintained that he was doing nothing wrong and if he was on the inside lane, other drivers would only be speeding in the fast lane. So his logic was that he was preventing other people from braking the speed limit by using the outside lane.

Professional or a danger to other road users?

I never understood why the RSA do not run a series of TV adds to instruct road users on the correct use of lanes, roundabouts, pedestrian crossing etc. There are a lot of people out there with a genuine misunderstanding of the correct way to drive these "hazards". I know they issued the rules of the road to every household but honestly, how many people would take the time to read it?

 

[Squire]

These are spped limits as in dont go above them, doesnt mean you have to drive at those speeds

True but the point is that if you want to drive below the speed limit then do so on the inner most lane and let other road users progress without hinderance.

 

[csirl]

Originally Posted by foxylady http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?p=621790#post621790
These are spped limits as in dont go above them, doesnt mean you have to drive at those speeds

Not strictly true. You must "make due progress" by doing a reasonable speed, taking into consideration the type of road, weather conditions, traffic etc. If e.g. you are on a 100kmph road, conditions are good and the traffic is not heavy, then if you are travelling at anything less than c.85kmph you are breaking the law. This is not enforced in Ireland, but in other countries this is regarded as being as bad as speeding & drivers are ticketed.

 

[Caveat]

I never understood why the RSA do not run a series of TV adds to instruct road users on the correct use of lanes, roundabouts, pedestrian crossing etc.?

They do. Although the ads do not seem to be aired very often.

 

[efm]

These are spped limits as in dont go above them, doesnt mean you have to drive at those speeds

You may have missed the point slightly - the issue isn't the speed it is inappropriate speed in the incorrect lane ie driving at 60kph in the overtaking lane, on a road with a 100kph speed limit, while the driving lane is free of traffic is causing an obstruction to other road users and slows down the general flow of traffic; and it is against the rules of the road!

 

[Squire]

They do.

Meh, I don't watch a lot of TV but I can't remember seeing anything in the last 10 years that didn't involve ambulance drivers scraping 16 year old faces off the windscreen of a car. Those type of adds just make most people switch channel IMO.

 

[efm]

They do. Although the ads do not seem to be aired very often.

Anyone remember that old ad they had about junctions and how to indicate (I think that's what itwas)

[sung] "If you the only car in the world you could drive as you please..."

[spoken] "Well you haven't, and you can't!"

 

[Caveat]

Don't remember that?!?!

The 'current' ads are quite cheap and retro anyway - animation, patronising voiceover...in the style of those 'cinema ads' really. But I think they are actually new and not re-runs.

I've seen 'how to approach roundabouts/junctions' and 'how to overtake' I think. But as I said, they don't seem to be shown very often - might have seen them 3 times in the last year maybe?

 

[truthseeker]

I've seen 'how to approach roundabouts/junctions' and 'how to overtake' I think.

They should use the Walkinstown Roundabout (or the Walkinstown Wheel of Fortune) to demonstrate the above - if you can manage that you can manage anything!

 

[mf1]

They should use the Walkinstown Roundabout (or the Walkinstown Wheel of Fortune) to demonstrate the above - if you can manage that you can manage anything!

Walkinstown is bad yes but I think it has to be the Red (Mad!) Cow Roundabout for the truly most terrifying feeling of Russian Roulette!


mf

 

[truthseeker]

Walkinstown is bad yes but I think it has to be the Red (Mad!) Cow Roundabout for the truly most terrifying feeling of Russian Roulette!


mf

I will agree in theory - I wont agree in practice because I have never used it outside of odd times like very early in the morning or very late at night so I havent experienced 'normal' traffic on it - perhaps Im just too afraid of it!!

 

[Marathon Man]

These are spped limits as in dont go above them, doesnt mean you have to drive at those speeds

The issue isn't driving at the (speed) limit, it's about driving at the appropriate speed, in the appropriate lane. If there's nothing on your left, then there is no excuse for driving on the outer lanes, whatever the speed.

On the 3 lane section I referred to earlier, I reckon that lane occupancy is, on average; inside (theoretically slowest) lane - 10%, middle overtaking lane - 35% and outer overtaking (aka fast) lane - 55%, i.e. More traffic in the "fast" lane than the other two combined.

On four lane roads the numbers using the inside lane (at least when I drive on them) are close to nil, with the numbers increasing as you go out!

 

[shnaek]

The outer lane is the overtaking lane - full stop. This is strictly enforced in other countries, many of whom have signage reminding drivers of this fact every few miles. The outer lane is not a cruising lane, nor a speeding lane. It is an overtaking lane.
This needs to be enforced here in Ireland, along with other rules of the road such as correct indicating on roundabouts etc.
But we have so many people driving in Ireland who have never passed a test that I doubt our driving habbits are going to improve any time soon!

 

[z103]

Walkinstown is bad yes but I think it has to be the Red (Mad!) Cow Roundabout for the truly most terrifying feeling of Russian Roulette!

Russian Roulette at least gives you a fair chance!

 

[Mpsox]

4 times in the last month I've seen tractors and trailers on the Naas bypass which is a motorway

Can't argue with anything about the comments above, however I really wish that people in the outside lane would realise that there isn't a different speed limit on there which is 20km above the official speed limit

And don't get me started on the use(or not) of indicators

 

[franmac]

Meh, I don't watch a lot of TV but I can't remember seeing anything in the last 10 years that didn't involve ambulance drivers scraping 16 year old faces off the windscreen of a car. Those type of adds just make most people switch channel IMO.

Yes I agree and are destroying people who have been in a fatal accident through no fault of their own where they lost a family member.

 

[ice]

But so often is the case that you are doing 100 in the outside lane (where the limit is 100) and you have cars, vans etc right up your a*se - you are driving right on the speed limit but feel under huge pressure to move over straight away.
I always move back into the other lane as soon as its safe as its not worth crashing over but I find these types of drivers don't give you much time!