Dublin - City of the Blinding Traffic lights?

Solair

I was just wondering if anyone else is finding that the new traffic lights (the white ones) in Dublin are absolutely blinding at night compared to the more standard-looking new larger black lights being used by other local authorities ?

Both my partner and I have very good eye sight, and neither of us could make out the arrows on the lights without squinting i.e. we couldn't tell if the light was a left/right arrow or a full green light! It's not just that the arrow's very small, but rather that the light is so bright that it's impossible to make out anything other than a green blob.

Also, at night some of the lights are so bright that you can't see pedestrians on the road ahead of you, particularly in areas where street lighting is a bit dim.

Are these lights just a bad design? or, are they set incorrectly i.e. at full day-time intensity during the night ?

Something's most definitely not right with them. Traffic lights aren't blinding in other cities. E.g. the new LED traffic lights in Cork City, which are of a more traditional UK-type design, seem to be quite comfortable to look at and it's very easy to see the arrows etc.

Anyone else notice this ?

Stark

I've noticed that with the arrows alright. The glow can take up the entire space of the light fixture making it look like a full circle. It's especially noticeable when you're coming up the light from a distance.

Solair

One of my mates actually turned across a green pedestrian crossing one night because the light looked like a full 'green' when it was actually a straight-ahead arrow.

View Profile

Arnt these the new LED type that were introduced years back.

On the upside, at least they are still visible when you get low winter sun shining on them. Used to always love the game of "guess if its turned green yet".
Ahh....happy days.

Solair

It would be these ones :

http://www.iqcontent.com/blog/2007/06/the-usability-of-traffic-lights/



That's supposed to be a straight-ahead-only arrow and a backlit no right turn sign!

It's not because they are LED lights, the LED lights introduced in Cork and even in parts of South County Dublin are absolutely fine. They're the more 'traditional' black traffic lights and have larger lamps that are much easier to see and not like car-headlight bright.

The Cork LED lights look like normal lights,

You can tell they're LEDs because they 'snap' from on/off, but they're not weird glaring yokes like in Dublin.

I have never had much of an issue with being able to see those in the bright sun either, they're just a much better design.

It seems someone has gone for form before function when picking out those lights for Dublin.

HonalD

Cheaper LED signal heads cannot "dim" at night. Other LAs use more expensive ones that can be set to dim when the ambient light dictates. There is a similar system with street lighting but as with most "clever" technology - it costs money.

Back to the original post, yes they are very bright and could cause problems for some drivers :eek:

bk

HonalD wrote: »

Cheaper LED signal heads cannot "dim" at night. Other LAs use more expensive ones that can be set to dim when the ambient light dictates. There is a similar system with street lighting but as with most "clever" technology - it costs money.

However, often despite higher up front costs, they end up cheaper over time as they save money on reduced power usage.

Solair

I just find it worrying that they're so unclear at night that someone could accidentally drive through a green pedestrian crossing i.e. turn on a straight-ahead only light.

They're also so bright that you can't see past the junction, particularly in dimly lit suburban areas. It's literally like looking at two green full-on hi-beam head lights.

E.g. if a pedestrian were crossing a dimly lit road just beyond the traffic lights, you would have difficulty seeing them as you are just dazzled by the green lights.

Victor

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