Breaking lights at empty crossroads = victimless crime, or is it?

Hooks Golf Handicap

My local village has one set traffic lights on our centre crossroads.
A few years ago the village was bypassed yet the lights still remained.
Locals have now taken to ignoring the red & just yield for any traffic.
If you were stopped at the red light on a quiet day any car behind you would start laying on the horn to bully you on.

People follow laws when they make sense but soon revert to type when there's no logic.
Anyway, victimless crime or stringing up offence ?

_Brian

The question reminds me of a sign in a kitchen in a restaurant.

“Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is looking”

Henry Ford III

Pretty simple answer. Red light always means stop.

Dravokivich

They can push on their horn till their ears bleed for all I care. What's the name of this place so I can avoid it?

James Bond Junior

A garda van did it in front of me the other night in the middle of Limerick city. No traffic coming out on the main avenue so they just went. This was at 8.30 pm.

If they can do it...

Henry Ford III

James Bond Junior wrote: »

A garda van did it in front of me the other night in the middle of Limerick city. No traffic coming out on the main avenue so they just went. This was at 8.30 pm.

If they can do it...

You can't.

mfceiling

5 a.m one morning and I'm sitting at a red light at the foxrock/brennanstown road crossroads. Should I go or wait....the garda car that came through on green 10 seconds later made me fair happy I sat my ground.

biko

So if the garda van where to jump off a cliff...

Tylerdurex

biko wrote: »

So if the garda van where to jump off a cliff...

They wouldn't

duffman3833

similar situation but with shopping center car park entrance, not cross roads. It has a set of lights and the shopping center closes at 9pm but the light still go red. There are shutters on the entrance so its completely pointless once there down but i still stop. Unless it like 3am and no one around i would carefully stop then go once all clear

Sue Pa Key Pa

So, your village prohibits outsiders driving through it, given that they are not familiar with the by-laws that you've all adopted?

jca

Did it once at a pedestrian crossing that the people were well clear of, unmarked i40 behind me pulled me over and read me the riot act. He didn't do me even though he took my name licence etc, needless to say I won't do that again in a hurry.
In the Netherlands after a certain time at night the lights turn flashing amber at the quieter junctions, give way to the right then prevails.

fancy pigeon

Sue Pa Key Pa wrote: »

So, your village prohibits outsiders driving through it, given that they are not familiar with the by-laws that you've all adopted?

I'm genuinely baffled that people of this village would blatantly ignore the red lights.

If they have no qualms doing that, what else would they have no qualms about doing on the roads that we all share?

Caliden

fancy pigeon wrote: »

I'm genuinely baffled that people of this village would blatantly ignore the red lights.

If they have no qualms doing that, what else would they have no qualms about doing on the roads that we all share?

Calm down city boy, tis only a set of lights

Hooks Golf Handicap

fancy pigeon wrote: »

I'm genuinely baffled that people of this village would blatantly ignore the red lights.

If they have no qualms doing that, what else would they have no qualms about doing on the roads that we all share?

Firstly, it's not Red Lights, it's the red light, singular.
Honestly, once you sit there for over a minute waiting for it to turn green the urge would corrupt the most honest of drivers.
You can see any oncoming clearly in all directions.

I'm not saying it's correct as it's obviously breaking the law.
Could be more a rural/urban debate this one

bazz26

Locals should be petitioning their councilors to either change the frequency of the light change or have them removed altogether. All it takes is just the once for someone to pull out on a red light and get t-boned. This being typical Ireland though it's easier to just disregard rules and laws when it's convenient and there's nobody around to enforce them. Sure it's grand, everyone does it.

DaveyDave

I have this problem driving home from work at 1am. It's a pain in the arse alright but it's the law.

The only time I went through a red was at 5:30am on my bicycle, the lights changed twice for the odd car on the other sides but not me. Same again at 1:30am.

honda boi

When I was working,I'd be commuting on the bike very early or late at night and at a couple of lights it wouldn't pick up the bike so would stay red until a car came.
When a car doesn't come I check to make sure its clear and just go.

fancy pigeon

Caliden wrote: »

Calm down city boy, tis only a set of lights

If you want to search some posts of mine, you'll find out I'm an out and outright culchie that lives in a bog

I don't know what traffic lights are, you'll have to pardon my ignorance as electricity and running water are new to me

Hooks Golf Handicap wrote: »

Firstly, it's not Red Lights, it's the red light, singular.
Honestly, once you sit there for over a minute waiting for it to turn green the urge would corrupt the most honest of drivers.
You can see any oncoming clearly in all directions.

I'm not saying it's correct as it's obviously breaking the law.
Could be more a rural/urban debate this one

Could they not campaign to have them removed/speak to a councilor if so?

_Kaiser_

google maps link? I'm all curious now

ELM327

fancy pigeon wrote: »

If you want to search some posts of mine, you'll find out I'm an out and outright culchie that lives in a bog

I don't know what traffic lights are, you'll have to pardon my ignorance as electricity and running water are new to me



Could they not campaign to have them removed/speak to a councilor if so?

Can we make an announcement at the local mass, if it's the locals doing it perhaps they wouldnt want to be announced publicly.

fancy pigeon

ELM327 wrote: »

Can we make an announcement at the local mass, if it's the locals doing it perhaps they wouldnt want to be announced publicly.

If they jump the lights they may be going to their own funeral mass, but if they all do it...

ELM327

What if both sides do it?
EG one light breaker on each end of the junction, bisecting each other (oooh eerrr).
They will crash and they'll have no one else to blame but themselves.

I voted yes in the poll above, as it is a victimless crime only if the road is truly empty.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Hooks Golf Handicap wrote: »

Firstly, it's not Red Lights, it's the red light, singular.
Honestly, once you sit there for over a minute waiting for it to turn green the urge would corrupt the most honest of drivers.
You can see any oncoming clearly in all directions.

I'm not saying it's correct as it's obviously breaking the law.
Could be more a rural/urban debate this one

Absolutely nothing to do with urban/rural. I'm rural and we have a similar situation but we obey the lights and respect others doing so too.

dil999

ELM327 wrote: »

What if both sides do it?
EG one light breaker on each end of the junction, bisecting each other (oooh eerrr).
They will crash and they'll have no one else to blame but themselves.

I voted yes in the poll above, as it is a victimless crime only if the road is truly empty.

Sounds like the sort of place where the person you hit is guaranteed to be your first cousin, so shouldn't be a problem:)

Hooks Golf Handicap

Elliot Grumpy Pocketbook wrote: »

Absolutely nothing to do with urban/rural. I'm rural and we have a similar situation but we obey the lights and respect others doing so too.

One could not countenance competing which such fine examples of the moral code as your good selves.

mickdw

Just get them turned off. Nothing as dangerous as people ignoring a red light. Some day, someone is going to come through rapidly through on green and kill one of the locals coming into the junction on red.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Hooks Golf Handicap wrote: »

One could not countenance competing which such fine examples of the moral code as your good selves.

Your sarcasm becomes you.

James Bond Junior

dil999 wrote: »

Sounds like the sort of place where the person you hit is guaranteed to be your first cousin, so shouldn't be a problem:)

And your sibling!!

I see absolutely no problem going through a red light when its safe to do so. There is one particularly pointless set of lights on my route home that I drive through on red almost every day otherwise I'd be sitting there waiting for ages for a green when it's clearly safe to proceed.

dil999

Adriana Bewildered Neighbor wrote: »

I see absolutely no problem going through a red light when its safe to do so. There is one particularly pointless set of lights on my route home that I drive through on red almost every day otherwise I'd be sitting there waiting for ages for a green when it's clearly safe to proceed.

Its never safe to do so.

dil999

dil999 wrote: »

Its never safe to do so.

Nonsense, of course it is unless you are blind.

Isambard

jumping a red light is exactly the same as not stopping completely at a STOP sign.

Rules are made for the guidance of wise men and the obedience of fools

Rubberchikken

No ref light is so long and no one is in such a hurry that they can't wait.
Too many arrogant think-theyre-entitled drivers out there.

Gerrup Outta Dat!

Why don't we have left on a red like most countries have right on a red.

colm_mcm

Gerrup Outta Dat! wrote: »

Why don't we have left on a red like most countries have right on a red.

Because our pedestrian crossings are set up differently. We have filter lights at some junctions with a flashing amber left arrow, that's the nearest we've got and it's a much better idea as you can control it better.
Don't underestimate how stupid people can be.

bucketybuck

I knew people killed at some of those deserted country junctions where the locals could easily see that nothing was coming...

In both cases the cause was some moron who thought things would be grand and pulled on out. The country is full of them, and clearly there are a few in this thread as well.

It's such a shame these morons take other people with them when they go.

endacl

Sue Pa Key Pa wrote: »

So, your village prohibits outsiders driving through it, given that they are not familiar with the by-laws that you've all adopted?

Are you local?

Mr.Crinklewood

biko wrote: »

So if the garda van where to jump off a cliff...

The Gardai report would say 466,776 vans jumped off a cliff.

RustyNut

dil999 wrote: »

Sounds like the sort of place where the person you hit is guaranteed to be your first cousin, so shouldn't be a problem:)

And the background music on the dash cam videos is dualing banjos.

ianobrien

I remember years ago I was coming home late (or really early) one night and I was turning out onto the North Ring Road in Cork, just below Dunnes Stores. As I came up to the junction, the lights were red and as there was nobody coming, I stopped (red light after all). Anyway, the mind started to wander and I never copped that my lights had gone green. Anyway I came back to reality and decided I had better move. Just as I was about to move off, somebody ran the red light in the opposite direction and it was obvious he had no intention of slowing down. If I had moved when the light turned green, he probably would have been in the door to me.

TL/DR Don't run red lights as some other poor idiot could have the green and be barrelling through........

Isambard

bucketybuck wrote: »

I knew people killed at some of those deserted country junctions where the locals could easily see that nothing was coming...

In both cases the cause was some moron who thought things would be grand and pulled on out. The country is full of them, and clearly there are a few in this thread as well.

It's such a shame these morons take other people with them when they go.

whereas you have my symmpathy, i suspect those junctions didn't have traffic lights.

bucketybuck

Isambard wrote: »

whereas you have my symmpathy, i suspect those junctions didn't have traffic lights.

The point is this stupid fallacy of "there's nothing coming".

Ubbquittious

**yawn**

I don't think a set of lights in a local village deserves it's own thread

TrailerBob

Hooks Golf Handicap wrote: »

My local village has one set traffic lights on our centre crossroads.
A few years ago the village was bypassed yet the lights still remained.
Locals have now taken to ignoring the red & just yield for any traffic.
If you were stopped at the red light on a quiet day any car behind you would start laying on the horn to bully you on.

People follow laws when they make sense but soon revert to type when there's no logic.
Anyway, victimless crime or stringing up offence ?

Is this Castledermot by any chance? I pass through it every day, often late at night, and people are constantly jumping the red coming from the Athy road.. it doesn't help that they are not smart lights, so take an age to change, but red is red.

John_Rambo

I've never been that much in a rush to do so. I'd slow right down coming up to a deserted red light and wait for it to go green before starting to gain speed without stopping. Typical eco/driving skills maintained by most European drivers. Good for the car, good for the environment, my pocket and good for other road users, including pedestrians.

I'd suggest that most drivers that feel the need to drive through red lights should get up earlier or manage their time better.

To maintain balance, I'd expect someone with a medical emergency on their hands to do so. Otherwise, it's just lazy, sloppy and immature driving.

gerryirl

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Pretty simple answer. Red light always means stop.

correct... if there was an accident of any kind and you had broken a red light you have not a leg to stand

Isambard

bucketybuck wrote: »

The point is this stupid fallacy of "there's nothing coming".

there's a difference between someone crossing a red light (or STOP sign) when there isn't anything coming and someone doing so without looking.

Cabaal

Adriana Bewildered Neighbor wrote: »

I see absolutely no problem going through a red light when its safe to do so. There is one particularly pointless set of lights on my route home that I drive through on red almost every day otherwise I'd be sitting there waiting for ages for a green when it's clearly safe to proceed.

One persons"safe" is another person's "unsafe",

I know people who think it's "safe" to drink drive after 4 pints, I know others who won't drive if they've had one as they see that as safe.

Some people see driving 180km/hor on a motorway as safe, others do not.

This is the problem with your "safe", it changes with each person if you are going to ignore the law completely

bucketybuck

Isambard wrote: »

there's a difference between someone crossing a red light (or STOP sign) when there isn't anything coming and someone doing so without looking.

You don't get it. Those people are crossing the red light because they think nothing is coming. Most of the time they will be right, but they will kill somebody when they are wrong.

You seem to be implying that any of these gombeens going through the red light will have stopped and made sure the way is clear before proceeding with their illegal manoeuvre, and that seems rather hopeful on your part.

fryup

The thread topic reminds me of this joke...

Paddy on his driving test is driving along a road and he comes to a red light, Paddy flies right through it! The examiner says "What the hell! That was a red light!" Paddy waves him off, saying, "My brother drives like this!"
So they drive a little while longer, and they come to another red light. Once again, Paddy flies right through it. The examiner freaks out again. Paddy says, " relax will ya.. the brother always drives like this, and he's never been in one accident."
A few moments later, they come to a green light, and they stop instantly. The examiner looks at Paddy and says, "What the hell are you stopping for!!!"

Paddy says.."Well just in case the brother is coming the other way!" :pac: