Geisterfahrer on the M9 today

[Type17]

I had the pleasure of meeting a Geisterfahrer (what Germans call a wrong-way driver on the Motorway - translates as ghost-driver, which is very appropriate) on the southbound M9 today. I held the lane as long as possible with full braking, horn and Hi-beams, and just as I was about to swerve left (after the white car got out of the way), she moved to the hatching, so I aborted the lane change. However she didn't stop, and sailed off into the distance, but I haven't heard any reports of collisions. I think at least one other driver called the Gardai.

The audio contains my wife, (quite reasonably) having conniptions (muted somewhat for profanity):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwXdnOa0QYg

[crank_case]

Thank goodness you're still here. Brown trouser moment.

[Bazg2]

Scary stuff, even the truck driver opted for the hard shoulder give space. Happening too frequently now

[Ryan]

Oh lord. Terrifying. Glad you're okay.

I recall seeing a similar video of an older lady in the US in a Volvo who did a similar maneuver but then decided to come to a complete halt on the road. Some of the comments said she may have had Alzheimer's; I honestly can't fathom any other reason why you would think it is fine to drive against oncoming traffic!

[crank_case]

I guess we've more motorways now and the average age of the population is going up so this might become more common, assuming it is a confused older person of course, not being ageist.

Older folks and drivings quite a sensitive topic, my Dad had a stroke a few months back and we had to get him to stop driving. He was already starting to get a bit worrying to be in the car with before that. When he was out of hospital, you know that way when people lose cognitive and other related abilities, they're not exactly cognizant of the level they've lost? They don't get the level to which their senses, reactions and ability to understand whats in front of them has deteriorated and when he was recovering he kept going on about how he can't wait to go for a drive again.

It's kinda heart-breaking to have to say, no, you really aren't able to do that safely anymore, but you don't want him or someone else hurt. You try leave it as late as you can, leaving them with their independence, mobility and one of the remaining simple pleasures of life as long as you can, but there does come a point where you do have to say it's time to give up the license, but I guess not everyone has family who can or will make that call for them.

Some folks reckon people should have to resit their tests every few years, but I think a lot of people might find that onerous and intimidating, and our testing system barely keeps up as it is. Some sort of IAM style driving assesment rather than a pass/fail driving test might make sense though. If someone had a few technical/rules of the road areas to work on, they'd just be advised about it, and only put off the road if they'd got to the stage where they were genuinely a serious danger.

Might need some testers with nerves of steel though. Every day might be the one where you Pax with Ghost Rider.

[mikerd4]

Something similar to crank, I had to be a witness/requestor to get my dads licence medically revoked. It was only early stages of dementia but it was safer for everyone. He wasnt exactly pleased about it but it had to be done

[Type17]

Well, for the record, it was a woman who looked to be in her 60’s, and who was looking at me somewhat confusedly (rather than scared or angry). I got the impression that she thought I was mad, overtaking the truck while she was oncoming on this two-lane single carriageway…
I sent an email to road safety at garda.ie with a link to the vid and confirming the reg (it’s fully readable in my original, uncompressed video file), saying that maybe they should contact her to confirm that she understands what actually happened and that she needs to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.

[Titan]

That is bloody scary and thank God noone including you got hit head on.

Do you have a rough idea of how far it was until you reached the next on/off ramp after this?

If it was a good distance you would imagine she would have already met a lot of oncoming traffic before meeting you.

[Neilo]

3 points for driving a few kph over the limit yet a potentially fatal act like this is only a 2 point offence.
Had a scare on the M4 years ago.

Should be a mandatory ban.

[Chamade]

Well, for the record, it was a woman who looked to be in her 60’s, and who was looking at me somewhat confusedly (rather than scared or angry). I got the impression that she thought I was mad, overtaking the truck while she was oncoming on this two-lane single carriageway…
I sent an email to road safety at garda.ie with a link to the vid and confirming the reg (it’s fully readable in my original, uncompressed video file), saying that maybe they should contact her to confirm that she understands what actually happened and that she needs to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.

One thing to remember is that the person could be in the middle of a medical emergency i.e. a stroke

I've blocked 5 drivers at this stage going the wrong way on an off ramp. Luckily blocked them all. 3 were elderly and confused, one was American and the last one was having a stroke.

Mind you, if I was OP I'd have :D:D:D:Ded them off rightly until I calmed down.

[D_K]

Thats a good point Chamade , along with a drug/drink driver , Garda evasion or even a suicide driver . Actually the latter was what crossed my mind initially when I met one on the M6 between Galway city and Ballinasloe last year , in the overtaking lane and closing speed was very fast , made sure to get over into the hard shoulder and be ready to dodge ! Expect the worst..

[GeeTI]

Actually the latter was what crossed my mind initially when I met one on the M6 between Galway city and Ballinasloe last year , in the overtaking lane and closing speed was very fast , made sure to get over into the hard shoulder and be ready to dodge ! Expect the worst..

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crim...sues-1.4654418

[Derek172]

Had similar years ago when exiting the M50 southbound onto the N4, before the newer layout and elderly man in a Fiesta coming the wrong way around the roundabout, had to swerve out of the way, beeping and flashing, was ignored and he continued down the slip road into on coming traffic without even slowing down.

[Type17]

… Do you have a rough idea of how far it was until you reached the next on/off ramp after this?

If it was a good distance you would imagine she would have already met a lot of oncoming traffic before meeting you.

I can’t be sure because of the bend/crest in the road, but she probably came on at junction 6, which was only a few hundred metres away, so the truck & us would have been the first traffic she met.
It’s a good few km to the next junction, though - (assuming it’s not dementia or suicide) people panic when they realise, and presume that the only way out of the problem is at the next (actually the previous!) junction, when in fact if they just did a u-turn, they’d be back inside the flow of traffic.


Old joke- wife calls husband in the car -

“John, be careful coming home on the motorway, they said on the radio that there’s a wrong-way driver on it right now.”
John: “ONE wrong-way driver!? - Mary, there’s HUNDREDS of them!”

[D_K]

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crim...sues-1.4654418

That happened only a few days after and could not believe it at the time , very sad .