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Click on the ‘Rants’ link on the left to read my published views on Road Safety
For many years now the debate has been going on while people continue to die.. Just who is to blame for our dismal record of road deaths? Is it the young “boy racer”? Learners Drivers? Refugees? The answer, in my opinion, is a lot more straightforward than laying the blame ( exclusively ) at the door of these mostly minority groupings.
Most importantly, safety begins with all of us - YOU included! One of the biggest dangers in Irish driving is that most think that they are good drivers, and it’s always someone else’s fault: “Bloody learner” “Bloody man / woman” and so on. That’s getting us nowhere.
Here are a few often ignored considerations:
* Speeding up when being overtaken
* Paying attention to chatting rather than driving
* Indicating mid - turn
* Tailgating
* 6 people in a Nissan Micra is dangerous - not least for handling reasons
* Driving with foglights on when there’s no fog
* Driving too slow and frustrating other drivers ( yes, dangerous! )
* Reversing too fast / driving carelessly in car parks
* ‘Weaving’ in and out of lanes, and ‘undertaking’ on Motorways
* Speeding through towns and villages
* Driving obliviously despite Radio / TV forecast warnings of black ice
* Cornering too fast on country roads without seeing ahead
* Cutting accross traffic on the inside lane to take a turn
* Not leaving sufficient room for overtaking a cyclist
* Driving completely at the wrong side of the road to overtake a cyclist
* Blocking drivers who wish to join a Dual - Carriageway / Motorway when the outside lane is clear
   
ANNOUNCEMENT! World peace! - well, maybe not, but ...
These are things which seem to be rather unique to the Irish, just a few thoughts ...
* Obstruction on your side means wait, not that you pull out into the path oncoming traffic and cause a near - collision, before stopping with a look of complete amazement.
* The vehicle WILL slow on it’s own! We Irish tend to drive either on the brake, or accelerator. It’s your petrol / maintainance bill!
* Overtaking someone is usually taken as a ‘come on’ for a race. At nearly all times, overtaking causes offence to the person being overtaken. In Ireland the actual getting places / ‘mode of transport’ factor is purely incidental. It’s all about personalities.
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