Bad driving-ignoring red traffic lights

mbiking123

Look at this guy in galway driving through 2 sets of traffic lights !

Just came across it on youtube !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJksctEg8OI

foggy_lad

That is nothing compared to the number of dangerous drivers using their phones while driving during the last week!

mbiking123

roads bad alright, not so bad here in the West. East got it bad

Pineapple stu

Breaking the lights has become worse since the snow arrived as its like if some drivers think the snow cancels out the law regarding traffic lights

LilMsss

I haven't used my car for the past few days, as the roads around north Dublin housing estates have been like a skating rink! But I have been walking/taking the bus and there have been four occasions over the past three days alone when I have been trying to cross the road at traffic lights and cars just few through the red light!

And these weren't all on bad roads, but on major, mostly gritted roads. There must be something about this kind of weather that makes people think they can make up the rules as they go.

I was in the car with my brother on Wed afternoon during the gridlock and we were stopped at the bottom of a hill. My bro waited to get some distance between him and the car in front before moving off in case he had to stop on the hill and couldn't get started again, when a van behind him started beeping him, pulled out (on the ice!) and overtook, only to have to stop on the hill, back wheels spinning etc.

The van driver then got going again, and proceded to try to overtake another car at the top of the hill but couldn't make it so swerved back into his lane, skidded on the ice and almost hit a pedestrian on the path!!!!! It amazes me the risks some people will take! :eek::eek::eek:

bmaxi

They do these things because they know they won't get caught, in fact it's doubtful if most Gardaí know it's an offence to drive through a red light.
In Gorey last week I witnessed a Garda park her patrol car in a box junction while she went to an ATM. Great example eh?

Run_to_da_hills

Pineapple stu wrote: »

Breaking the lights has become worse since the snow arrived as its like if some drivers think the snow cancels out the law regarding traffic lights

The one reasons why cars may break traffic lights in icy weather is that if its an untreated road it may be very difficult or even dangerous to stop and try and regain traction again particularly on an incline. I can see no problem with cars going through lights if the coast is clear and the car is experiencing difficulty.

Cookie_Monster

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

I can see no problem with cars going through lights if the coast is clear and the car is experiencing difficulty.

There is no excuse to go through a red light, regardless of weather or not

Martron

i walked out of dublin city on wenesday and it was dangerous.

i waited at the oedestrian crossing. the traffic was bad that the cars were not mving anyway. the green man appeared. i began to cross. at this time a gap appeared and the car started to move when i was in the middle of the raod. i was like "WTF" i pointed at the red light and the guy in the car was basically telling me to get the F*ck off the road.

i dont care how long you are waiting rules are rules you must follow the rules.
I usual drive, but rules need to be follwed to keep the majority of peopel safe.

Pineapple stu

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

The one reasons why cars may break traffic lights in icy weather is that if its an untreated road it may be very difficult or even dangerous to stop and try and regain traction again particularly on an incline. I can see no problem with cars going through lights if the coast is clear and the car is experiencing difficulty.

Rubbish, there is no excuse at all. If the roads are icy then you drive to the condition of the road and slow down long before you get to the lights.
And being a taxi is no excuse either

Run_to_da_hills

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

There is no excuse to go through a red light, regardless of weather or not

You should have been watching cars coming up Hudson road towards Glengara the other morning, it was comical at the lights. One guy missed the lights about four times trying to move, just as he got going they turned red again, cars behind him were fuming.

paddyland

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

There is no excuse to go through a red light, regardless of weather or not

There is no excuse to trespass on railway lines either, but you seem to be selective on which rules apply to you...

-Chris-

paddyland wrote: »

There is no excuse to trespass on railway lines either, but you seem to be selective on which rules apply to you...

There's no excuse to disobey the boards.ie rules and attack the poster rather than the post...

Attack the post, not the poster please.

Davidth88

Watched the clip a couple of times.


No excuse for going thru red lights , but those lights appear to be on a roundabout , he /she didn't actually do anything more dangerous than treat the roundabout as god intended ! ( I personally hate lights on roundabouts ) .... spot me contradicting myself :-) ..

Now as for driving in this weather etc, I have actually been quite impressed this time around , I have only come across a couple of muppets , including one who decided that going around the outside of me on a roundabout and causing me to nearly crash , then pulling off at such a speed that he was skidding all over the road... very impressive !

mbiking123

Watched the clip a couple of times.


No excuse for going thru red lights , but those lights appear to be on a roundabout , he /she didn't actually do anything more dangerous than treat the roundabout as god intended ! ( I personally hate lights on roundabouts ) .... spot me contradicting myself :-) ..

he actually went through 2 red lights if you look closely. Its in Galway

Galway roundabouts are like the magic roundabout

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Magic_roundabout.JPG

Make the Kinsale roundabout in Cork look a doddle

challengemaster

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

There is no excuse to go through a red light, regardless of weather or not

Better to break one (mind you, only if it's just changed) than cause the car to go into a skid. Skidding around the place would be more dangerous tbh.

Also nobody is going to start predicting when traffic lights will change minutes before they do, slowing down well in advance. If it's green up until a certain point then there's no reason to start changing how you drive. Obviously give yourself enough time to slow down, but after a certain point it's a lesser of two evils situation.

Breaking a light from a stop (as in the video) is just idiocy. That said, galway (that roundabout especially) is very bad for lights, can get confusing at the best of times.

Davidth88

mbiking123 wrote: »

he actually went through 2 red lights if you look closely. Its in Galway

Galway roundabouts are like the magic roundabout

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Magic_roundabout.JPG

Make the Kinsale roundabout in Cork look a doddle

ok watched it aagin , the first one isn't too bad , the second ..... yes very bad

Thanks mbiking

Cookie_Monster

paddyland wrote: »

There is no excuse to trespass on railway lines either, but you seem to be selective on which rules apply to you...

I've never trespassed on a railway line mate.

foggy_lad

challengemaster wrote: »

Better to break one (mind you, only if it's just changed) than cause the car to go into a skid. Skidding around the place would be more dangerous tbh.

Also nobody is going to start predicting when traffic lights will change minutes before they do, slowing down well in advance. If it's green up until a certain point then there's no reason to start changing how you drive. Obviously give yourself enough time to slow down, but after a certain point it's a lesser of two evils situation.

Breaking a light from a stop (as in the video) is just idiocy. That said, galway (that roundabout especially) is very bad for lights, can get confusing at the best of times.

and is it any better if you murder some pedestrian on the road who thinks it is safe to cross?

It is NEVER ok to drive or skid:eek: through a red light and if the road is icy any competant driver should brake/slow down much earlier to stop at lights!

if people are not that competant they should tear up their worthless licence and sell their car and get the bus!

markpb

challengemaster wrote: »

Better to break one (mind you, only if it's just changed) than cause the car to go into a skid. Skidding around the place would be more dangerous tbh.

Oddly enough, I'm still learning to drive and during my lesson on Saturday, my instructor told me to take my foot of the accelerator coming up to all traffic lights and ensure I'm able to stop. Perhaps drivers need to drive slower and prepare to stop on amber instead of gunning through a red light when road conditions are poor.

bmaxi

If you break a red light because you can't stop in time then the answer is simple, you are not driving to suit the conditions. In conditions such as we've had over the last while, brakes should be a last resort.
I was driving up Orwell park in Dublin at lunchtime yesterday and met a girl on a bicycle coming the opposite way. The road was absolutely lethal with hard packed snow and ice and I could see the consternation on her face. Granted, she was probably foolish to get up on a bike but I think her main concern was the moron in the BMW SUV not three feet from her rear mudgard.
If you are reading this and you need telling, "yes, you are a fcuking gob****e", though in my experience I'm wasting my breath on such people.
FWD or not, if she had fallen there was no way in the world he could have stopped. I felt like turning around, following him and punching his head off, even now as I type this, I'm fuming.

paddyland

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

I've never trespassed on a railway line mate.

I didn't suggest you did. However, you did make quite a deal here some time ago impressing upon everyone else how it was perfectly safe and acceptable to trespass on railway lines, and I just felt that casual readers of your opinions on red traffic lights should have that view balanced with your opinions on other issues related to health, safety and personal responsibility.

hmmm

Where I live overlooks a busy set of streets in the city centre. The minute snow appears some drivers seem to think it becomes a free for all. I've seen multiple people drive down a one way street (you can't see the road markings but the signposts are obvious) and multiple people sailing through red lights. It's nothing to do with road conditions, it's like they revert to 5 year olds in the snow and think all rules go out the window.

foggy_lad

markpb wrote: »

Oddly enough, I'm still learning to drive and during my lesson on Saturday, my instructor told me to take my foot of the accelerator coming up to all traffic lights and ensure I'm able to stop. Perhaps drivers need to drive slower and prepare to stop on amber instead of gunning through a red light when road conditions are poor.

I do hope your instructor told you to rely on the clutch or to gently place your foot on the brake, As coasting(driving without control of the vehicles speed) regardless of road conditions will fail any driving test

soden12

foggy_lad wrote: »

I do hope your instructor told you to rely on the clutch or to gently place your foot on the brake, As coasting(driving without control of the vehicles speed) regardless of road conditions will fail any driving test

He said he was told to take his foot off the accelerator. That's not coasting.

When you finish your junior cert you'll be able to do the driver theory test and learn all these terms.

Victor

soden12 wrote: »

When you finish your junior cert

No need for comments like that. Keep it constructive please.

Tragedy

I've broken a red light several times so far.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=mt+carmel+park,+firhouse,+dublin&sll=53.256533,-6.727423&sspn=0.668749,1.783905&ie=UTF8&hq=mt+carmel+park,+firhouse,&hnear=Dublin,+County+Fingal,+Ireland&ll=53.286887,-6.331471&spn=0,0.001742&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=53.286873,-6.331565&panoid=58fraC3uW7Ym3BYyMHhszA&cbp=12,122.76,,0,3.89

It may not look like much of a slope, but for the last week it's been almost impossible to get out unless you get enough of a run up to get you past the light straddling the pedestrian crossing, and then waiting for a safe opportunity to turn left.
Usually would use the pub car park, but even that has been impassable at times.

The roundabout is the Headford Road roundabout - a traffic light controlled roundabout. and it is only one set of red lights that you can see - they are for the same exit.

I live nearby and walk across there every other day.

There is supposedly one accident every day.