Why are so many breaking red lights?

michael.dublin

Hi All, more an open question then anything, WHY are so many braking red lights? on my way to work, (on cycle) I see this every morning without failure, every single time the light goes to red, another 3 or 4 cars goes over, do the people that do this not realise how unbelievable dangerous this is ? Not rocket science, if you have red, someone else have green…
Now I work with insurance, and every day, I talk to people that have been involved, in accident this way and to be honest, I am chocked by the mentality so many motorist have, it’s all me me me. and so many don’t care about the what could happen, in my work, I have seen a lot of really bad accidents this way, and it makes me wonder even more, why people don’t just stop then the light is red, really can’t understand this one bit.
I know many people would say, sure I’ll just take a chance nothing will happen, well maybe not the first 100 times, but then one day it will happen, and if you are lucky only minor damage will happen.. if you are lucky, if you are not someone could end up dead.
Now i don’t want this to be a discussion about who is breaking the red light the most, cyclist or car owners. It is about WHY you break the red light.

Just to end this, I like to say the following to people that breaks the red light. Next time you run a red light, imagine this, someone else is in your place, breaking a red light, and they hit another car… in this car, one of your love one is in it, this person (your wife, child, mother, farther) is killed due to this person breaking a red light. Just think about it, is it worth breaking the light, and running the risk killing someone ???
To everyone out there, have a nice day, take care, and please next time the light is yellow, it will go red, please stop.

Michael

bladebrew

It's so common now in Cork it's scary, i am going to make a dash cam video in Douglas soon, I have had a load of near misses as a pedestrian and in the car,
I am predicting now the start of red light cameras like Australia it's the only way to enforce it now that you can drive around for weeks without seeing any Gardai!

Theboinkmaster

michael.dublin wrote: »

Not rocket science, if you have red, someone else have green


Michael

Hate to be pedantic but that's not always true - for a very short period both lights can be red

Triangla

Less (no) Gardai around so people are taking the chance, I've seen it getting worse and worse in Dublin lately.

Same with bus lane violations, people know the chances of getting caught is rare.

_Kaiser_

At a guess...

- Badly programmed light sequences with too short on green and too long on red = sitting there for 5 minutes with only 10 seconds of green.
- Idiots not being ready to move off when the light does go green = I'm not going to waste another 5 minutes sitting here
- Tailgating asshats trying to jump the lights = I better drive on or this dope will rear-end me, and who needs the hassle of insurance claims
- Zero enforcement = why not?

I see all of the above daily

corktina

I do it all the time, and I'd bet most people on here do too. Life's too short to worry overmuch about it until they install red light cmaeras like in the UK

Timberrrrrrrr

corktina wrote: »

I do it all the time, and I'd bet most people on here do too. Life's too short to worry overmuch about it until they install red light cmaeras like in the UK

Shocking attitude to road safety

btkm8unsl0w5r4

corktina wrote: »

Life's too short

Better not to try and make it any shorter so.

michael.dublin

so in other words, if a person have to wait few minutes (at the most) compare to potentially killing someone, it is worth the risk breaking a red light? Something is defiantly wrong on our roads

martomcg

I'm on a motorbike and commute through the city centre twice a day. Everyday i see at least 2/3 people breaking lights. I don't know why but this morning was exceptionally bad for red light running.

The only thing in common i can see with alot of them is where a person is turning across traffic and there is no light specifically for the turn. Its possible then that only one car per green light will actually turn.

So car number 2 will drive nearly bumper to bumper with the car ahead ignoring the light.

There is no excuse for it and i've had several near misses where guys 'chance' the lights and run them.

I'd be 100% all for camera systems for people who break lights, definitely more so that for speed cameras (which nowadays just seem to be an exercise in generating revenue rather than safety).

stevek93

corktina wrote: »

I do it all the time, and I'd bet most people on here do too. Life's too short to worry overmuch about it until they install red light cmaeras like in the UK

I hope you we weren't the person who nearly knocked me of my bike cause they ran a red light.

michael.dublin

camera systems for people who break lights, that would be one of the best things they could ever install, and get it installed quickly

michael.dublin

Corktina, what will you do, if you one day kill someone, you life might be too short, but someone else might have a lot to live for....

Aircraft Freak

michael.dublin wrote: »

Hi All, more an open question then anything, WHY are so many braking red lights? on my way to work, (on cycle) I see this every morning without failure, every single time the light goes to red, another 3 or 4 cars goes over, do the people that do this not realise how unbelievable dangerous this is ? Not rocket science, if you have red, someone else have green…
Now I work with insurance, and every day, I talk to people that have been involved, in accident this way and to be honest, I am chocked by the mentality so many motorist have, it’s all me me me. and so many don’t care about the what could happen, in my work, I have seen a lot of really bad accidents this way, and it makes me wonder even more, why people don’t just stop then the light is red, really can’t understand this one bit.
I know many people would say, sure I’ll just take a chance nothing will happen, well maybe not the first 100 times, but then one day it will happen, and if you are lucky only minor damage will happen.. if you are lucky, if you are not someone could end up dead.
Now i don’t want this to be a discussion about who is breaking the red light the most, cyclist or car owners. It is about WHY you break the red light.

Just to end this, I like to say the following to people that breaks the red light. Next time you run a red light, imagine this, someone else is in your place, breaking a red light, and they hit another car… in this car, one of your love one is in it, this person (your wife, child, mother, farther) is killed due to this person breaking a red light. Just think about it, is it worth breaking the light, and running the risk killing someone ???
To everyone out there, have a nice day, take care, and please next time the light is yellow, it will go red, please stop.

Michael

Happened to me last year, I was T-barred at a T-junction, the guy broke the lights and hit me circa 60kph, it's like the lights weren't there, I was completely mangled, cut out of the car etc... He denies everything, I won't say much more because there legal stuff ongoing, but basically I've just started walking again, lucky to be here.

Riskymove

michael.dublin wrote: »

camera systems for people who break lights, that would be one of the best things they could ever install, and get it installed quickly

funnily enough not everyone could be identified by the cameras

Corktina, what will you do, if you one day kill someone, you life might be too short, but someone else might have a lot to live for....

Corktina made a very blunt statement and I imagine most drivers have gone through a red at some point and clearly they shouldn't

But most do so within milliseconds or may already be out in the middle of a junction awaiting to turn or whatever.

If people at the red wait until it turns green and start in a reasonable manner everyone should be aware of where everyone is and accidents should be avoided

there will always, of course, be exceptions whereby people go through a red like they are not aware of them or far too late and this is when accidents usually happen

CramCycle

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

- Badly programmed light sequences with too short on green and too long on red = sitting there for 5 minutes with only 10 seconds of green.

Some of the light sequences are beyond idiotic, they in fact increase traffic jams at certain times of the day. Northumberland Road/Warrington Place is the worst. On my dash cam the last time I drove there, it was +1minute on Green for Northumberland Road (it was green from I joined the road), 10seconds for peds, 10seconds for cyclists and 10seconds for crossing traffic (which had already blocked up the T junction behind it which in turn would block the traffic heading for Ballsbridge.

- Idiots not being ready to move off when the light does go green = I'm not going to waste another 5 minutes sitting here

The numbers of people on their phones or applying make up in the morning is shocking, not forgetting those who are not doing anything except not paying attention.

- Tailgating asshats trying to jump the lights = I better drive on or this dope will rear-end me, and who needs the hassle of insurance claims

I hate this excuse and its been trumpeted here before "its dangerous to stop as I would have been rear ended?!?" Its not a reason, its a **** poor excuse.

- Zero enforcement = why not?

Probably the biggest issue which the cameras would help solve quickly.

sunnysoutheast

Riskymove wrote: »

funnily enough not everyone could be identified by the cameras

Would probably work on same principle as speed cameras. Penalty notice sent to registered keeper.

They also have yellow box cameras in the UK.

Voodoomelon

I take pleasure in pissing people behind me off by stopping on orange.

the dark phantom

Waited 4 mins on a red attempting to enter Cathedral Road few nights ago, I had to edge out and see that the road was clear and go..It doesn't surprise me people in Cork run reds as the lights here are ridiculous.

michael.dublin

Riskymove wrote: »

there will always, of course, be exceptions whereby people go through a red like they are not aware of them or far too late and this is when accidents usually happen

thats true, so it has something to do with awareness.
my point is, then the light go yellow, it will go red, and red does means don’t go

kippy

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

At a guess...

- Badly programmed light sequences with too short on green and too long on red = sitting there for 5 minutes with only 10 seconds of green.
- Idiots not being ready to move off when the light does go green = I'm not going to waste another 5 minutes sitting here
- Tailgating asshats trying to jump the lights = I better drive on or this dope will rear-end me, and who needs the hassle of insurance claims
- Zero enforcement = why not?

I see all of the above daily

Impatience is the key factor in all to be fair.

The light sequences at rush hour are always gonna be tight.

Defo on the increase here in Galway also.
See plenty occasions where none of the above factors come into play outside of the enforcement side of things.
Since they replaced the roundabout's I'd say accidents have been reduced hugely in the city but more and more often I am seeing lads racing to reach the great lights on the right/left turns off the junctions, light goes red, guys just go straight for it sometimes a few seconds after the light changes.

EDit

Walk my kids to school most mornings (in Athlone) and I would estimate that I have a near miss at least twice a week (and I am very anal about waiting for the green man to make a point for my kids).

What amazes me is that usually the car that nearly hits me doesn't start off until the green man appears for me to cross. It is almost like some people see a green light and just drive (regardless of whether it is a big circle for cars or in the shape of a man for pedestrians). Maybe it's an eyesight problem (this would also line up with the fact that when I roar at these people, most look at me like I am the idiot stepping out in front of them and they've done nothing wrong)

franer1970

At least two sets of lights on the quays in Dublin (Capel St and Queen St) have very long "dead" times, when it's red for both directions for no apparent reason.
Drivers are evidently aware of this, so they keep on streaming through long after the lights change.
Completely wrong to go through a red light of course but inevitable if the only disincentive for some (the likelihood of being blasted out of it by another driver) has been removed.

Moneymaker

corktina wrote: »

I do it all the time, and I'd bet most people on here do too. Life's too short to worry overmuch about it until they install red light cmaeras like in the UK

...Seriously?

goz83

corktina wrote: »

I do it all the time, and I'd bet most people on here do too. Life's too short to worry overmuch about it until they install red light cmaeras like in the UK

I have seen many of your posts and i am genuinely surprised to see your dismissive attitude about road safety. It doesn't take much to cause a serious accident under these circumstances. Add to the recipe a green light bolter (someone who blindly floors it when they get a green light) and you have a collision right there.

michael.dublin wrote: »

camera systems for people who break lights, that would be one of the best things they could ever install, and get it installed quickly

And it would be seen as a money making scam :rolleyes:


Slightly OT, but I was driving from a minor road, beside a shopping centre. I was approaching the lights and would have been the last person to legally pass the lights as they were just going orange as I was a few metres away. Just as, or before they turned amber, a stupid school girl ran right out in front of me. She was maybe 16-17. I had to slam on the brakes. The person behind also had to brake hard. I wasn't going fast, as I had been stuck at the lights, exiting the car park onto the public road. It just amazes me how little attention is paid to lights in general. Had I not been aware of my surroundings, that girl would have been nursing a broken leg at best. No doubt, my insurance would have been hit even though the blame would have been hers entirely. I don't even think she waited until the amber lit up before she made a run for it.

michael.dublin

Spacetime thanks for letting me know

Special Circumstances

SpaceTime wrote: »

michael.dublin: Just to let you know that your posts are basically invisible to anyone using the "dark theme" look on boards.ie.

If you set the text colour to black, it displays as black on black to us.

The font type and size are just uncomfortable for everyone else. Along with braking/breaking.

Riskymove

Moneymaker wrote: »

...Seriously?

it really isn't that new to people surely?


people speed, overtake in bad places, they break lights, tailgate etc

Most do it based on a judgment call in the circumstances at the time

I don't think that Corktina is suggesting that he just sails through junctions as if lights are not there swerving through traffic or running over people

mattser

Arrogance and ignorance. The affliction that escalated with the tiger, but stayed when he left.
It's the same thing going in/out of shops etc. The amount of people that let the door swing closed behind them without looking back, is incredible. I usually say a sarcastic " Thanks " just to annoy them.

Galway K9

But you're supposed to brake at lights

Special Circumstances

Galway K9 wrote: »

But you're supposed to brake at lights

And braking lights are supposed to be red....