Flashing red traffic lights outside Cork city

MinnieMinx

I was driving towards the outer ring road around Cork and the dual carriageway I was on had traffic lights at the junction with the road joining from the right. (It might have been just a right turn, I’m not sure.)

I slowed down as the lights were flashing Red (!) but the 2 cars in the outside lane didn’t slow at all and drove straight through so I did too and the cars following me drove through.

It was in the middle of the afternoon so a steady flow of traffic but not rush hour.

I’ve never seen traffic lights with a red flashing light in this country. Surely if you’re meant to drive through them, it should have just been green?

Can anyone point me in the direction of more info about what the flashing red traffic lights indicate? I can’t find anything official online.

colm_mcm

That would probably indicate a fault in the lights?

On this situation I think normal rules of the road apply in terms of right of way etc.

mikeecho

Flashing red traffic lights is something I've only seen in cork.

I always presume that they were to be treated as a Stop sign, while flashing Amber are to be treated as a Yield sign.

bazz26

It probably means they were out of order or intentionally turned off due to some other event. You see this alot on big match days around stadiums where the lights are switched off to elevate congestion and allow the flow of large volumes of traffic leaving the area.

I always slow down and take extra caution when passing through these junctions as even though you could have right of way, you always have to be prepared for the guy coming out of the side junction thinking the same and the sheep following him.

Gregor Samsa

On match days in Thomond Park in Limerick, they sometimes set the local traffic lights to flash red in all directions to ease congestion. Usually accompanied by a trainee Garda that stands there looking bewildered at the free-for-all before them. If everyone slows down, looks out and takes care, it usually works out.

Edit: wot bazz26 said :-)

tcawley29

Makes sense. Here in the states a flashing red light is the same as a stop sign