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....

Outkast_IRE

Simply there is no Gardai at junctions enforcing any of the rules.
I remember from about 2000 to 2007 in cork anyway the traffic corps would pick different junctions each morning and have 4 or 5 personnel manning them from all approaches to monitor for breaking lights/ mobile phones etc. I have not seen them doing this in years around cork.

If the correct number of Gardai were on the streets and on traffic corps it would help alot.

Along with the cameras that will fine you if you break a red.

kippy

Riskymove wrote: »

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

Indeed, however the rules are there for a reason.
If everyone made the same "judgement calls" the road would be littered with bodies as there are plainly people out there whose judgement sucks and as such they need rules to abide by and to be measured against.
There is a reason why people are not given the right to make judgements in certain scenarios on the road.

Alanstrainor

Nearly got T-boned this morning by an idiot tearing through a light which had been RED for 2 seconds or more. I was already in the middle of the junction at this stage. Dangerous business.

SpaceTime

I'd an incident in Cork yesterday which went something like this:

Driving along - Lights ahead were red (I was significantly far from them).
Lights changed to green, I was still maybe 6-8 seconds from them, so continued at close to same speed as junction was completely clear and I was coming to a green light which had already changed to green for 5+ seconds.

Idiot breaks red lights maybe 5+ seconds after they must have gone red.

HE then starts beeping at me as if I did something wrong!

A lot of the time this isn't even someone just going through a bit close to the change to red on an amber, they're breaking the lights long after they've changed.

I'm also getting very fed up with drivers just sailing through green pedestrian lights because they have gone past a green that changed to red.

If you've passed the lights and gotten stuck, check if the pedestrian light's green, it's bloody obvious .. don't drive though it! Instead wait for it to go back to a red man before continuing.

Voodoomelon

Caught this last year, busiest junction in Dundalk and a good 5-6 seconds late.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXQ_imYC1Js

Riskymove

kippy wrote: »

There is a reason why people are not given the right to make judgements in certain scenarios on the road.

of course but I don't believe anyone is arguing anything different and everyone accepts it is illegal

But life is rarely as black and white as discussions like these portray

there is a vast array of different circumstances and scenarios

SpaceTime

One other one that really annoys me in Cork (does this happen in Dublin too?)

A % of drivers think it's completely fine to just turn left (or sometimes right) on a junction where you've a green straight ahead arrow and a full red light displaying, or sometimes even on the newer ones with a red fly light!

Instead of waiting for the fly light, they will just turn and often go straight across green pedestrian crossings. I've nearly been run over by this kind of thing a few times in the city centre as a pedestrian (especially at that junction at the Bus Station at Brian Boru Bridge).

Also while driving, I've had drivers get extremely aggressive and blast the horn when I stopped (correctly) in the right turning position on a full red light with a straight ahead arrow green showing. One woman literally held down the horn throwing her hands up in the air and drove to within a cm of my bumper.

SpaceTime

Voodoomelon wrote: »

Caught this last year, busiest junction in Dundalk and a good 5-6 seconds late.

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

That's quite common, I actually know one French guy who thought that it was completely legal to turn on red lights here as that's the case in France (unless a red + symbol is displayed). He'd been doing that for about 4 years here!

JBokeh

I followed the gards through a red light off St Patricks hill onto macCurtain street because I was following blindly,pulled me and asked why I broke it "Sure i was following you" Left me off after a bit of a chuckle,it was about 12.30am so it wasn't exactly busy

If it weren't for bombing through orange lights in Cork the place would have traffic jams that last for days,provided you're not blocking the junction when you do it. You get about 3 cars right onto Grand parade from Washington street on the green,and another 6 on the orange until the pedestrian crossing outside the english market is blocked.

Don't agree with driving taximan style and blatantly breaking a red while its green for another side,but zipping through an orange or a "Dim red" once you do it smart and don't end up stopped across the junction generally has a blind eye turned

kippy

Riskymove wrote: »

of course but I don't believe anyone is arguing anything different and everyone accepts it is illegal

But life is rarely as black and white as discussions like these portray

there is a vast array of different circumstances and scenarios

Indeed, however as I've said, the rules should be followed. There is a distinct increase in red light breakers. While I am sure people are able to make their own decisions on when to break them, I ain't happy if every idiot on the road is making their own life or death decisions that could have far more impact on my life than that of their own.

Viper_JB

Not sure if it's worse in Cork then any other part of the country, I live in Cork and it is really bad would be unusual in a day not to see some incredibly dangerous examples and lately people parking illegally in the City seems to just be rampant not sure if they fire all the traffic wardens or something :S. What really grinds my gears is when someone breaks the lights and ends up stuck in a yellow box in front of you making sure that no one can go anywhere when they have a green...
What I would say though is it definitely isn't so much of a problem when you cross the boarder, with the yellow to green light change seems to make all the difference, people are starting to move from greens before they're fully changed so generally breaking red lights is a lot more risky there.

bazz26

I think alot of it is a case of lemmings syndrome where they just follow the car in front through, ah sure if he makes it, I'll make it.

And there should be no need for a Garda at every road junction, drivers should be capable of beying traffic lights.

hoodwinked

in Douglas in Cork it is particularly bad lately, but then the new Tesco shopping center has inflamed the traffic problem with two terrible new light junctions,

but in the mornings especially at the end of the donnybrook hill cars keep coming down the hill into the yellow box even when the road after the box is blocked with traffic and the light to turn right from the park side has been green for a good few seconds, this then encourages people coming from the park side to continue through their red light in an attempt to get the cars that would have made it if the hill lot hadn't gone through red through too,

it always happens around dennehy's cross too. it's like a "i would have made it if you hadn't broken the rules so i will too"

many a time i have been blasted at for daring to stop when i know my light is going red,i can see how anyone else would panic and keep going luckily i can hold my own.

ardmacha

SpaceTime wrote: »

One other one that really annoys me in Cork (does this happen in Dublin too?)

A % of drivers think it's completely fine to just turn left (or sometimes right) on a junction where you've a green straight ahead arrow and a full red light displaying, or sometimes even on the newer ones with a red fly light!

Instead of waiting for the fly light, they will just turn and often go straight across green pedestrian crossings. I've nearly been run over by this kind of thing a few times in the city centre as a pedestrian (especially at that junction at the Bus Station at Brian Boru Bridge).

Also while driving, I've had drivers get extremely aggressive and blast the horn when I stopped (correctly) in the right turning position on a full red light with a straight ahead arrow green showing. One woman literally held down the horn throwing her hands up in the air and drove to within a cm of my bumper.

There is a very strong case for a camera at such junctions.
Some of the comments here about concentration on speeding and nothing else are over the top, but it does seem odd that there seems to no perceived need for a single red light camera in the State.

SpaceTime

Cork City Council could make a small fortune from light-mounted cameras!

SpaceTime

I genuinely think Cork City has some of Ireland's most aggressive and pushy drivers. It's the only place (more aggressive than Dublin) that I have ever had someone drive up to my bumper (happened a few times) in an intimidating manner, blasting the horn when I was in the correct lane, obeying a traffic light / turning lane.

I remember being in a lane which had left and right markings at the top and I was turning light. A fly light came on for the left turn and a full red for everything else. The guy behind me started beeping and revving his engine, then actually hit my back bumper!

NIMAN

People have no patience any more.

Too much anger on the roads, and people in too much of a hurry to get places.

If anyone is ever on LiveLeak you will see some of the carnage that jumping red lights can do.

I'd like to see a heavy penalty for those jumping red lights, maybe 5 pts or €500 fine.

Chris_Heilong

I dont see this activity very much at all, the odd car will pass just as the light switches to red which is a result of missing the yellow at the last sec(which is a whole other argument), I have seen cars late at night in wait at red and because there are no other cars around decide to break the light, it was very safe to do so in this situation but a total disregard for the rules.

I hate the idea of been monitored at all times and the UK sounds like a terrible place to drive in.

CramCycle

Chris_Heilong wrote: »

I dont see this activity very much at all, the odd car will pass just as the light switches to red which is a result of missing the yellow at the last sec(which is a whole other argument), I have seen cars late at night in wait at red and because there are no other cars around decide to break the light, it was very safe to do so in this situation but a total disregard for the rules.

I see it every morning and evening. During rush hour traffic, typically 3 cars per junction after the red has turned, and peak times it usually ends up with someone in the yellow box, delaying crossing traffic and leading to jams within two light sequence rotations.

The oddest is those who go mental at those who do stop correctly and legally, at least once a week I see a person with a face so red I fear they are a raging alcoholic having a heart attack, beeping the horn, hands flying everywhere, presumably F'in and Blinding because the car in front thought, better not, the two cars in front was enough of a pisstake going through the red.

Once I had a guy get out of his van when I was cycling because he thought I was stopped at the red to annoy him, another time on O'Connell bridge a van rolled down his window to tell me that cyclists are allowed run reds if its clear.

Three days ago (caught on camera) a L plate went through a Red that I had stopped at that had changed a few seconds before. Luckily, and I don't know how they copped it, the traffic coming out of the T junction stopped. No rush anywhere, I had caught up with the driver before the next lights, 35metres down the road.

ardmacha

This is indeed common. I sometimes go through am orange light, feeling a bit guilty about not slamming on, but when I look in the mirror two or three behind me have come through also, when the light is plainly red.

I wouldn't favour a large number of penalty points on the basis of a camera, as particular instances may arise. I would favour an algorithm on such a camera that also would tag the dangerous cases and prosecution in court for these people with a higher number of points.