Driven to despair
Top instructor slams impatient motorists
A VETERAN driving instructor says Irish motorists have become very impatient in recent years, leading to a lot of accidents on the roads.
For 14 years Andy Mcguinniety has been operating his successful idrive Ireland School of Motoring near Slane, Co Meath.
During that time, he has noticed a change in driver habits and says tailgating is now a common problem.
Andy added: “It’s happening way too often.
“People drive right up behind your bumper, almost willing you to pull in and let them pass. There is a huge impatience now on the roads.
“Motorists tailgating will then overtake at speed, often in built-up areas, even though you are driving at the 50kph speed limit. People just want to get to wherever they are going in the fastest possible time and chances are taken and mistakes happen.
“It’s not just behind cars with L plates or my school of motoring car.
“I’ve come across this numerous times in my own car.
“It pains me to say it but women are just as bad as men in tailgating and aggressive driving.
“Young lads as boy racers often get the bad press, but I’m seeing drivers of all ages in all cars driving at speed.
“I was driving around Navan lately and there was a woman right up my bumper that I couldn’t even see her registration plate in my mirror.
“Then she proceeded to park on a double yellow line and just abandoned the car. All it took was me to hit the brakes and she was right into the back of me. And even today when most cars have Bluetooth, the amount of people I see driving while having the phone to their ears is astounding.” Andy also advised motorists to use their lights properly.
He said: “People will have their fog lights on but not dipped headlights or they will be driving on the motorway in the rain, where the spray from trucks impair visibility and they won’t have any headlights on.
“It’s like walking at night in black with no hi-vis. Know how to read the road and drive at conditions that suit the road. You can’t drive at speed on back roads where there are bad bends you might not be aware of.
“I find in a lot of cases, people will do the bare minimum to pass the test and then after, the driving skill goes out the window.”