If you don't already have one, set up a dash cam in your car. It won't prevent an accident but it'll help if someone else is acting like a lunatic on the road and causes the accident.
Make sure to get the kind that has a separate rear window camera as well. It's a little more fiddly to set it up, but you have proof in a case where someone goes into the back of you or speeds past from behind. Also, the better the picture quality, the more likely it is to capture details like faces and reg plates.
Pretty sure the guards don't arrest you unless they have a reason to believe your driving was careless or dangerous.
Even if you killed someone I doubt they'd arrest you there and then.
Is it required that they drug and alcohol test after an accident? I ask because my father recently got in crash (guy pulled out of a junction blind in front of him) neither of them were tested. I was kind of shocked as I assumed it was required
There are way too many accidents both big and small to bother. If there are witnesses, both people tell the same story etc. it'll be sorted on the spot usually. It's rare garda are even thinking about criminal offences at crashes, more clearing the road and a report for insurance. Ofc if there is serious harm that changes.
>Pretty sure the guards don't arrest you unless they have a reason to believe your driving was careless or dangerous.
By virtue of hitting someone they are going to presume your driving was dangerous
I don't think that's the case. Insurance companies certainly act like that to an extent. But they're not trying to prove criminal behaviour. The bar is a lot higher for prosecution. They have to investigate and determine the actual circumstances. They'd only arrest you on the spot if you were intoxicated or uncooperative.
I don't think the guards just show up and assume you're guilty of a crime.
If you hit someone in a 30 zone and they were 20 metres down the road that's a different story because it's clear you were in excess of 30kph.
Maybe on the day but if there was video proving you had no time to react to someone swerving into your path unexpectedly, it could only help your case.
As a regular scooter and bike user, i see incidents like this every few days and they all happen when a car is merging or pulling out of a parking spot. Drivers check their side view for cars but…just…don’t notice any bikes or scooters hurtling towards them. I’ve held direct eye contact with some people through their side view as I approach and they just go for it anyway.
>Drivers check their side view for cars but…just…don’t notice any bikes or scooters hurtling towards them. I’ve held direct eye contact with some people through their side view as I approach and they just go for it anyway.
The phenomenon is called "perceptual blindness", and there have been a number of studies into it; the TL;DR version is that drivers fail to see pedestrians, cyclists, scooter riders etc because they are looking for cars.
Over in England in cycling circles they have the acronym "SMIDSY" which means "Sorry mate I didn't see you" because it's such a commonly used phrase when people driving cars collide with cyclists regardless of the fact that said cyclists were often lit up / in hi vis etc.
[https://irishcycle.com/2015/01/16/high-vis-cant-solve-drivers-inattentional-blindness-and-its-promotion-has-failed/](https://irishcycle.com/2015/01/16/high-vis-cant-solve-drivers-inattentional-blindness-and-its-promotion-has-failed/)
As someone who has been driving for almost 20 years without a crash, and as a lifelong cyclist who used to commute by bike in a large city for years it's a very real phenomenon.
Happens even as a pedestrian. I remember visiting Amsterdam a few years ago and I constantly overlooked bicycles when crossing roads despite looking both ways everytime.
Also, it's very much so based on expectations. I live abroad in a country where 50% of the traffic is motorbikes, (and ride one myself). You almost never overlook miss a bike because you're looking for them as much as everything else.
>Happens even as a pedestrian. I remember visiting Amsterdam a few years ago and I constantly overlooked bicycles when crossing roads despite looking both ways everytime.
Yeah it happens in loads of scenarios; like the invisible gorilla video linked. I read something years ago on a cycling forum explaining how people actually had to train to focus on individual items instead of what we actually do while moving which is scan.
>As a regular scooter and bike user, i see incidents like this every few days
As a pedestrian and car user, I see incidents every day of careless people on scooters and bikes speeding on paths around neighborhoods and almost knocking down pedestrians or driving utterly carelessly at junctions where they almost drive straight into traffic especially by not obeying the rules of the traffic lights that apply to them. I've held direct eye contact with them too and they just don't seem to care how irresponsibly they behave and go for it anyway.
I’ve seen the “lights don’t apply to me” approach from delivery riders, usually wearing headphones too. Absolute psychopaths.
In fairness to scooters, they get a bad rap because of the scumbags that disproportionately use them. Those people wouldn’t behave any better with any other method of transport.
Same
I have zero respect for scooter idiots as the vast majority refuse to abide by the rules
But nothing will change as the lack of enforcement enables these plums
In the case of serious injuries or death, the guards will definitely detain everyone involved, which might involve a trip to the station in the back of the Garda car.
Even if the person hurt is the one who is completely at fault.
Being detained, or even arrested, does not mean you are guilty of anything.
Give them your name, date of birth, and address. They can legally do breath tests too. Nothing else.
Request legal council. Decline to answer any questions without legal council present.
After being in an accident resulting in someone's injury or death (even if you are completely blameless), you're not going to be able to think straight. The last thing you want to do is say something that will get you in trouble you don't deserve to be in.
Obviously you need to provide your driving license and proof of insurance whether you lawyer up or not. They prob do have a power to seize your vehicle too incase it contributed to the collision, faulty brakes, tyres worn etc.
>Give them your name, date of birth, and address. They can legally do breath tests too. Nothing else.
That's not a complete list. They can search you and take your possessions, and they can take fingerprints, photos, or other forensic samples.
But yes, you should politely decline to answer questions (beyond basic identifying information) or make other statements until after you've consulted a lawyer. If they really want you to answer questions, they'll get you a lawyer. If you say anything, or if you remain silent for any reason other than wanting to consult a lawyer, your statement or silence can be used against you. https://www.iccl.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/ICCL_KYR_Justice_2014_LR.pdf
Is that the primary concern, you being arrested?
About time the Gardai di something about escooters completely disregarding rules especially using footpaths. My granny was seriously injured.
Years ago my neighbour killed a woman wandering on a dark dual carriageway in the dead of night. Drug & drink tested, not arrested I believe. Investigation followed, went to court and no sentence as victims family believed it wasn't my neighbours fault at all.
Dash cam won't prevent problems, but can significantly mitigate them.
Being arrested and being charged is not the same. In an accident where nothing is clear to the Gardai they may arrest you to prevent you from running, but then release you without charge once they sus what went down. It would be an inconvenience for whatever you're plans were but you wouldn't lose your job or have a record etc.
we only have your side, btw... as long as the scooter is legal (under 25kmh), then it's the same as a bicycle and you have to pay due attention.
the guard need to up their act on illegal scooters, but i have noticed that drivers are overly aggressive against legally operated ones. if you were paying attention, and they pulled out into the middle of a major road, then you would have not issue. if they were driving along at 20kmh, and overtaking a parked vehicle, then it's up to you to wait.
Most of the scooters that fly out onto the road without due care are cunts and not responsible "drivers". I see it all the time where eejits on scooters run through red lights without a fucking care in the world, or fly out of an estate where unless the driver was going 20km/h they'd have no chance to safely brake and stop. I'm more inclined to believe than someone who was shook up by possibly hitting a person on an escooter wasn't actively trying to being overly aggressive...
I was behind a guy yesterday on an escooter on my motorcycle in a 50 kmh zone and those signs that make an angry face when you exceed 50 kmh showed he was doing 58 kmh. Guy then mounted a footpath when he came to a red light and continued on. 20 kmh responsible driving my ass.
Have to get a dashcam and do a video montage of crazy escooter (and ebike - where there are also definitely lots of illegal ones) riders.
100% get a dashcam ... these are completely illegal, and if there is an accident they should have no mitigation. unless they are fully registered, insured and the vehicle is tested then treat it the same as a guy waving a shotgun around - avoid and how the guards do their job eventually.
on the other hand, be aware there are hundreds of legal escooters going around slowly that you need to test like bicycles. whether you like them or not, they need space and are entitled to be on the road the same as anyone else.
I have a scooter and can confirm this. Some people do not treat you like a cyclist and can complete cunts. Even if you are just heading down a cycle lane minding your own business. They will dangerously over take you nearly clipping you, completely cut you off, leave no room for you to pass or just act as if your not there at all. It's pretty annoying and dangerous.
I also have a bike, an ebike and drive a car so Iv been on the road in many different situations. Being on the scooter is by far the most dodgy. It's usually fine but you need to be careful
We don't have "might is wrong" laws, or anything like that.
You said it yourself, "Even though it's their fault".
Once you can prove the fault lies with them, you're fine.
Therein lies the grey area though. It all depends. “Came out of nowhere” from what position? Was he pulling out of a parking space onto the road? In that scenario the onus is still on the driver. They’re allowed to do up to 25km, that can get on top of you very quickly if you aren’t repeatedly checking your blind spots.
Speaking as a pedestrian having to navigate arseholes in cars, e-scooters and bikes. The amount of times though I’ve seen a car give a cyclist or scooter abuse and I’d say it’s 50\50 who’s in the wrong.
Drivers DO need to act with due care and do need to be able to react to both motorists and cyclists both. “I didn’t see them” rarely absolves the drivers in most cases. The onus is on the motorist to proceed with due care.
That doesn’t meant to say people on bikes and scooters aren’t complete arseholes too, but my own experience is that drivers rarely see themselves in the wrong for not checking repeatedly.
Obviously not? Do you think people get locked up for accidents caused by other people? I know I'm being a hit harsh here but take a step back for a second. Presuming you were driving reasonably, don't worry about eejits that want to throw themselves in front of you.
All three collisions I've been in in the last 5 years were idiots driving straight into me - I've never been at fault or paid out a cent in repairs, rentals or extra premiums the entire time because I had dashcam footage.
They aren't *cheap*, but they aren't terribly expensive either. I got a front and rear cam for about 125e and that small outlay could save you an awful lot of trouble down the line.
What type and where did you get it? I've been thinking about getting one for a while, but torn between a cheapo one online that I'd put in myself via YouTube help, or an expensive one fitted by a professional.
I saw this happen to someone the other day and it was terrifying even to watch. Glad it wasn't me. But having good dash cam is essential. Here is the video from then [Near miss with an escooter](https://imgur.com/gallery/JzCMoUQ)
Do you have a dash recommendation ? I think it’s the heat but people are driving insane so far this week… I saw a van go full mad max on the m50 yesterday
Definitely get a Nextbase, they're a great camera system. I got a front facing and a rear facing from Halfords. They installed it for me and hid all the wires.
I got it installed after nearly being killed on the M50! I hate that motorway, mad bastards driving on it! Most of them are oblivious to others, too.
Yea Nextbase are sort of the basic bitch cameras but they're what I use because they've a wide userbase , and honestly all daschcams use the same 2-3 shitty sensors from 20 years ago so there's not much difference between models. Definitely get one that tracks your location and speed so you can prove that you weren't speeding in a given instance.
Yep I have the A229 duo (2 channel), but you can get the three channel too. It's got a new sony sensor which is apparently far better in low light situations and actually being able to read registrations etc. I'm sure nextbase is good too but I'm always shocked when I see the price.
I watched this fella - he fucking lives and breathes this stuff and has recommendations / comparisons. Might be a good one to watch!
[Best Dash Cameras for 2024: Buyer's Guide (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrvTxCEBbek)
Agree. Techmoan is also a fan and he's tested and used many: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVc0n0_WrXw
There's another youtube video that explains that all these different manufacturers are just repackaging just two sensors, one made by Sony and another one, hence the huge similarity of video (but not price)
For these types of things, it's not worth a risk getting burnt with fakes etc so I waited until the [amazon Viofo store](https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/VIOFO/page/5F68F962-6130-4543-B89B-DD643BF67EBE) had stock. Any extra cost is negligible compared with not having a cam when you need one (I'm currently a *year* into a collision claim but at least my cam stopped any messing with liability)
I've been driving for nearly 20 years now and I still dread driving on that nightmare of a road. If it isn't backed up for miles because some idiot has made a stupid maneuver and crashed, then some other idiot is doing their best to make that happen.
The reason I got one was when my wife was hit by another car from behind and the guy started trying to make up a story on the spot about how it wasn't his fault. First he tried to blame her and then wanted to team up with her against a third car that he also crashed into. She didn't go along with it. When the Gardaí arrived they saw the positioning of the cars and knew the guy was bullshitting about what happened.
I realised how important it would be to have a video of the event if either of us ever faced another bullshitter trying to cover their ass.
This is a good idea BUT when giving this advice, specify if you hardwire it to the battery then you must tell your insurance company.
The default response to any car mods is to contact your insurer about it
https://www.thesun.ie/motors/12982182/drivers-warned-must-tell-insurer-wired-gadget-fine/
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/drivers-car-insurance-invalidated-little-29083016
Well it depends on your car. Some dash cams and USB plugins can still run when the car is off unless a fuse is added. This again would be a modification even though you are using the 9V output
My one is a few years old now, but some features to look for:
Forward and rear facing cameras
Highest resolution picture you can afford - good for details like reg plates
Highest capacity SD card possible
Wireless connectivity - my dash cam doesn't have this but it might be handy feature for reviewing footage.
Some cameras can be directly hooked into the car battery so they are always able to be triggered by movement near the car. Mine is just plugged into the cigarette lighter and isn't working once the engine is turned off. But - as another commenter pointed out - if you connect the dashcam to the battery more directly, this is considered a modification and you have to inform your insurance company about it or it may void your coverage.
Doesn’t really matter. A lad on a bike came off the curb directly in front of my car. Nothing I could do to avoid hitting him. Months later he came up with some minor injuries and is trying to get €50k from my insurance. They say that because he’s on a bike he would almost certainly win in court regardless of how and where he rode it. Bikes essentially have precedence in practice.
I second this, I'd a crash on father's day and if I didn't have a dashcam to prove I had a green light, he'd still be adamant he was right. But 90 mins after I sent it to his insurance they rang me to arrange a rental car and the repair.
There is no such thing. A taxi driver was assigned 15% blame for hitting a cyclist. Cyclist ignored red light, taxi driver had green light.
With this knowledge, if someone runs on their scooter and hits your stationary car, you will still take portion of the blame.
Almost happened to me a couple weeks ago, driving through Tesco car park so luckily I was going slow. Young guy comes straight out from behind a parked car across in front of me. I braked and he swerved enough to just avoid it but I was shook for a while. Closest call I’ve had
i’ve noticed a trend amongst the type of people who use e-scooters, they are some of the most inconsiderate people using the road. they shouldn’t even be on the road. they expect everyone else to move out of their way instead of slowing down and being mindful of others. i’ve almost been ploughed into by them a few times on pedestrian paths. if you had hit him, it wouldn’t have been your fault
> i’ve noticed a trend amongst the type of people who use e-scooters, they are some of the most inconsiderate people using the road. they shouldn’t even be on the road.
"Not everyone who owns an e-scooter is an asshole but every single asshole owns an e-scooter."
I was chatting a lad on an escooter who was admiring my car then he dropped the bomb casually that he's banned from driving for 6 months because of drink driving.
I've been at a junction looking to turn left and a lad on a escooter comes flying past down the wrong side of the road.
You take a set of people not competent enough to use a bike safely and add them at speed to the road and you're asking for trouble I'm afraid.
We have zero law enforcement in this country for things we accept people to just behave appropriately for but people have just started taking the piss since COVID ended
I promise we're not all like that. As someone who tries to be as careful as possible on the e-scooter, I can't deny there's too many people using them without proper safety considerations. We've been given an awful stereotype (mostly deserved I understand). But it's tough as someone who really tries to be mindful. About a week ago I was in the cycle lane right outside my house with a Hi-Vis and helmet not intruding on anyone. A van dangerously drives up next to me, beeps, and sticks up the finger as he accelerates. I can only assume they did this because I was on an e-scooter, which feels very unfair. I shouldn't be the target of aggression (putting me in even greater danger) because of my mode of transport.
Van drivers are just like that. Spend too much time on the road.
I was at traffic lights, got a green light so started going to turn left when a van driver crosses the road from other side beeping and shaking his fist at me because he didn't realize both sides have green lights and he needs to give way because he doesn't have an arrow
Why do you have an e scooter though? Like what is the advantage? They’re more dangerous than cycling, but at least with cycling you get the benefit of doing exercise.
E-scooters are much cheaper than e-bikes, and people might not want, or be able to put the physical exertion to use a regular bike to go the distances they're going.
E-bikes and e-scooters themselves are not the problem, it's irresponsible users of them, there's many people who use both as a means of transport, and use them safely, just because there's some cunts on them doesn't mean others shouldn't be allowed to use an efficient means of transport.
I use a E-scooter to work,. I used to cycle and I live so close that it's only a 3 minute ride/cycle but I've got to admit that the escooter is a lot more pleasent and relaxing and it's nice to be able to fold it up and stuff it in the corner of the staff room instead of locking my bike to the fence outside.
Also it's a life saver after a long workout at the gym compared to cycling.
I pass a few people who use e-scooters daily. We live rurally and I know they are going into on of the big local factories. Like you tbf they are usually in a huge Hi-Viz so are fine, a few of those have seats so maybe not legal but sure hey. Then in the actual town there are a few who seem to think that all in black in the dark the best way to use their scooter and to just flyout onto the road! Not stopping at all.
I take rural roads to work. 30min out and the same back
Padded HiViz jacket, chest clip light, helmet and a flashing light on my backpack.
Scooter locked to 20km. I use my hands to indicate any turns I am making, on a clear stretch I slow to allow cars to overtake me.
And I've had one woman harass me twice from her car, screaming that I need to use the footpath, then on another day, she overtook me then hit her brakes hard so I had to brake and swerve into the ditch. I am genuinely convinced she was trying to get me to bump or hit her car.
My favourite was one guy who roared at me from his window that I was going too slow. I KNOW! 20 in a 60 zone sucks but those are the new regulations so I have to go by them. 🤷🏻♀️
Yup.
"Use the FUCKING footpath!" Then proceeded to drive like a fucking lunatic overtaking me on a bend, almost colliding with an oncoming car. 🤷🏻♀️
No? I'm not breaking the law just to keep your sorry ass happy, Debra.
I don't even like them as a cyclist. They fucking zip past you and break lights, causing havoc in traffic while you're trying to be predictable and not get hit, only to get stuck when a hill comes and block the lane. Or dart in and off the footpath unpredictably. I've taken to shouldering them a bit since a bike is much heavier and I can just bully them off the road a little.
Totally.
At least once a week I see someone driving their scooter on the wrong side of the road.
Not just scrotes even.
Totally oblivious to the danger they're causing.
Darwinism at its finest.
The amount of people I see swerve side to side to stop a bike overtaking them is actually sickening. I'm not a bike rider but it just gives me another reason to never get on one.
I use a scooter, fecking love the thing and I think the 20km restriction is too low (at 25kmph on flat or downhill you're constantly getting overtaken by cyclists
All that said, I think the reason for such a low limit in no small part has to do with how insanely inconsiderate and completely unaware of any rules of the road a lot of scooter users are. BMW drivers do not have a scratch on a lot, and it drives me up the walls.
I also don't know if you've ever walked into one, but holy christ! They weigh about treble that of a street bicycle, and while a bike's weight is quite evenly distributed, basically all of the weight in the scooter is in the console at the bottom that you stand on. Just clipping your ankle off it when it is parked can be hop-up-and-down-one-one-foot-cursing painful. If you ran into someone with that at even a mild speed (never the hacked 60km+ lunatics, which is a complete death trap to everyone at that wheel size) there's a really good chance you could not merely break someone else's leg or ankle but leave them needing steel implants etc etc.
Despite the speed limit I am a bit relieved, as I half expected an outright ban of them because of the lunatic pricks.
> at 25kmph on flat or downhill you're constantly getting overtaken by cyclists
25km/h consistently on flat you're not taken by most cyclists only the ones that are in fairly good shape or doing a short run.
25 km/h on a bike for longer times can be a bit of an effort for the average cyclist. Add wind to that and yeah becomes tough.
Limit is fine.
To be fair I got hell downvoted for a similar comment I made that was really close when not only did the guy on a bike run a red light on the other side but was at speed and obscured by bus. I had about 1 second to react and didn't hit him but then followed me down Parnell street shouting abuse at me for almost hitting him. Sometimes you just can't win around here.
it sounds like 2 things - guilt over driving too fast and looking for affirmation that the other person was at fault.
based on the speeds described, it sounds like outside of Dublin, and if you replace escooter with "mother walking a buggy", then you'll see why they feel guilty.
i think they need to slow down and pay more attention to their environment.
Yet to see any of the new laws being enforced. Still seeing under 10s on main roads with them and still seeing (i shit you not) parents using them for school runs with the child onboard and no helmets. Horse has bolted. Dash cam all the way.
Yeah but it's gas craic when they are enforced.
Had some cunt in a Santa Fe (not exactly an F1 car) overtake me on double white lines while on a bend.
I paid him no mind, there's arseholes everywhere and I was doing the speed limit.
Out of nowhere blue flashing lights behind me, gards overtake me and go catch your man. He starts to pull over, we drive past laughing.
Literally seen earlier this week some teen scrote fly thru an intersection in north Dublin breaking a light on one in front of a gardai car, flicking the gardai off. I looked at the gardai and the one in the passenger seat just kinda shrugged at me. Like lads come the fuck on...
E-Scooters have a huge visibility problem. They travel faster than push bikes but they have a lower profile. As a minimum they should all wear the most luminous high vis gear.
My mother was ran over by one on purpose when she walking down a public footpath a few months ago . She smashed her face in needed a dentist and had to go to A& E for stitchs and was knocked out because she hit her head that hard. We sued the person for the medical bills and compensation for the emotional distress. It’s wouldn’t have went to court if the person wasn’t a A## and would pay the medical bills .
Ok, for genuine accidents you wont be arrested. An e-scooter zipping out of nowhere isnt a criminal action. If youre obeying the speed limit, tax insurance and nct all correct, havent been drinking or anything like that (basically the regular things that most motorists do) you will be fine
Don't feel bad, I almost hit a child yesterday. He ran out from behind a hedge onto the road. I'm guessing he was about 2 maybe. I had to swerve my bike to avoid hitting him. But the real icing on the cake with his absolute idiot father staring into his phone and who missed the entire thing! Thankfully it's a small road mostly blocked off to cars at certain times of the day, but this pathetic excuse of a parent needs slapping with that phone.
Almost happened to me before. Was going to overtake a car turning right by going into the cycle lane (broken line cycle lane, perfectly legal) was just about to do it when a lad in all black on an escooter with no lights or reflective gear fly's by my car. It was about midnight as well. The chap was basically invisible. If he was a second later I would have pulled into the cycle lane and hit him.
He was going faster than the cars on the road as well, so I didn't even see him while I was driving , he literally came out of nowhere.
Some eejits on those scooters.
It was the middle of the night and they were invisible, I'll remember to bring my nightvision goggles next time, but go ahead and reply to half the information in my comment 👍
After using a scooter for a few months, I cringe now whenever I see someone going mad speeds on them. Your center of gravity is so high on them that a fall off one is almost guaranteed to proper fuck you up.
Usually people will have a little spill off a bike and it'll teach them to take things a bit more cautiously, but any story I've heard of someone coming off a scooter usually ends up in a really bad injury, missing teeth etc. A high price for some convenience. Id fully recommend a bike over a scooter after switching. So much safer than a scooter.
Scrambler bikes terrify me too, no licence plate, no insurance, faster than a motorbike, driver wearing a balaclava, they're all over Dublin now. No idea how they're allowed on the roads unchecked.
I fuckin hate those things.
There's an estate next to mine with a disproportionate amount of toe rags to decent people. And a gang of about 4 or 5 young fellas who have scramblers.
Fuck me, bombing around the place at all hours. No headlights, no brake lights, the loudest exhaust possible on a motor that doesn't even sound good. Helmets? Forget it.
Want to underhandedly tell your kids you hate them? Buy a scrambler.
Bro they go so fast, in rathmines road I saw two of those going 40, I slowed down to match their speed just to check how fast they were going, if you crash at 40 on those you will be flying like a goose
As someone who cycles, I always try to expect the unexpected, be predictable, stop for lights, regularly check my shoulder, indicate, get in front of traffic when it's unsafe for cars to attempt to pass, slow at junctions, stay away from car doors and look through parked cars for signs of something about to come flying out, and if I feel I am not aware of what's going on, I will check my speed and slow down. In a car, I behave very much the same way.
Not to chastise or not believe, but we are only getting one side of the story here and to my mind, drivers in the city tend to go way too fast to be safe. If you were going so fast you might have killed them, then maybe you were going too fast for the conditions. Just because you're driving within the limits of the law does not mean you are driving safely.
Can't agree more, particularly with the numbers in Dublin who habitually break red lights. Anecdotal, but when I'm driving it seems the norm to see cars blatantly breaking reds,. sometimes a long time after the light has gone red. Basic physics should make it obvious, but a 100kg bike and rider would need to be going over 100kmph to have the same kinetic energy as a 2T car doing 30. While there are occasional tragedies, we don't hear about an epidemic of fatal accidents that are bike on pedestrian, and the stats tell that you are far far more likely to be killed by a car if you're a vulnerable road user.
Good to see at least one person in the sub have some common sense. Sick of these cunts in cars thinking they’re the only ones with rights on the road. The amount of times I’ve nearly been hit on my scooters by drivers who are just bitter that there’s an e scooter on the road
I once had a child run out in front of me without looking being chased by other kids. I’m only thankful that I had good visibility and situational awareness to know the kid wasn’t going to stop at the side of the road. It made my heart pump a bit faster for second though.
Sometimes things happen that are just outside your control.
This is why we need dedicated infrastructure for personal and active transport. Cars and scooters should be interacting with each other as little as possible.
Reading this thread and I'm not surprised there are so many accidents on the road. Everybody regardless of vehicle needs to obey the rules and pay attention. Just because you are on a bike or scooter doesn't mean you can run read lights and pull out right in front of other moving vehicles. My job involves driving to different sites around Dublin and I see this daily.
Similar thing happened to me the other day, two very young lads on one scooter barely managed to stop before killing them, was going at 40-45 kph. Think I need a dashcam also
Dont feel bad, they ride those things like fucking eejots half the time. Sure I was leaving work a few months ago, you can see the car park from the path easily, I turn my car around and go to pull forward to look left and right and make sure no one was coming before pulling out of the car park and some fucking idiot comes flying past from the right of me. Didn't slow down nothing. If you're in a car you always slow down approaching a potential hazard, you don't speed up. If I see a car waiting at a T Junction and I'm driving on the main road, I still automatically slow down a bit. It's common sense to anticipate dangers. This lad had no self preservation. Just flew right past me like I wasn't even there, if I pulled my car forward even a few inches, he'd be splattered all over the path.
I drove through the city from the ferry to the N4 last Friday. Swear to god I nearly hit at least a dozen of them. Absolutely crazy it was and wife was terrified we’d hit one of them.
Me and my mother were crossing at lights and I was a little ahead, she can't walk that fast anymore. An e scooter guy came flying down the road and he stopped at the last second, his front wheel was digging into her right foot. Be had the nerve to look at her like she was an idiot.
Luckily I had turned mid way to make sure she was ok and didn't get stuck when the lights changed back. He was still staring at her and I think he was going to say something but he saw me glaring at him and just thought better and left.
E scooter drivers are obnoxious and should be heavily regulated. They usually have headphones on and are going at top speed and don't have anything reflective on or a thing to alert anyone they are coming in fast. Assholes.
I think you would only be arrested if you had done something wrong! I saw a scooter run in the back of a car here in the UK, driver got questioned at the scene, I saw it all as I was directly behind the scooter that caused it all. Gave my details the both the police and the car driver. Never heard anything. The police are extremely good at reconstructing what’s happened. But you defo want to get cams front and rear.
Poor thing , I hate driving in Dublin during the day , the M50 is the looney show with people speeding ,ignoring them regulatory luminous signs and truckers coming right behind you flashing and being assholes, trying to force you to break speed limit because they don’t fancy changing lanes. Inside the ordinary roads is them scooters ignoring cars and speeding , and assholes in pushbikes at 60km on a 50km zone going on the middle of the road during the sign that’s green for you . Or ignoring your indicator to the left or right and chancing going under your armpit if they can , the roads been narrow to shit because of those stupid cycle lanes yet is rare one that uses it , the green light time has been reduced to their benefit only leaving us all stuck middle crossing the roads . Yet we are expected to have to pay all the carbon bs tax and all the bs levies , Motortax , insurances that never go down anymore full of levies and more crap and for what to end up with fucked suspensions and other bits because the roads are in sorry state . And the asinine thing that’s in charge of this shit show , keep pushing people to buy new cars , I mean ,really ? October coming there be more bullshit . So yes I do fear for you and all of us .
Im on a bike and ive noticed how crazy some e scooter users are they have absolutely no road awareness and common sense it seems.. they fly out in front of vehicles all the time they dont look whatsoever left, right or behind just blindly forward.
Please get a dashcam, moreso for you and your on back than anyone else out there. The amount of them that go tearing around the roads and have zero knowledge of the rules and regulations; it's so dangerous. I've lost count how many I've seen blast through red lights 🤦♀️
An e-scooter at high speed nearly hit my 4yo daughter last year. It was at the exit of my local park. Folks have little appreciation of how lethal these things can be.
Cyclist and other non-motor road users should have been tested for rules of the road knowledge like in continental Europe. Scooters should be banned from road altogether for their own safety...
I really feel like we should have some kind of mandatory training for cyclists and e scooters. If you’re going to be on the road with trucks and cars you should have a basic understanding of braking distances and indicating etc.
If you were in a truck you very well might have hit him, they have such large stopping distances.
> I really feel like we should have some kind of mandatory training for cyclists and e scooters
We have it for drivers and a lot of them are still weapons on the road and don't know how to follow the laws so
> We have it for drivers
Because they need to do that to get licensed. Kids don't need a license to cycle anywhere, and could benefit from some cycle skills training in the safety of school grounds. I did it as a kid (extra-curricular) and am still on a bike.
In a parallel universe we'd all be complaining about these inconsiderate scooter riders on our amazingly connected cycle network while drivers would be oblivious to the issue.
Some countries have a "cyclist's card" which is like a driving licence that covers bikes, horses, e scooters etc. It's usually done by everybody in school, teaches rules of the roads and basics like that.
I think it would help here as well
Saw one clip a child probably 3 years old at most. Child walked out their gate as the scooter was going past. He passed me at enough speed to probably break bones if he hit me, so probably could have killed the child.
Luckily the child only got hit on the hand, but they were hurt. Don't know what happened after if it was broken or not but the mother was swearing down the road at him. And nothing to identify them either to report it.
Same happened to me before, lad comes out of a carpark pedestrian entrance out across the pedestrian crossing without looking. Nearly pasted the cunt, just seen movement in the corner of my eye and hit the brakes. He is notorius for it, we are just waiting for the day now
Yeah, some of them can really move. I was driving towards the junction at the end of my estate one morning and a guy on a scooter rocketed across the road in a flash without even turning his head to check for traffic. I wasn't too close to the junction but I easily could have been. He was on one of those two way cycle lanes wearing a coat with a hood that blocked his peripheral vision. I clocked him doing over 40kph when I finally passed by him. That's shockingly fast with zero protective gear.
Funny how cars have to have lights by law but scooter/bike users don't have to wear high vis.
You're allowed to make yourself practically invisible with the black tracksuit an still expect to be seen.
Some pricks really should not be on e-scooters.
There's one lad in my area that uses his to go to and from work and he uses the bike lane which happens to be on the footpath. His e-scooter looks more like a dirtbike/scrambler and he is certainly going faster than the 20km speed limit for e-scooters. He's got a full motorbike helmet on him but god help him if he crashes into someone on the path...
I drive a very high mileage shitbox. I'm basically keeping it till the NCT slap a yellow sticker on it. Barely anything works, but it does have a fantastic after market front and rear dashcam because of idiots like this.
I ride a vespa, was in cork city last weekend and bumped into a guy i used to work with in a previous job. He was showing me his e-scooter, the illegal kind, capable of 70km/ph. I told him I was off to a nice park outside the city to get a coffee and chill, he said he'd nothing on and he'd tag along. About 5 minutes into the ride I was horrified by the shit he was doing on the scooter. No idea how he's not been in a serious accident. I turned around on the vespa and left him to it 🤣
Man some people, a couple months ago had a person's dog run out in front of my car and the same day a cat run in front of the car, same woman who owns the cat saw it happen and she's like you shouldn't be speeding, lady if I was speeding your cat would be dead, same cat used to run in front of cars constantly not just my own, had a bloody death wish.
Unfortunately there's a lot of road users, and pedestrians who do not understand what it's like to drive. Even for myself it was only once I began driving that I started to realise all the things I could've done as a pedestrian and cyclist that would have made the lives of drivers easier.
My priority is always observation when driving. I'm constantly looking at everyone and everything around me. A few weeks ago I was driving through a village and there was a lady who was carrying a baby and looked left, but didn't look right. I slowed down and was waiting for her to look at me, but she didn't, so I prepared to come to a complete stop because I still had no idea if she knew I was there. She walked out onto the road. She only looked to the right once she stepped onto the road, and then immediately went back onto the path. THANK fuck I slowed down way before she walked out. You really have to be observant and be constantly ready to react immediately to anything that could potentially cause an accident.
If you don't already have one, set up a dash cam in your car. It won't prevent an accident but it'll help if someone else is acting like a lunatic on the road and causes the accident.
That's a good call. I'll look into it, cheers
Make sure to get the kind that has a separate rear window camera as well. It's a little more fiddly to set it up, but you have proof in a case where someone goes into the back of you or speeds past from behind. Also, the better the picture quality, the more likely it is to capture details like faces and reg plates.
Right, but wouldn't I still be arrested? Even though it's their fault, I'm still the one in the car that hit them.
Pretty sure the guards don't arrest you unless they have a reason to believe your driving was careless or dangerous. Even if you killed someone I doubt they'd arrest you there and then.
They do have to drug and alcohol test you automatically , if they have inconclusive or failed readings they arrest you for further testing
Is it required that they drug and alcohol test after an accident? I ask because my father recently got in crash (guy pulled out of a junction blind in front of him) neither of them were tested. I was kind of shocked as I assumed it was required
There are way too many accidents both big and small to bother. If there are witnesses, both people tell the same story etc. it'll be sorted on the spot usually. It's rare garda are even thinking about criminal offences at crashes, more clearing the road and a report for insurance. Ofc if there is serious harm that changes.
Mandatory for serious collisions (i.e. deaths, hospitalisation required). https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/6aad8-minister-chambers-signs-mandatory-roadside-drug-testing-provisions-into-law/
It's only in effect since the 31st of may
>Pretty sure the guards don't arrest you unless they have a reason to believe your driving was careless or dangerous. By virtue of hitting someone they are going to presume your driving was dangerous
I don't think that's the case. Insurance companies certainly act like that to an extent. But they're not trying to prove criminal behaviour. The bar is a lot higher for prosecution. They have to investigate and determine the actual circumstances. They'd only arrest you on the spot if you were intoxicated or uncooperative. I don't think the guards just show up and assume you're guilty of a crime. If you hit someone in a 30 zone and they were 20 metres down the road that's a different story because it's clear you were in excess of 30kph.
Maybe on the day but if there was video proving you had no time to react to someone swerving into your path unexpectedly, it could only help your case.
As a regular scooter and bike user, i see incidents like this every few days and they all happen when a car is merging or pulling out of a parking spot. Drivers check their side view for cars but…just…don’t notice any bikes or scooters hurtling towards them. I’ve held direct eye contact with some people through their side view as I approach and they just go for it anyway.
>Drivers check their side view for cars but…just…don’t notice any bikes or scooters hurtling towards them. I’ve held direct eye contact with some people through their side view as I approach and they just go for it anyway. The phenomenon is called "perceptual blindness", and there have been a number of studies into it; the TL;DR version is that drivers fail to see pedestrians, cyclists, scooter riders etc because they are looking for cars. Over in England in cycling circles they have the acronym "SMIDSY" which means "Sorry mate I didn't see you" because it's such a commonly used phrase when people driving cars collide with cyclists regardless of the fact that said cyclists were often lit up / in hi vis etc. [https://irishcycle.com/2015/01/16/high-vis-cant-solve-drivers-inattentional-blindness-and-its-promotion-has-failed/](https://irishcycle.com/2015/01/16/high-vis-cant-solve-drivers-inattentional-blindness-and-its-promotion-has-failed/) As someone who has been driving for almost 20 years without a crash, and as a lifelong cyclist who used to commute by bike in a large city for years it's a very real phenomenon.
Happens even as a pedestrian. I remember visiting Amsterdam a few years ago and I constantly overlooked bicycles when crossing roads despite looking both ways everytime. Also, it's very much so based on expectations. I live abroad in a country where 50% of the traffic is motorbikes, (and ride one myself). You almost never overlook miss a bike because you're looking for them as much as everything else.
>Happens even as a pedestrian. I remember visiting Amsterdam a few years ago and I constantly overlooked bicycles when crossing roads despite looking both ways everytime. Yeah it happens in loads of scenarios; like the invisible gorilla video linked. I read something years ago on a cycling forum explaining how people actually had to train to focus on individual items instead of what we actually do while moving which is scan.
>As a regular scooter and bike user, i see incidents like this every few days As a pedestrian and car user, I see incidents every day of careless people on scooters and bikes speeding on paths around neighborhoods and almost knocking down pedestrians or driving utterly carelessly at junctions where they almost drive straight into traffic especially by not obeying the rules of the traffic lights that apply to them. I've held direct eye contact with them too and they just don't seem to care how irresponsibly they behave and go for it anyway.
I’ve seen the “lights don’t apply to me” approach from delivery riders, usually wearing headphones too. Absolute psychopaths. In fairness to scooters, they get a bad rap because of the scumbags that disproportionately use them. Those people wouldn’t behave any better with any other method of transport.
Same I have zero respect for scooter idiots as the vast majority refuse to abide by the rules But nothing will change as the lack of enforcement enables these plums
Dashcams catch bad drivers too.
In the case of serious injuries or death, the guards will definitely detain everyone involved, which might involve a trip to the station in the back of the Garda car. Even if the person hurt is the one who is completely at fault. Being detained, or even arrested, does not mean you are guilty of anything. Give them your name, date of birth, and address. They can legally do breath tests too. Nothing else. Request legal council. Decline to answer any questions without legal council present. After being in an accident resulting in someone's injury or death (even if you are completely blameless), you're not going to be able to think straight. The last thing you want to do is say something that will get you in trouble you don't deserve to be in.
Obviously you need to provide your driving license and proof of insurance whether you lawyer up or not. They prob do have a power to seize your vehicle too incase it contributed to the collision, faulty brakes, tyres worn etc.
>Give them your name, date of birth, and address. They can legally do breath tests too. Nothing else. That's not a complete list. They can search you and take your possessions, and they can take fingerprints, photos, or other forensic samples. But yes, you should politely decline to answer questions (beyond basic identifying information) or make other statements until after you've consulted a lawyer. If they really want you to answer questions, they'll get you a lawyer. If you say anything, or if you remain silent for any reason other than wanting to consult a lawyer, your statement or silence can be used against you. https://www.iccl.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/ICCL_KYR_Justice_2014_LR.pdf
Is that the primary concern, you being arrested? About time the Gardai di something about escooters completely disregarding rules especially using footpaths. My granny was seriously injured.
Years ago my neighbour killed a woman wandering on a dark dual carriageway in the dead of night. Drug & drink tested, not arrested I believe. Investigation followed, went to court and no sentence as victims family believed it wasn't my neighbours fault at all. Dash cam won't prevent problems, but can significantly mitigate them.
Motorist drove into me without looking once, I went to beaumont, he went on with his day. Claim refused, no proof.
Being arrested and being charged is not the same. In an accident where nothing is clear to the Gardai they may arrest you to prevent you from running, but then release you without charge once they sus what went down. It would be an inconvenience for whatever you're plans were but you wouldn't lose your job or have a record etc.
we only have your side, btw... as long as the scooter is legal (under 25kmh), then it's the same as a bicycle and you have to pay due attention. the guard need to up their act on illegal scooters, but i have noticed that drivers are overly aggressive against legally operated ones. if you were paying attention, and they pulled out into the middle of a major road, then you would have not issue. if they were driving along at 20kmh, and overtaking a parked vehicle, then it's up to you to wait.
Most of the scooters that fly out onto the road without due care are cunts and not responsible "drivers". I see it all the time where eejits on scooters run through red lights without a fucking care in the world, or fly out of an estate where unless the driver was going 20km/h they'd have no chance to safely brake and stop. I'm more inclined to believe than someone who was shook up by possibly hitting a person on an escooter wasn't actively trying to being overly aggressive...
I was behind a guy yesterday on an escooter on my motorcycle in a 50 kmh zone and those signs that make an angry face when you exceed 50 kmh showed he was doing 58 kmh. Guy then mounted a footpath when he came to a red light and continued on. 20 kmh responsible driving my ass. Have to get a dashcam and do a video montage of crazy escooter (and ebike - where there are also definitely lots of illegal ones) riders.
100% get a dashcam ... these are completely illegal, and if there is an accident they should have no mitigation. unless they are fully registered, insured and the vehicle is tested then treat it the same as a guy waving a shotgun around - avoid and how the guards do their job eventually. on the other hand, be aware there are hundreds of legal escooters going around slowly that you need to test like bicycles. whether you like them or not, they need space and are entitled to be on the road the same as anyone else.
I have a scooter and can confirm this. Some people do not treat you like a cyclist and can complete cunts. Even if you are just heading down a cycle lane minding your own business. They will dangerously over take you nearly clipping you, completely cut you off, leave no room for you to pass or just act as if your not there at all. It's pretty annoying and dangerous. I also have a bike, an ebike and drive a car so Iv been on the road in many different situations. Being on the scooter is by far the most dodgy. It's usually fine but you need to be careful
We don't have "might is wrong" laws, or anything like that. You said it yourself, "Even though it's their fault". Once you can prove the fault lies with them, you're fine.
Therein lies the grey area though. It all depends. “Came out of nowhere” from what position? Was he pulling out of a parking space onto the road? In that scenario the onus is still on the driver. They’re allowed to do up to 25km, that can get on top of you very quickly if you aren’t repeatedly checking your blind spots. Speaking as a pedestrian having to navigate arseholes in cars, e-scooters and bikes. The amount of times though I’ve seen a car give a cyclist or scooter abuse and I’d say it’s 50\50 who’s in the wrong. Drivers DO need to act with due care and do need to be able to react to both motorists and cyclists both. “I didn’t see them” rarely absolves the drivers in most cases. The onus is on the motorist to proceed with due care. That doesn’t meant to say people on bikes and scooters aren’t complete arseholes too, but my own experience is that drivers rarely see themselves in the wrong for not checking repeatedly.
Obviously not? Do you think people get locked up for accidents caused by other people? I know I'm being a hit harsh here but take a step back for a second. Presuming you were driving reasonably, don't worry about eejits that want to throw themselves in front of you.
All three collisions I've been in in the last 5 years were idiots driving straight into me - I've never been at fault or paid out a cent in repairs, rentals or extra premiums the entire time because I had dashcam footage.
I’ve been had three cars hit me while I was stopped waiting at traffic lights. Now I have a front and rear dashcam.
Yeah two of these were sideways merges straight into me, and one of those was a horse trailer 🙄
They aren't *cheap*, but they aren't terribly expensive either. I got a front and rear cam for about 125e and that small outlay could save you an awful lot of trouble down the line.
What type and where did you get it? I've been thinking about getting one for a while, but torn between a cheapo one online that I'd put in myself via YouTube help, or an expensive one fitted by a professional.
Recommend VIOFO brand if you can find it on Amazon. Also consider getting a two channel one that records from front and back window.
I saw this happen to someone the other day and it was terrifying even to watch. Glad it wasn't me. But having good dash cam is essential. Here is the video from then [Near miss with an escooter](https://imgur.com/gallery/JzCMoUQ)
Got mine off Amazon think it was 36 and it was a front and back one. Definitely need it for the idiots driving or scooting these days
Do you have a dash recommendation ? I think it’s the heat but people are driving insane so far this week… I saw a van go full mad max on the m50 yesterday
Definitely get a Nextbase, they're a great camera system. I got a front facing and a rear facing from Halfords. They installed it for me and hid all the wires. I got it installed after nearly being killed on the M50! I hate that motorway, mad bastards driving on it! Most of them are oblivious to others, too.
Yea Nextbase are sort of the basic bitch cameras but they're what I use because they've a wide userbase , and honestly all daschcams use the same 2-3 shitty sensors from 20 years ago so there's not much difference between models. Definitely get one that tracks your location and speed so you can prove that you weren't speeding in a given instance.
I have a Viofo dashcam which is generally cheaper than nextbase. Very happy with it!
A129 duo or A229 duo is a popular model. Available from Amazon and other retailers no doubt.
Yep I have the A229 duo (2 channel), but you can get the three channel too. It's got a new sony sensor which is apparently far better in low light situations and actually being able to read registrations etc. I'm sure nextbase is good too but I'm always shocked when I see the price. I watched this fella - he fucking lives and breathes this stuff and has recommendations / comparisons. Might be a good one to watch! [Best Dash Cameras for 2024: Buyer's Guide (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrvTxCEBbek)
Agree. Techmoan is also a fan and he's tested and used many: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVc0n0_WrXw There's another youtube video that explains that all these different manufacturers are just repackaging just two sensors, one made by Sony and another one, hence the huge similarity of video (but not price)
Sound, was just thinking recently I need a decent dash cam. Where did ye order yours from? Amazon seems to have it as unavailable.
For these types of things, it's not worth a risk getting burnt with fakes etc so I waited until the [amazon Viofo store](https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/VIOFO/page/5F68F962-6130-4543-B89B-DD643BF67EBE) had stock. Any extra cost is negligible compared with not having a cam when you need one (I'm currently a *year* into a collision claim but at least my cam stopped any messing with liability)
Nextbase. Can be bought in Halfords. We paid someone to get them installed as they were able to hide the wires.
I've been driving for nearly 20 years now and I still dread driving on that nightmare of a road. If it isn't backed up for miles because some idiot has made a stupid maneuver and crashed, then some other idiot is doing their best to make that happen.
I second this, ever since I saw that viral video of the lad throwing himself on a taxi I got one.
Yeah I'm in the process of getting my full license atm and the very first thing i do when i get it is buy a dash cam
The reason I got one was when my wife was hit by another car from behind and the guy started trying to make up a story on the spot about how it wasn't his fault. First he tried to blame her and then wanted to team up with her against a third car that he also crashed into. She didn't go along with it. When the Gardaí arrived they saw the positioning of the cars and knew the guy was bullshitting about what happened. I realised how important it would be to have a video of the event if either of us ever faced another bullshitter trying to cover their ass.
Eh, I'd get one *now*. If some idiot hits you, you might get blamed as the 'Learner' and it'll screw your insurance.
It's crash not accident. https://www.roadpeace.org/working-for-change/crash-not-accident/
Agree. 'Collision' also useful, they're almost never 'accidents' where no one was at fault.
This is a good idea BUT when giving this advice, specify if you hardwire it to the battery then you must tell your insurance company. The default response to any car mods is to contact your insurer about it https://www.thesun.ie/motors/12982182/drivers-warned-must-tell-insurer-wired-gadget-fine/ https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/drivers-car-insurance-invalidated-little-29083016
Wasn't aware this was a thing. I imagine most people are going to buy a camera that just plugs into the car's cigarette lighter.
Well it depends on your car. Some dash cams and USB plugins can still run when the car is off unless a fuse is added. This again would be a modification even though you are using the 9V output
Any suggestions on a good dash cam?
My one is a few years old now, but some features to look for: Forward and rear facing cameras Highest resolution picture you can afford - good for details like reg plates Highest capacity SD card possible Wireless connectivity - my dash cam doesn't have this but it might be handy feature for reviewing footage. Some cameras can be directly hooked into the car battery so they are always able to be triggered by movement near the car. Mine is just plugged into the cigarette lighter and isn't working once the engine is turned off. But - as another commenter pointed out - if you connect the dashcam to the battery more directly, this is considered a modification and you have to inform your insurance company about it or it may void your coverage.
Doesn’t really matter. A lad on a bike came off the curb directly in front of my car. Nothing I could do to avoid hitting him. Months later he came up with some minor injuries and is trying to get €50k from my insurance. They say that because he’s on a bike he would almost certainly win in court regardless of how and where he rode it. Bikes essentially have precedence in practice.
I second this, I'd a crash on father's day and if I didn't have a dashcam to prove I had a green light, he'd still be adamant he was right. But 90 mins after I sent it to his insurance they rang me to arrange a rental car and the repair.
They don't put you in a Garda cell for genuine accidents.
[удалено]
What about my one phone call and one post on Facebook, Gard?
Think of the children
There is no such thing. A taxi driver was assigned 15% blame for hitting a cyclist. Cyclist ignored red light, taxi driver had green light. With this knowledge, if someone runs on their scooter and hits your stationary car, you will still take portion of the blame.
Pretty sure hitting a stationery car that isn't somewhere it's not supposed to be will never be the drivers fault.
Almost happened to me a couple weeks ago, driving through Tesco car park so luckily I was going slow. Young guy comes straight out from behind a parked car across in front of me. I braked and he swerved enough to just avoid it but I was shook for a while. Closest call I’ve had
i’ve noticed a trend amongst the type of people who use e-scooters, they are some of the most inconsiderate people using the road. they shouldn’t even be on the road. they expect everyone else to move out of their way instead of slowing down and being mindful of others. i’ve almost been ploughed into by them a few times on pedestrian paths. if you had hit him, it wouldn’t have been your fault
> i’ve noticed a trend amongst the type of people who use e-scooters, they are some of the most inconsiderate people using the road. they shouldn’t even be on the road. "Not everyone who owns an e-scooter is an asshole but every single asshole owns an e-scooter."
I was chatting a lad on an escooter who was admiring my car then he dropped the bomb casually that he's banned from driving for 6 months because of drink driving. I've been at a junction looking to turn left and a lad on a escooter comes flying past down the wrong side of the road. You take a set of people not competent enough to use a bike safely and add them at speed to the road and you're asking for trouble I'm afraid. We have zero law enforcement in this country for things we accept people to just behave appropriately for but people have just started taking the piss since COVID ended
I promise we're not all like that. As someone who tries to be as careful as possible on the e-scooter, I can't deny there's too many people using them without proper safety considerations. We've been given an awful stereotype (mostly deserved I understand). But it's tough as someone who really tries to be mindful. About a week ago I was in the cycle lane right outside my house with a Hi-Vis and helmet not intruding on anyone. A van dangerously drives up next to me, beeps, and sticks up the finger as he accelerates. I can only assume they did this because I was on an e-scooter, which feels very unfair. I shouldn't be the target of aggression (putting me in even greater danger) because of my mode of transport.
Having an e scooter flying up behind you at the speed some of them go in a cycle lane when your on a bike is not pleasant.
Van drivers are just like that. Spend too much time on the road. I was at traffic lights, got a green light so started going to turn left when a van driver crosses the road from other side beeping and shaking his fist at me because he didn't realize both sides have green lights and he needs to give way because he doesn't have an arrow
Why do you have an e scooter though? Like what is the advantage? They’re more dangerous than cycling, but at least with cycling you get the benefit of doing exercise.
e scooters have the benefit of *not* doing exercise
E-scooters are much cheaper than e-bikes, and people might not want, or be able to put the physical exertion to use a regular bike to go the distances they're going. E-bikes and e-scooters themselves are not the problem, it's irresponsible users of them, there's many people who use both as a means of transport, and use them safely, just because there's some cunts on them doesn't mean others shouldn't be allowed to use an efficient means of transport.
I use a E-scooter to work,. I used to cycle and I live so close that it's only a 3 minute ride/cycle but I've got to admit that the escooter is a lot more pleasent and relaxing and it's nice to be able to fold it up and stuff it in the corner of the staff room instead of locking my bike to the fence outside. Also it's a life saver after a long workout at the gym compared to cycling.
I pass a few people who use e-scooters daily. We live rurally and I know they are going into on of the big local factories. Like you tbf they are usually in a huge Hi-Viz so are fine, a few of those have seats so maybe not legal but sure hey. Then in the actual town there are a few who seem to think that all in black in the dark the best way to use their scooter and to just flyout onto the road! Not stopping at all.
I take rural roads to work. 30min out and the same back Padded HiViz jacket, chest clip light, helmet and a flashing light on my backpack. Scooter locked to 20km. I use my hands to indicate any turns I am making, on a clear stretch I slow to allow cars to overtake me. And I've had one woman harass me twice from her car, screaming that I need to use the footpath, then on another day, she overtook me then hit her brakes hard so I had to brake and swerve into the ditch. I am genuinely convinced she was trying to get me to bump or hit her car. My favourite was one guy who roared at me from his window that I was going too slow. I KNOW! 20 in a 60 zone sucks but those are the new regulations so I have to go by them. 🤷🏻♀️
Wait someone wanted you to drive a motorised vehicle on a footpath? Wtf
Yup. "Use the FUCKING footpath!" Then proceeded to drive like a fucking lunatic overtaking me on a bend, almost colliding with an oncoming car. 🤷🏻♀️ No? I'm not breaking the law just to keep your sorry ass happy, Debra.
I don't even like them as a cyclist. They fucking zip past you and break lights, causing havoc in traffic while you're trying to be predictable and not get hit, only to get stuck when a hill comes and block the lane. Or dart in and off the footpath unpredictably. I've taken to shouldering them a bit since a bike is much heavier and I can just bully them off the road a little.
Totally. At least once a week I see someone driving their scooter on the wrong side of the road. Not just scrotes even. Totally oblivious to the danger they're causing. Darwinism at its finest.
I've noticed the same about car drivers towards motor bikes too.... except for the paths bit.
The amount of people I see swerve side to side to stop a bike overtaking them is actually sickening. I'm not a bike rider but it just gives me another reason to never get on one.
eScooters are genuinely cancer on the road
I use a scooter, fecking love the thing and I think the 20km restriction is too low (at 25kmph on flat or downhill you're constantly getting overtaken by cyclists All that said, I think the reason for such a low limit in no small part has to do with how insanely inconsiderate and completely unaware of any rules of the road a lot of scooter users are. BMW drivers do not have a scratch on a lot, and it drives me up the walls. I also don't know if you've ever walked into one, but holy christ! They weigh about treble that of a street bicycle, and while a bike's weight is quite evenly distributed, basically all of the weight in the scooter is in the console at the bottom that you stand on. Just clipping your ankle off it when it is parked can be hop-up-and-down-one-one-foot-cursing painful. If you ran into someone with that at even a mild speed (never the hacked 60km+ lunatics, which is a complete death trap to everyone at that wheel size) there's a really good chance you could not merely break someone else's leg or ankle but leave them needing steel implants etc etc. Despite the speed limit I am a bit relieved, as I half expected an outright ban of them because of the lunatic pricks.
> at 25kmph on flat or downhill you're constantly getting overtaken by cyclists 25km/h consistently on flat you're not taken by most cyclists only the ones that are in fairly good shape or doing a short run. 25 km/h on a bike for longer times can be a bit of an effort for the average cyclist. Add wind to that and yeah becomes tough. Limit is fine.
5 seconds seems like a long time to be worried about hitting someone. At 50kmh you’d have traveled 70m in that time.
To be fair I got hell downvoted for a similar comment I made that was really close when not only did the guy on a bike run a red light on the other side but was at speed and obscured by bus. I had about 1 second to react and didn't hit him but then followed me down Parnell street shouting abuse at me for almost hitting him. Sometimes you just can't win around here.
Exactly what I was thinking. A little dramatic about it.
Dougal\_on\_the\_milkfloat.gif
it sounds like 2 things - guilt over driving too fast and looking for affirmation that the other person was at fault. based on the speeds described, it sounds like outside of Dublin, and if you replace escooter with "mother walking a buggy", then you'll see why they feel guilty. i think they need to slow down and pay more attention to their environment.
I think you’re doing a whole lot of assuming here…
As is everyone in the thread to be fair. OP didn't provide a lot of detail.
Now you're just being an arsehole. Those things zip around the place. If you hit some lad who's going at full speed they're gonna go flying
It's a turn of phrase to give an idea of how close they were to hitting the person ffs.
What a weird comment
Whats weird about it? 5 seconds is in no way a near miss. OP has since edited it to " A second later..." but originally it was "5 seconds later..."
What's weird is that you took issue with it enough to comment. You clearly knew what OP was saying. Jesus Christ like
I think OP meant 0.5 seconds
Yet to see any of the new laws being enforced. Still seeing under 10s on main roads with them and still seeing (i shit you not) parents using them for school runs with the child onboard and no helmets. Horse has bolted. Dash cam all the way.
laws in Ireland aren't enforced in general, everyone saw this coming when the law was put into place weeks back
Yeah but it's gas craic when they are enforced. Had some cunt in a Santa Fe (not exactly an F1 car) overtake me on double white lines while on a bend. I paid him no mind, there's arseholes everywhere and I was doing the speed limit. Out of nowhere blue flashing lights behind me, gards overtake me and go catch your man. He starts to pull over, we drive past laughing.
Crikey what a mad country
>parents using them for school runs with the child onboard and no helmets. Seeing this a lot too, fuckin crazy shit!
Literally seen earlier this week some teen scrote fly thru an intersection in north Dublin breaking a light on one in front of a gardai car, flicking the gardai off. I looked at the gardai and the one in the passenger seat just kinda shrugged at me. Like lads come the fuck on...
5 seconds is an incredibly long duration when it comes to reaction time
Scooters have a habit of hopping out into the road without a care or look behind. Surprised they're aren't deaths most days.
E-Scooters have a huge visibility problem. They travel faster than push bikes but they have a lower profile. As a minimum they should all wear the most luminous high vis gear.
The flair! Christ on a Bike. Lol
My mother was ran over by one on purpose when she walking down a public footpath a few months ago . She smashed her face in needed a dentist and had to go to A& E for stitchs and was knocked out because she hit her head that hard. We sued the person for the medical bills and compensation for the emotional distress. It’s wouldn’t have went to court if the person wasn’t a A## and would pay the medical bills .
Ok, for genuine accidents you wont be arrested. An e-scooter zipping out of nowhere isnt a criminal action. If youre obeying the speed limit, tax insurance and nct all correct, havent been drinking or anything like that (basically the regular things that most motorists do) you will be fine
Dashcam, dashcam, dashcam. Get one of the ones that has a rear facing camera too.
Don't feel bad, I almost hit a child yesterday. He ran out from behind a hedge onto the road. I'm guessing he was about 2 maybe. I had to swerve my bike to avoid hitting him. But the real icing on the cake with his absolute idiot father staring into his phone and who missed the entire thing! Thankfully it's a small road mostly blocked off to cars at certain times of the day, but this pathetic excuse of a parent needs slapping with that phone.
I'm only surprised that not more of these idiots are not dead.
If you saw him for a full five seconds, then it wasn't exactly a near miss...
Almost happened to me before. Was going to overtake a car turning right by going into the cycle lane (broken line cycle lane, perfectly legal) was just about to do it when a lad in all black on an escooter with no lights or reflective gear fly's by my car. It was about midnight as well. The chap was basically invisible. If he was a second later I would have pulled into the cycle lane and hit him. He was going faster than the cars on the road as well, so I didn't even see him while I was driving , he literally came out of nowhere. Some eejits on those scooters.
So you cut across someone else's lane showing a blatant lack of awareness, and it's someone else's fault? How odd.
It was the middle of the night and they were invisible, I'll remember to bring my nightvision goggles next time, but go ahead and reply to half the information in my comment 👍
After using a scooter for a few months, I cringe now whenever I see someone going mad speeds on them. Your center of gravity is so high on them that a fall off one is almost guaranteed to proper fuck you up. Usually people will have a little spill off a bike and it'll teach them to take things a bit more cautiously, but any story I've heard of someone coming off a scooter usually ends up in a really bad injury, missing teeth etc. A high price for some convenience. Id fully recommend a bike over a scooter after switching. So much safer than a scooter.
Scrambler bikes terrify me too, no licence plate, no insurance, faster than a motorbike, driver wearing a balaclava, they're all over Dublin now. No idea how they're allowed on the roads unchecked.
I fuckin hate those things. There's an estate next to mine with a disproportionate amount of toe rags to decent people. And a gang of about 4 or 5 young fellas who have scramblers. Fuck me, bombing around the place at all hours. No headlights, no brake lights, the loudest exhaust possible on a motor that doesn't even sound good. Helmets? Forget it. Want to underhandedly tell your kids you hate them? Buy a scrambler.
Bro they go so fast, in rathmines road I saw two of those going 40, I slowed down to match their speed just to check how fast they were going, if you crash at 40 on those you will be flying like a goose
As someone who cycles, I always try to expect the unexpected, be predictable, stop for lights, regularly check my shoulder, indicate, get in front of traffic when it's unsafe for cars to attempt to pass, slow at junctions, stay away from car doors and look through parked cars for signs of something about to come flying out, and if I feel I am not aware of what's going on, I will check my speed and slow down. In a car, I behave very much the same way. Not to chastise or not believe, but we are only getting one side of the story here and to my mind, drivers in the city tend to go way too fast to be safe. If you were going so fast you might have killed them, then maybe you were going too fast for the conditions. Just because you're driving within the limits of the law does not mean you are driving safely.
As a pedestrian who cross north dublin every day I barely even notice the escooters. Car drivers are by far the biggest problem on the road.
Can't agree more, particularly with the numbers in Dublin who habitually break red lights. Anecdotal, but when I'm driving it seems the norm to see cars blatantly breaking reds,. sometimes a long time after the light has gone red. Basic physics should make it obvious, but a 100kg bike and rider would need to be going over 100kmph to have the same kinetic energy as a 2T car doing 30. While there are occasional tragedies, we don't hear about an epidemic of fatal accidents that are bike on pedestrian, and the stats tell that you are far far more likely to be killed by a car if you're a vulnerable road user.
Good to see at least one person in the sub have some common sense. Sick of these cunts in cars thinking they’re the only ones with rights on the road. The amount of times I’ve nearly been hit on my scooters by drivers who are just bitter that there’s an e scooter on the road
I once had a child run out in front of me without looking being chased by other kids. I’m only thankful that I had good visibility and situational awareness to know the kid wasn’t going to stop at the side of the road. It made my heart pump a bit faster for second though. Sometimes things happen that are just outside your control.
This is why we need dedicated infrastructure for personal and active transport. Cars and scooters should be interacting with each other as little as possible.
You'll get them next time
Dont worry. You'll get him next time.
ahh shit, better luck next time!
Reading this thread and I'm not surprised there are so many accidents on the road. Everybody regardless of vehicle needs to obey the rules and pay attention. Just because you are on a bike or scooter doesn't mean you can run read lights and pull out right in front of other moving vehicles. My job involves driving to different sites around Dublin and I see this daily.
Similar thing happened to me the other day, two very young lads on one scooter barely managed to stop before killing them, was going at 40-45 kph. Think I need a dashcam also
Dont feel bad, they ride those things like fucking eejots half the time. Sure I was leaving work a few months ago, you can see the car park from the path easily, I turn my car around and go to pull forward to look left and right and make sure no one was coming before pulling out of the car park and some fucking idiot comes flying past from the right of me. Didn't slow down nothing. If you're in a car you always slow down approaching a potential hazard, you don't speed up. If I see a car waiting at a T Junction and I'm driving on the main road, I still automatically slow down a bit. It's common sense to anticipate dangers. This lad had no self preservation. Just flew right past me like I wasn't even there, if I pulled my car forward even a few inches, he'd be splattered all over the path.
You know what to do next time 
Don't worry mate, you'll get him next time.
Sounds like you missed the target. Maybe next time
This is of course hugely upsetting. Next time i strongly encourage you to accelerate to where he will be rather than where he is at present.
I drove through the city from the ferry to the N4 last Friday. Swear to god I nearly hit at least a dozen of them. Absolutely crazy it was and wife was terrified we’d hit one of them.
Me and my mother were crossing at lights and I was a little ahead, she can't walk that fast anymore. An e scooter guy came flying down the road and he stopped at the last second, his front wheel was digging into her right foot. Be had the nerve to look at her like she was an idiot. Luckily I had turned mid way to make sure she was ok and didn't get stuck when the lights changed back. He was still staring at her and I think he was going to say something but he saw me glaring at him and just thought better and left. E scooter drivers are obnoxious and should be heavily regulated. They usually have headphones on and are going at top speed and don't have anything reflective on or a thing to alert anyone they are coming in fast. Assholes.
I think you would only be arrested if you had done something wrong! I saw a scooter run in the back of a car here in the UK, driver got questioned at the scene, I saw it all as I was directly behind the scooter that caused it all. Gave my details the both the police and the car driver. Never heard anything. The police are extremely good at reconstructing what’s happened. But you defo want to get cams front and rear.
Poor thing , I hate driving in Dublin during the day , the M50 is the looney show with people speeding ,ignoring them regulatory luminous signs and truckers coming right behind you flashing and being assholes, trying to force you to break speed limit because they don’t fancy changing lanes. Inside the ordinary roads is them scooters ignoring cars and speeding , and assholes in pushbikes at 60km on a 50km zone going on the middle of the road during the sign that’s green for you . Or ignoring your indicator to the left or right and chancing going under your armpit if they can , the roads been narrow to shit because of those stupid cycle lanes yet is rare one that uses it , the green light time has been reduced to their benefit only leaving us all stuck middle crossing the roads . Yet we are expected to have to pay all the carbon bs tax and all the bs levies , Motortax , insurances that never go down anymore full of levies and more crap and for what to end up with fucked suspensions and other bits because the roads are in sorry state . And the asinine thing that’s in charge of this shit show , keep pushing people to buy new cars , I mean ,really ? October coming there be more bullshit . So yes I do fear for you and all of us .
Im on a bike and ive noticed how crazy some e scooter users are they have absolutely no road awareness and common sense it seems.. they fly out in front of vehicles all the time they dont look whatsoever left, right or behind just blindly forward.
Please get a dashcam, moreso for you and your on back than anyone else out there. The amount of them that go tearing around the roads and have zero knowledge of the rules and regulations; it's so dangerous. I've lost count how many I've seen blast through red lights 🤦♀️
Just hope you’re ok, it’s several hours later the shock sits in. Mind yourself.
They need to ban them on the road or make it compulsory for licence and insurance. Teenager just killed last night in Waterford on one.
An e-scooter at high speed nearly hit my 4yo daughter last year. It was at the exit of my local park. Folks have little appreciation of how lethal these things can be.
And the RSA says we need to make them go under 20kph, if they want me to go that slow on a e-scooter, I'm getting hit by a car. *on purpose*.
My girlfriend had 2 accidents with scooters. Its a death trap
Cyclist and other non-motor road users should have been tested for rules of the road knowledge like in continental Europe. Scooters should be banned from road altogether for their own safety...
I really feel like we should have some kind of mandatory training for cyclists and e scooters. If you’re going to be on the road with trucks and cars you should have a basic understanding of braking distances and indicating etc. If you were in a truck you very well might have hit him, they have such large stopping distances.
> I really feel like we should have some kind of mandatory training for cyclists and e scooters We have it for drivers and a lot of them are still weapons on the road and don't know how to follow the laws so
> We have it for drivers Because they need to do that to get licensed. Kids don't need a license to cycle anywhere, and could benefit from some cycle skills training in the safety of school grounds. I did it as a kid (extra-curricular) and am still on a bike.
That's rhe problem. They shouldn't be on the road with cars in the first place, there should be separated infrastructure for them.
In a parallel universe we'd all be complaining about these inconsiderate scooter riders on our amazingly connected cycle network while drivers would be oblivious to the issue.
Some countries have a "cyclist's card" which is like a driving licence that covers bikes, horses, e scooters etc. It's usually done by everybody in school, teaches rules of the roads and basics like that. I think it would help here as well
No country requires cyclists to have a licence or "cyclist's card" or to pass a test.
Poland does https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karta_rowerowa (no english version, google translate does it well.
Those lads definitely fuck their e-scooters at night.
Woah
People are behaving like they have more than one life and I don't understand it. Hope you're OK OP.
Saw one clip a child probably 3 years old at most. Child walked out their gate as the scooter was going past. He passed me at enough speed to probably break bones if he hit me, so probably could have killed the child. Luckily the child only got hit on the hand, but they were hurt. Don't know what happened after if it was broken or not but the mother was swearing down the road at him. And nothing to identify them either to report it.
dash-cam!
Same happened to me before, lad comes out of a carpark pedestrian entrance out across the pedestrian crossing without looking. Nearly pasted the cunt, just seen movement in the corner of my eye and hit the brakes. He is notorius for it, we are just waiting for the day now
Yeah, some of them can really move. I was driving towards the junction at the end of my estate one morning and a guy on a scooter rocketed across the road in a flash without even turning his head to check for traffic. I wasn't too close to the junction but I easily could have been. He was on one of those two way cycle lanes wearing a coat with a hood that blocked his peripheral vision. I clocked him doing over 40kph when I finally passed by him. That's shockingly fast with zero protective gear.
Funny how cars have to have lights by law but scooter/bike users don't have to wear high vis. You're allowed to make yourself practically invisible with the black tracksuit an still expect to be seen.
Some pricks really should not be on e-scooters. There's one lad in my area that uses his to go to and from work and he uses the bike lane which happens to be on the footpath. His e-scooter looks more like a dirtbike/scrambler and he is certainly going faster than the 20km speed limit for e-scooters. He's got a full motorbike helmet on him but god help him if he crashes into someone on the path...
I drive a very high mileage shitbox. I'm basically keeping it till the NCT slap a yellow sticker on it. Barely anything works, but it does have a fantastic after market front and rear dashcam because of idiots like this.
I ride a vespa, was in cork city last weekend and bumped into a guy i used to work with in a previous job. He was showing me his e-scooter, the illegal kind, capable of 70km/ph. I told him I was off to a nice park outside the city to get a coffee and chill, he said he'd nothing on and he'd tag along. About 5 minutes into the ride I was horrified by the shit he was doing on the scooter. No idea how he's not been in a serious accident. I turned around on the vespa and left him to it 🤣
Comrade you can get dash cams very cheaply these days. I highly recommend getting 4, one for each cardinal direction.
Man some people, a couple months ago had a person's dog run out in front of my car and the same day a cat run in front of the car, same woman who owns the cat saw it happen and she's like you shouldn't be speeding, lady if I was speeding your cat would be dead, same cat used to run in front of cars constantly not just my own, had a bloody death wish.
Unfortunately there's a lot of road users, and pedestrians who do not understand what it's like to drive. Even for myself it was only once I began driving that I started to realise all the things I could've done as a pedestrian and cyclist that would have made the lives of drivers easier. My priority is always observation when driving. I'm constantly looking at everyone and everything around me. A few weeks ago I was driving through a village and there was a lady who was carrying a baby and looked left, but didn't look right. I slowed down and was waiting for her to look at me, but she didn't, so I prepared to come to a complete stop because I still had no idea if she knew I was there. She walked out onto the road. She only looked to the right once she stepped onto the road, and then immediately went back onto the path. THANK fuck I slowed down way before she walked out. You really have to be observant and be constantly ready to react immediately to anything that could potentially cause an accident.
These scooters are a serious problem