Ireland to switch to right-hand driving?

[osarusan]

From Reuters - Ireland debate switch to right-hand side driving

Ireland should consider giving up driving on the left to reduce accidents by foreigners accustomed to right side motoring, a senior politician said Friday.

"We have all of these people coming in from Europe and from America and (because of) the roads that they are used to driving on in their own countries it is a huge difficulty when they start driving here," (Senator Donie) Cassidy told public broadcaster RTE.

Has anybody heard about this? It seems pretty impractical to me.

Or is it a non-story? I've never heard of Senator Cassidy.

[pineapple stu]

It's happened before (Sweden in the 60s). Sounds another pointless change just for the benefits of Europe though (changing speed limits, changing the emergency phone number, stuff like that). The notion that we should change to benefit foreigners who still make up a small minority of the country is nonsensical.

Obviously, the Brits won't go for it, which'd make the border with the North a nightmare, which seems to be exactly the opposite of what we're trying to achieve.

[Poor Student]

Nonsense. Such a change would be a logistical nightmare. I don't know how Sweden managed it, although the volume of motorists would have been less back then.

Perhaps even more ludicrous is the senator's suggestion that people from countries that drive on the right hand side of the road have a lower speed limit?

Sounds like Senator Cassidy is looking for a bit of attention.

[pineapple stu]

although the volume of motorists would have been less back then.

I'd say that had a large part to play.

Also, they already had borders with two right-hand drive countries, which probably encouraged them. It was either that or have a system for changing over increasing volumes of cars at each border crossing.

[John83]

Sounds like Senator Cassidy is looking for a bit of attention.

My thinking too. There's little merit in the suggestion.

[Sonic]

Never mind that clown Donie Cassidy its this kind of rubbish that has him in the senate and not the dail!!

[bellavistaman]

styupid suggestion, really sick of our country looking after foreginers rather than their own.

[Bondvillain]

styupid suggestion, really sick of our country looking after foreginers rather than their own.

In fairness, it wasn't a suggestion from "our country" , it was a hair-brained notion from a half-arsed excuse for a senator that very few take seriously.

Or is it a non-story? I've never heard of Senator Cassidy.

Donie Cassidy, Osarusan, is a Midlands businessman & former musician & Showband magnate (with, understandably, close ties to the Albert Reynolds old guard) who has a dubious bright ginger mop of "real" hair, despite his advanced years. He has a fairly strong 'man of de peeple' reputation in the small farming area around Mullingar, but the rest of the country see him for what he really is: A failed Fianna Failer who cant cut it at senior level . One who occasionally wakes from his slumber to make a large amount of noise in the hope of seeing his name in the papers.

[mypost]

Nonsense. Perhaps even more ludicrous is the senator's suggestion that people from countries that drive on the right hand side of the road have a lower speed limit?

Sounds like Senator Cassidy is looking for a bit of attention.

This coming from a member from a party that demands you vote yes to Lisbon.

This just one of the many unworkable, and nonsensical ideas that will happen, if we're forced to give up our sovereignty by doing what FF/FG and co insist we do. They want everyone to be the same in Europe, so in this instance, we'll have to cater for the customs of our immigrants, instead of the other way around.

[GavinZac]

This coming from a member from a party that demands you vote yes to Lisbon.

This just one of the many unworkable, and nonsensical ideas that will happen, if we're forced to give up our sovereignty by doing what FF/FG and co insist we do. They want everyone to be the same in Europe, so in this instance, we'll have to cater for the customs of our immigrants, instead of the other way around.

Name some more please.

And did you ever get around to reading that treaty?

[Poor Student]

This coming from a member from a party that demands you vote yes to Lisbon.

Me or Senator Cassidy? I ask because his actions seem congruent with someone who's party would support the treaty so I don't get your comment.

[BohsPartisan]

Me or Senator Cassidy? I ask because his actions seem congruent with someone who's party would support the treaty so I don't get your comment.

Glad you boys are supporting Tony Blair for President of Europe.

On topic I think we should go for it. I mean think of the fun you'd have crossing the border. You're passing the carrickdale hotel. You're on the left hand side, you know a few hundred meters up the road there's on coming traffic on your side that has to get onto the other side at the same point that you do. Think of the adrenaline rush. It would be a huge boost for tourism in the border counties!

[Lionel Ritchie]

I think he's looking to raise his profile a bit. Managed to get himself on two radio shows on friday where his logic was shredded quickly enough.

Never mind road markings and signage ...how do you sort out that many of the off ramps and on ramps on our motorways and dual carriageways simply haven't been built in a way that'd facilitate a switch.

Even if it could be done it wouldn't make our roads safer. Enforcing the laws that are there would and looking at best practice elsewhere would too.

[pete]

Topic moved from Current Affairs.

I don't see any value in such a change. As mentioned above would lead to difficulties on north/south border.

I don't think it would help foreign nationals to drive as Irish driving system is a lot to blame for that.

[BohsPartisan]

Don't get why you moved the topic Pete???

[Macy]

I think a phased in change would work. Start with cars and lorries this year, cars the next....

I don't see why this is off topic either. This is a policy suggestion from the Leader of the Senate. Every recent announcement from Gay Bryne and the other spoofers in the RSA and from Government politicians is all about shifting the focus away from what they can change, namely our road infrastructure.

Where are the proper road markings, cats eyes, road signage on out secondary roads?
Where are the rumble strips approaching dangerous bends?
Where is the road works to take out dips that give blind spots?
Where are the teams resurfacing the roads that are full of potholes?

There's a bend near me, where every couple of weeks a car flips after not making the bend. One crappy sign that's normally covered in dirt so it isn't even reflective anymore and no road markings. It should have proper signage, rumble strips etc.

tbh the blame the drivers is a cop out when there is so much wrong with the road network. Likewise, shifting all reponsibility to county councils, when it's clearly a contributory factor for our death rate is a cop out from central Government. There should be another classification of National Roads and leave the real backroads to the county councils...

[Lionel Ritchie]

tbh the blame the drivers is a cop out when there is so much wrong with the road network. Likewise, shifting all reponsibility to county councils, when it's clearly a contributory factor for our death rate is a cop out from central Government. There should be another classification of National Roads and leave the real backroads to the county councils...

I don't take everything they say as gospel but according to the most recent Garda stats -poor road conditions (that is to say -inadequate infrastructure as opposed to poor driving conditions caused by weather etc) was a major factor in only about 3% of fatalities on our roads.

By a long chalk the greatest cause was poor driving -the most common manifestation of which being inappropriately high speed in the conditions present.

[Macy]

That was actually one of the annoucements that I was thinking off as in shifting the blame. Of course driver behaviour is a major factor, but then signage and road markings are all about informing the driver to modify their behaviour for the upcoming dangerous stretch of road.

Using the bend I used as example again - it obviously catches out a lot of people, so the warnings clearly aren't good enough. However, when (more likely if) the cops investigate the cause of a car not making the turn and flipping over, what are they going to put down? Odds on it'll be inappropriate speed (which it is) but they are not looking at the factors that helped contribute to that inappropriate speed (i.e. lack of warning signs/markings).

[dahamsta]

I don't know why this was moved either. It's a stupid "current affair" because it's so badly thought out by the proposer, but it's a current affair nonetheless and I'm sure Foot.ie citizens can come up with better reasoning than "sure twould be grand for the foreign fellas".

adam

[noby]

Not mentioned in the link above, but as well as 'Johnny Foreigner' having speed restrictions of 50mph, he reckons that 'Johnny Foreigner' shouldn't be allowed buy cars from auction that are 10-15 years old.