Emerging trend of running red lights?

tcawley29

GBX wrote: »

No city town is immune to it. Look at the dash cam thread for many examples.

This ain't a dig - but the Garda are obviously not sitting at every junction waiting to see if somebody breaks a red - so people know there is less of a chance of getting caught and keep going basically not giving a ****e about other road users who have a green. They don't care about the consequences. The want to get from A to B and if that means flouting the law, so be it.

If people abided by light sequences, traffic would move quicker. There is a knock on effect because of their impatience and I bet they wonder why they get delayed at the next lights.

In fairness I have witnessed people run lights before and nearly hit garda cars.

As you can guess, absolutely nothing happened because both the garda and the red light runner continued on their way

magicbastarder

it's not even just running reds, it's that a seeming majority of motorists seem to have forgotten what the stop line at a junction is for. i regularly see cars who pull past the stop line - often more than a car length - leaving them sitting across the space which would be intended for pedestrians crossing, or into advanced stop boxes for cyclists.

CramCycle

NIMAN wrote: »

Also seen it often around Derry/Donegal.

I think people have learned that once their light turns to red, there is a few seconds of limbo when no-one has green, and so if they drive through a red even if its a couple of seconds late, they will still have time to exit before someone else gets a green.

Its wrong of course, but that seems to be whats happening.

I always wondered why traffic engineers in Ireland facilitate this. In most countries I have driven in, once the light hits red the other light eg crossing traffic goes green. God help you if you have crossed on Amber and not cleared the junction, there will be war. It is 100% the fault of drivers who do it but I do wonder why road traffic systems here seem designed to allow or facilitate it.

circadian

Grolschevik wrote: »

What's I've seen many times is a car stopping on red or slowing down on amber, and someone else accelerating into the inside lane (usually a bus lane) to pass them on the left and break the lights...

This happens almost every time I'm on the swords road heading to the N1 overpass.

J Mysterio

A couple of weeks ago was sat in a taxi heading to town. We slowed to a stop at the light before Grand Parade/ the Canal on Leeson St. when after 3 or 4 seconds a car ran the light from the other direction and ploughed into a car which had green along Grand Parade.

It was hard to beleive, but the guy just went straight through the red and smashed into the side of horizontal traffic.

CrankyHaus

magicbastarder wrote: »

it's not even just running reds, it's that a seeming majority of motorists seem to have forgotten what the stop line at a junction is for. i regularly see cars who pull past the stop line - often more than a car length - leaving them sitting across the space which would be intended for pedestrians crossing, or into advanced stop boxes for cyclists.

All of this could be addressed with the simple and revenue neutral solution of red light cameras. No need to reinvent the wheel. The tech has been in the US for ages. Put out a tender and watch motorist's behaviour improve.

Walter Bishop

Green means go, yellow means go faster.

Dravokivich

Del2005 wrote: »

They aren't waiting ages most of the time though, not out Tallaght direction anyway.

On Sunday I was driving and coming up to a T junction which was green for ages so I started to slow down as I knew they would be red before I got to the junction. I was going left and just as the lights went red a car flew out from behind me turning right and I though was going to break the lights, they missed the stop line but did stop. Then when the traffic on green cleared the junction they drove through the red, I waited the 30 seconds for green.

As bad as it is gunning for it when the lights are about to change towards amber, and ultimately red. That driver shouldn't have stopped.

If you enter a junction prior to a red light, you are to proceed, regardless of who has a green light. The driver within the junction has the right of way.

CramCycle

CrankyHaus wrote: »

All of this could be addressed with the simple and revenue neutral solution of red light cameras. No need to reinvent the wheel. The tech has been in the US for ages. Put out a tender and watch motorist's behaviour improve.

I suppose it is too easy and simple. I'd start putting them up with no announcement, put a tendering process out as you said. Tell them that you want them installed as quickly as possible, maybe identify specific junctions first. All installations at night, wearing unmarked gear so they look like council workers. The fines in the next month will pay for the entire system, social media from whingers will act as the advertising campaign. Simples.

tcawley29

CramCycle wrote: »

I suppose it is too easy and simple. I'd start putting them up with no announcement, put a tendering process out as you said. Tell them that you want them installed as quickly as possible, maybe identify specific junctions first. All installations at night, wearing unmarked gear so they look like council workers. The fines in the next month will pay for the entire system, social media from whingers will act as the advertising campaign. Simples.

Del2005

Dravokivich wrote: »

As bad as it is gunning for it when the lights are about to change towards amber, and ultimately red. That driver shouldn't have stopped.

If you enter a junction prior to a red light, you are to proceed, regardless of who has a green light. The driver within the junction has the right of way.

I know how junctions work but I was the first vehicle on a single lane road and I stopped on red behind the line. They pulled out when it was red and missed the stop line, then when the traffic on green cleared they drove into the junction.

evolving_doors

Del2005 wrote: »

It's far from emerging it's been endemic for the last few years.

On the N81 the red light means that another 5 cars go though. It's gotten to the stage that if there's a car behind I seriously have to think about braking or flooring it for red lights.

I've been on the same route for 8 years and this year its just gone nuts. Nearly creamed 2 cyclists this year.

If you're going to chance it you always have to remember that the opposing traffic mightnt be pulling off from a stop position.
I've seen it before where cars speed up to the red cos they know the lights are about to change green (if they have a straight road and long lead in time).

I think the guards couldn't be arsd anymore. The more that do it and get away with it.. the more that do it.

Samuel T. Cogley

It's down to our traffic light sequence and poor reactions. You know for a fact that once the light goes red it will be a few seconds before the opposing light goes green and a few more seconds while the person waiting puts down their phone, let's off the handbrake, realises it's still in third gear, changes into first and pulls off. By which time the lights have gone amber again, people are pissed off and break the red, and the cycle continues.

If we had the UK system of Red and Amber, means get ready to go, sure there's be a year or two of 2000+ road deaths but people would eventually learn.

Mycroft H

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

It's down to our traffic light sequence and poor reactions. You know for a fact that once the light goes red it will be a few seconds before the opposing light goes green and a few more seconds while the person waiting puts down their phone, let's off the handbrake, realises it's still in third gear, changes into first and pulls off.
By which time the lights have gone amber again, people are pissed off and break the red, and the cycle continues.

If we had the UK system of Red and Amber, means get ready to go, sure there's be a year or two of 2000+ road deaths but people would eventually learn.

Sorry lad, I don't buy that argument. I live in Manchester. The amber before green thing is essentially just floor it, people don't wait for the green.

People run ambers frequently, and running reds is endemic. So much so, I find Dublin a relaxing place to drive now.

As a paramedic, I've been to accidents from one person runs early on an amber-green and the other junction ran the red.

tcawley29

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

It's down to our traffic light sequence and poor reactions. You know for a fact that once the light goes red it will be a few seconds before the opposing light goes green and a few more seconds while the person waiting puts down their phone, let's off the handbrake, realises it's still in third gear, changes into first and pulls off. By which time the lights have gone amber again, people are pissed off and break the red, and the cycle continues.

If we had the UK system of Red and Amber, means get ready to go, sure there's be a year or two of 2000+ road deaths but people would eventually learn.

Or die off. Its a win win really

Samuel T. Cogley

Mycroft H wrote: »

Sorry lad, I don't buy that argument. I live in Manchester. The amber before green thing is essentially just floor it, people don't wait for the green.

People run ambers frequently, and running reds is endemic. So much so, I find Dublin a relaxing place to drive now.

As a paramedic, I've been to accidents from one person runs early on an amber-green and the other junction ran the red.

You've just made my point for me.

fattymoon

I have noticed it too. It's shocking. Imagine being visually impaired and you hear the pedestrian signal telling you you're good to cross when several cars fly through. The reason it's gotten so bad recently is because of the increase in the volume of traffic on our roads. Drivers are losing patience sitting at lights and taking more risks. Every household has at least 1 car now. People feel entitled to drive wherever they want and eschew public transport. If you work in the city, just look at the private vehicles on the road - most have 1 occupant in them. Further, the average car journey is around 2km in distance. While this prevails, the roads will continue to be clogged with traffic, meaning impatient drivers, meaning more drivers running red lights. Recording those breaking read lights, with stiff fines and penalty points for doing so will definitely help.

TheShow

Epidemic, bus drivers especially bad. And don’t get me started on people not using indicators.

wexie

tcawley29 wrote: »

They have them here in the states. I think they're class because you actually see a bright flash when you're caught (not me personally).

I love looking at the drivers try to stop after the flash but its too late then.

Once you cross the line...FLASH!!! :pac:

Moral of the story is, don't cross the line

They have them in Holland....they brought them in really well. Here's what they did :

1) put up the camera's that catch you breaking the red light
2) wait for people to get used to them
3) inevitably this will involve people speeding to catch the light
4) quietly change the cameras for ones that catch you breaking the light....AND catch you speeding
5) sit back and enjoy the chaos

Dartz

It's a symptom of the modern world really.

Everyone's busy. Everyone's day is too short with too much to do to keep from missing out. Everyone's under a lot of stress.

It's easier to blast through rather than be controlled by a brainless light. It's one little iota of control left.

tcawley29

wexie wrote: »

They have them in Holland....they brought them in really well. Here's what they did :

1) put up the camera's that catch you breaking the red light
2) wait for people to get used to them
3) inevitably this will involve people speeding to catch the light
4) quietly change the cameras for ones that catch you breaking the light....AND catch you speeding
5) sit back and enjoy the chaos

I love their methodology

wexie

tcawley29 wrote: »

I love their methodology

My sister didn't, nearly lost her license when she got 4 fines in a week, they all arrived a few weeks after, one on monday, tuesday, wednesday and thursday .

They're efficient like Germans in some ways, the Dutch are. (don't tell em though, they won't like it much!!!)

RacoonQueen

wexie wrote: »

They have them in Holland....they brought them in really well. Here's what they did :

1) put up the camera's that catch you breaking the red light
2) wait for people to get used to them
3) inevitably this will involve people speeding to catch the light
4) quietly change the cameras for ones that catch you breaking the light....AND catch you speeding
5) sit back and enjoy the chaos

Flash for cash. Flash for cash. They should be out catching real criminals etc

tcawley29

wexie wrote: »

My sister didn't, nearly lost her license when she got 4 fines in a week, they all arrived a few weeks after, one on monday, tuesday, wednesday and thursday .

They're efficient like Germans in some ways, the Dutch are. (don't tell em though, they won't like it much!!!)

She has nobody but herself to blame

As a garda said to me before, "If you can't pay the fine, don't do the crime"

In fairness what I did at the time was my fault and he did tell me a fine would be coming but he did give me some time to save up before he reported it for a fixed penalty notice.

Obviously it sucked paying it but he gave me a chance rather than me not being able to pay it and ending up in court #StudentLife

I know the guards get a bad rep but if you treat them with respect, regardless of if you're right or wrong, they will do likewise. In my own personal experiences anyways.

DaveyDave

It's bad alright, you're almost guaranteed to see a car run a red these days. Seems to done more aggressively too.

Went through a right turn, van from left turn tried to go right around me and force his way in. I went through the amber up ahead to get away from him and he went through a solid red, straight in a right lane.

Yesterday near the airport I stopped at a red and a big Mercedes behind me went into the left lane to pass me while beeping at me. How dare I slow down when it's amber.

We need red light cameras.

magicbastarder

i once headed out along collins avenue and up the malahide road, and decided to keep count - where i was in a position to see the light change - how many times people would run ambers or reds. i gave up after 12 consecutive examples. as in - every one of the first 12 times i could see whether someone broke a light, someone did - and most times, it was not just one motorist.

Samuel T. Cogley

TBH it's an area that could be completely outsourced and a decent revenue stream. The only time the Gardai would need to be involved would be high speed chases/if someone got violent.

A further on the spot, everytime you do it you get done by a camera is yellow boxes.

fullstop

wexie wrote: »

They have them in Holland....they brought them in really well. Here's what they did :

1) put up the camera's that catch you breaking the red light
2) wait for people to get used to them
3) inevitably this will involve people speeding to catch the light
4) quietly change the cameras for ones that catch you breaking the light....AND catch you speeding
5) sit back and enjoy the chaos

They have these all over Sydney too...hundreds of them. you see the hashes on the road for the speed check and you know there's a red light camera too and you better not break it unless you want to hand over $450.

ofcork

Cork is as bad nearly got taken out a few years ago by a wan in a 3 series who ran a red just as I was moving off.