Cork traffic

cantalach

The red light breaking is definitely worse now than five years ago. At some junctions, especially those with slow sequences, it’s at ridiculous levels.

shawki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121873844#Comment_121873844

Crossing from Singers Corner to Homesense on Grand Parade is lethal.

Always 2-3 cars breaking lights.

Markcheese

And because so many cars break the lights ,they make the gap between lights even longer , encouraging more light breakers ,

If only there was a technology that could be used to help stop this - some kind of camera - that activates when the lights go red ,

Oh ,and an amber light after red, just before green -

Obviously none of that gives anyone the right to plow into traffic or pedestrians at a junction just because the lights are with them 🤔😬

TheChizler

Was waiting to turn right in the middle of the junction of Capwell Road and South Douglas Road last night, lights rent orange, then red, then the pedestrian lights went green and there was still a stream of red light breakers gunning it stopping me from turning. Eventually got a chance to turn but there was a woman waiting to cross looking at me bemused, like myself. I gave her a wave and waited for her to pass but I think I had right of way cause I was still in control of the junction? Had passed my own set of lights many seconds prior.

Definitely seems worse, especially at the minor junctions.

I cycle past here must days and it's actually unusual for vehicles to stop on red going on to the dual carriageway, including the large trucks coming from Goulding's. https://maps.app.goo.gl/kih5BxDTCSaDs7Yz5

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121877508#Comment_121877508

I'm not sure exactly if this is what you are getting at but I cant imagine any situation where a car has right of way over an active pedestrian crossing.

Anyway, I glad you were courteous.

wexcap

They have dome cameras at all junctions now

TheChizler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121888255#Comment_121888255

I think it's one of those unaccounted for situations in road law. Hard to explain but I think it's the same situation as if you go through (barely) orange in a big junction and the pedestrian lights go green while you're still moving through the junction. The law says you must stop on orange when safe or red but you haven't broken that law, your lights were fine when you passed the stop line. Obviously you give way to any pedestrian crossing your path but I don't think the green pedestrian light has anything to do with you in a car or on a bike.

whatever76

Well this made me eye roll ... Absolutely no right-turn on Cork city bridge - unless you're heading to Limerick - Cork Beo

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121890205#Comment_121890205

Disagree strongly.

If you find yourself in a position where you are going through an active pedestrian crossing, that's on you. You have done something you shouldn't have. You stop, wherever you are and wait for the pedestrian cycle to end.

Imagine a case where someone was hit at a pedestrian crossing and the driver's defence was, "the lights were only a bit amber, honest, it was my right of way!"

If you go through a "barely amber" and the junction is clear, you will not be in conflict with any pedestrian crossing. Leeway in lights sequencing sees to that. You've either broken the lights or shouldn't have proceeded as the way wasn't clear if you are in conflict.

dulpit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121891502#Comment_121891502

Yep, don't enter a junction unless you can exit it.

However, the issue the original poster had was turning right. Sometimes you have a junction with straight and on and right turns, but there's just a green light. So you enter junction to turn right, but nobody leaves you past who are coming against you. There are some junctions where if you stay at the line while turning right you will literally never get through, you have to almost bully your way through the traffic.

TheChizler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121891502#Comment_121891502

Take the junction in Mahon for instance, it's massive, there are no yellow boxes, if there's a slow driver ahead of you you can easily end up in the middle of the junction with the lights after changing even though your light was green when you passed it. Again, you obviously give way to any pedestrian crossing the road (whether they have a green man or not!) but there's no law I can identify that says you must stop on account of the pedestrian lights alone. These are pointing perpendicular to your direction of travel, some (in general, not here) even have covers to prevent anyone but pedestrians seeing them. They are not designed for people on the road in the junction to be looking at.

Unless you're one of those people you see occasionally who goes through a junction and stops for the red lights for perpendicular traffic 😁

Anyway, my situation as dulpit points out was caused by oncoming drivers breaking the red light.

cantalach

The above touches on something we really should consider adding to the Road Traffic Act. In Ireland, it’s only an outright offence to block a junction if it has a yellow box. In Western Australia (and possibly other Australian jurisdictions) they don’t have yellow boxes. Instead, every junction has an implicit yellow box. Block it and you’ll get “what that faak are you doing mate?!” and a fine if a cop sees you.

TheChizler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121891841#Comment_121891841

I definitely agree something is missing, but that doesn't sound right, does that mean you can't enter a junction if there's someone already in your path? Surely that would have a bad impact on traffic flow if you had to wait for them to clear it before you enter?

cantalach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121891852#Comment_121891852

No, it works very well. The rule is the very same as a junction in Ireland with a yellow box. They just save on the paint. You can always enter a yellow box here unless the is no reasonable prospect of being able to exit it.

TheChizler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121892012#Comment_121892012

Ok check the exit is clear before you enter, not that the whole junction is clear, that's fair enough.

the beer revolu

The example of Christi Ring bridge is a good one.

People travelling west alongside the Opera House often enter the junction on a green light but get held up behind people making the illegal right turn onto the bridge. Subsequently, the lights change and people seem to think that they can proceed despite the green man flashing. This is crazy and arguing that it is their right of way is crazy. Those drivers shouldn't have entered the junction if their path was blocked.

If your progress is blocked by others running lights, you stay where you are until pedestrian cycle finishes.

There is no situation where you can safely or legally ignore a pedestrian crossing. I'm surprised this needs to be explained, to be honest.

dulpit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121892843#Comment_121892843

I hate this bridge now. I often come down the quays heading for North Gate Bridge and get stuck behind eejits waiting to turn right.

There are certain roads that people in Cork just seem to ignore the rules for. Another is turning right onto North Gate Bridge. There is a green arrow light for traffic continuing on past the cinema and another green arrow to turn right. So many people assume once the green arrow for straight ahead is lit that they can turn.

Exact same situation coming out the Western Road by the Mardyke. Separate lights for going straight on towards Victoria Cross and for turning right towards Sunday's Well. Cars think they can turn right if there's no traffic (which is pretty rare these days now)

TheChizler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121892843#Comment_121892843

Not intending to argue or possibly take the thread off topic but what law would prevent a driver (safely) proceeding through a pedestrian crossing once they have legally passed the light and stopline at the entrance to the junction?

beer enigma

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121892024#Comment_121892024

Unless you are on the one at the bottom of the Well Road where drivers heading from town towards douglas seem to think its fine to block the junction. Coming from the Well Road and trying to turn right under the bridge is often impossible even if the right turn lane is clear as you can't get around the traffic on the yellow box to get into it.

I'm a great believer that an occasional garda or even better a yellow box camera would make a huge difference

Be right back

A little while a work colleague told me I could turn right here from the middle despite it being clearly marked the lane for straight on. Got annoyed with me too when I wouldn't do it!

beer enigma

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121916367#Comment_121916367

Quite common for people trying that and its caused a few accidents from the people in the correct lane who then legitimately move across into the lane for Douglas Court. Even more annoying when they get stuck and block the traffic heading up the well road

Be right back

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121916791#Comment_121916791

I know. She was adamant that I could. 🫣

TheChizler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121916367#Comment_121916367

It's weird I was convinced of that as well a while back when I hadn't driven that way in ages, that both lanes could go right. It was bumper to bumper inching traffic so you wouldn't see the arrows unless you second guessed yourself and purposely held back to make space to see them. Maybe it's the way there's a separate left turn lane and the Well Road forks to the left that people subconsciously put them together when they're not going those ways? Maybe it could do with an upright sign to make it more obvious when there's traffic. Was oblivious until a niggling feeling made me check on street view later.

Be right back

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121917126#Comment_121917126

She was still insistent even when I pointed the arrows out to her.

Tippman24

But did she see the Indians.

_Kaiser_

I still REALLY want to know what it is that Cork drivers have against using indicators.

Down there again earlier today and as usual 2 out of 3 cars just changing lanes, turning into junctions or sailing around roundabouts without any use of indicators.

I do a lot of driving all over the place but Cork is definitely the worst place for this.

Why??

Leatra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121916367#Comment_121916367

I wonder is she the same driver I saw recently who went straight from the right-hand lane there.

Be right back

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121928473#Comment_121928473

Who knows!!

the beer revolu

Saw a car making the usual, illegal right turn on to Christy Ring bridge. What was unusual was that this person did it with a paddy wagon directly behind them. Guards did nothing.

beer enigma

In fairness to the Gardai, they openly said they wouldnt police it as they disagreed with the change in traffic flow when it was announced saying it would cause chaos.