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Dublin's M50 suffered from over 100 collisions/delays in 2012. Liam McBurney/PA Archive/Press Association Images

Over 1,100 delays/collisions on Irish roads in 2012 - AA Roadwatch

At 374 incidents, Dublin experienced nearly four times as many delays as anywhere else.

THERE WERE A total of 1,114 incidents and collisions on Ireland’s roads for the year to date which impacted on motorists’ journey times, according to figures from AA Roadwatch.

At 374, Dublin (excluding the M50) experienced nearly four times as many delays as anywhere else.

The head of AA Roadwatch, Aoife Carragher, said that this number represented a “staggering figure considering the number of minor tips and crashes that are pulled immediately off the road or which may never be reported.”

Dublin’s M50 motorway experienced the second highest number of delays, at 109.

Regional cities and the main commuter towns also suffered from a high number, with 97 incidents in Cork, 71 in Wicklow, 67 in Galway, and 57 in Limerick.

With just 21 delay-causing incidents reported in Waterford , Carragher said that “this may be a reflection of the fall in traffic flow through the city in the past number of years, or it may be a result of the opening of the N25 Waterford City Bypass.”

Rush hour

Early morning and evening rush hours were also responsible for a large number of collisions which led to delays, the majority within Wicklow, Kildare and Louth occurring on the N7/M7, the N11, N2 and on the M1.

The high number of collisions which continue to take place on the M50 shows that Irish drivers need to familiarise themselves with how to drive on three lane motorways, Carragher believes.

Major events throughout the year which caused delays were the visit by Hillary Clinton, the Bavaria Formula One street race, the Volvo Ocean Race in Galway and the Tall Ships event in Dublin.

“The oldest and the best piece of AA Roadwatch advice is to slow down and to allow plenty of time for your journey – heeding this advice would go a long way to prevent many of these incidents,” Carragher says.


(The number of collisions/incidents for the year to date. To view in its own window, please click here)

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16 Comments
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    Mute Steve Wright
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    Dec 29th 2012, 9:55 AM

    Slow down, allow plenty of time Yes, but don’t drive 3 feet away from the car in front. Amazing how many do!

    86
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    Mute Sean Mc Avinue
    Favourite Sean Mc Avinue
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    Dec 29th 2012, 12:45 PM

    ..the no 1 cause of road crashes yet the RSA or the Gardai have made no attempt to catch these idiots who cause these accidents. I don’t know of any motorist who has received penalty points for this offence

    11
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    Mute George L Rockwell
    Favourite George L Rockwell
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    Dec 29th 2012, 11:44 AM

    It doesn’t help when rubber-neckers slow right down to have a look at even the most undramatic accidents

    24
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    Mute Sean Mc Avinue
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    Dec 29th 2012, 2:11 PM

    if the driver in front slows down you have no choice.

    7
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    Mute Declan Byrne
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    Dec 29th 2012, 10:53 AM

    Slow down what a joke. The m1 is a parking lot becuase of the road works an absolute disgrace how long its taking. People should be fired its taking so long. The NRA should be ashamed.

    17
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    Mute Joe OShea
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    Dec 29th 2012, 12:47 PM

    The number of m50 collisions is a disgrace. Each of those collisions backs up the motorway during peak hours for an hour or more. Clueless drivers – don’t know what lane to drive in, what speed to drive at on a motorway, or how to observe other cars around them. The Traffic Corps don’t bother with enforcing laws on motorways though – easier to hide behind a bush on the Stillorgan dual carriageway nabbing people travelling at 65kmp/h

    14
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    Mute Barry Whelan
    Favourite Barry Whelan
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    Dec 29th 2012, 1:14 PM

    The M50 is a complete joke to drive on. People haven’t a bloody clue how to use the 3 driving lanes or the slip road lanes on the left. Cars just sit in whatever lane they want to and are oblivious to whats going on behind them.

    Driving an artic around the M50 is lethal at the best of times. Forcing you to brake as cars go from lane 3 all the way across to the slip road to come off at the last second.
    I pull over to lane 2 and the muppet beside me starts to speed up a bit leaving me stuck in lane 2. So as a result I have to slow back down again and try get back into lane 1.
    What I also find funny about driving westbound on the 3 lane section of the N7 is that in an artic I seem to make better time staying on lane 1 as none of the fools in cars will stay in that lane. I know its wrong to pass them on the inside but the clueless idiots will never move to the left and drive the road properly.
    Saying all that, I rarely drive the M50 anymore. Thankfully :-)

    19
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    Mute Joe OShea
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    Dec 29th 2012, 1:21 PM

    Another dangerous trend Ive noticed is drivers skipping traffic queues forming , such as the exit slip road for the N4. These drivers skip a km of queuing traffic by driving in lane 2, then swerve across to lane 1 at the last moment, slam on the brakes and come to a dead stop in lane 1 and then try to indicate in to the exit lane. Several times Ive had to emergency brake because some idiot swerves into lane 1 and then comes to a sudden stop.

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    Mute Sean Mc Avinue
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    Dec 29th 2012, 3:13 PM

    Barry. I can see your frustration but there has to be something done about this stupid theory of dangerous undertaking. Your in lane one and you want to pass a car in lane 3 of a four lane motorway To do this the RSA way you have to make seven manouvers, which consist of 6 lane changes and 1 overtake. Anybody who says undertaking in lane one is more dangerous should keep off motorways.

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    Mute Tommii Cosgrove
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    Dec 29th 2012, 11:24 AM

    well if the blooming roads were full of pot holes, were wider and better markings and cats eyes etc… it would probably make a difference

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    Mute rodrigo detriano
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    Dec 29th 2012, 10:51 AM

    Worlds worst drivers

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    Mute 5☆Fily
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    Dec 29th 2012, 12:02 PM

    Crap trolling attempt

    Must try harder

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    Mute John Treacy
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    Dec 29th 2012, 4:08 PM

    the reason Waterford could b so low just have a look at the good road surface compared to most of the other rd in Munster

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    Mute joe stodge
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    Dec 29th 2012, 9:59 AM

    Yay, I was one of them!

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    Mute Joe OShea
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    Dec 29th 2012, 12:56 PM

    What was the cause of the accident ?

    3
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    Mute joe stodge
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    Dec 29th 2012, 1:13 PM

    Some lad decided it would be a great laugh to rear end my car, when I slowed down to avoid another lad who also thought it would be a great Idea to pull off a grass verge without indicating/looking.

    11
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