Do the emergency services/highway maintenance folks actually use these?

On two occasions I have reported incidents on the motorway and on the phone I called out the closest milemarker sign (or kilometer marker I spose). Both the highway maintenance guys (I reported debris on the road) and the gardai (I reported an accident) did not actually seem to register this info and proceeded to instead ask me which exits it’s between, or the closest town or landmark. And they also asked which side its on (which direction I was travelling).. all of this info is included in the milemarker sign so why don’t they use them?

Can someone in emergency services motorway maintenance confirm if a map search system even exists? It can’t be that hard to create a program to support this and surely it should be used if someone’s life is on the line?

8 comments

  1. Given any responders would need to join the motorway, they only really need to know which section.

    It’s the sort of stuff that gets mapped on OpenStreetMap but not sure if they are mapped consistently.

  2. Can confirm Gardai do not use them. They may in the future but not at the moment. It’s something that was introduced from American influence.

  5. Years ago I rang to report a man walking on the M1. It was late and it was the first time I was on that road. I had the marker number but the Gard wanted to know what exit.

  6. Come on the fuck! now that would make too much fucking sense if our emergency services used them, where the fuck do you think yer living? /s

    I’ve reported accidents before and got the same response, I wasn’t as shocked as you but, lol.

  8. No sure there’s no way of looking them up. If you say there’s an accident between j11 and j10 southbound on the m50 they just get on the 50 at j10 and look for the accident.

    If you say it’s at mile marker 185s or whatever it means having to look that up(there doesn’t seem to be a way to do this) and then find the junction anyway

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