Taxi drove through red light today - Renmore

21-08-2019 12:35pm #1

What's with people driving through red lights in the city. I've seen so much of it over the past few weeks.
Should we have cameras on every light in the city? Would it work?
Reason for this post. My son just came home from his first day in school. Aged 15.
Just told me he almost got hit by a car at the duggans spar junction. His light was green to walk and a taxi driver came through his green light from spar. Parked in the yellow box for a sec and bombed through when he seen no one walking. But my son was there checking to see if it was clear even though he was green to walk, I always tell them check and check again because there's so many careless drivers.
So he didn't get a number plate.
Who can i contact about this.
Gaurds? Coco?
This junction is so dangerous.

beardybrewer · 21-08-2019 12:48pm

I lived in San Francisco during a time when cameras were added to a lot of intersections. If you ask me it is addressing a symptom rather than the cause. Not that it's ever an excuse, but Galway's traffic grind leads to bad behaviour as frustration grows. The cameras or more policing will work for that specific intersection but as people are increasingly late, fatigued, and angry about traffic they will act out in other ways.

FWIW I also witnessed a guy blatantly run a red yesterday. Can't say I've seen that often, but it no surprise we were stuck in traffic and soon after the driver felt entitled or owed something. I was thinking of /r/justiceporn and hoping a Guard would have been right there to nail him.

Red_Wake · 21-08-2019 1:35pm

Dangerously common, I'm surprised there aren't more accidents tbh.

Bredabe · 21-08-2019 1:44pm

As someone with no grasp of visual distance, this is really really scary. I depend on lights to get me across junctions especially.
I always feel like Im taking my life in my hands crossing any road, but this adds a layer of worry no one needs.

zell12 · 21-08-2019 1:46pm

Yeah, it is normal.
Contact your local Councillors about pedestrian safety issue.
Garda will do nothing unless they see it

21-08-2019 1:51pm

Red_Wake wrote: »

Dangerously common, I'm surprised there aren't more accidents tbh.

Same it's awful bad around the city. Between red light runners and people on the phones. Someone will be seriously hurt soon

ronnie3585 · 21-08-2019 1:51pm

I walk to work (3.5k each way) every day and cross a lot of roads in the process. The amount of drivers that break red lights is insane. The lights at the entrance to UHG and those at the Newcastle end of the Q bridge are particularly bad. There are at least two or three cars jumping the red light each cycle.

Cameras to catch people breaking red lights are in use in a few spots in Dublin. It's a no-brainer to roll them out across the country. They would actually make the roads safer and the exchequer would make a fortune in the fines that would be generated.

Dr Turk Turkelton · 21-08-2019 1:52pm

The thing that shocks me most about this post is that schools are back already?

21-08-2019 1:54pm

FWIW I also witnessed a guy blatantly run a red yesterday. Can't say I've seen that often, but it no surprise we were stuck in traffic and soon after the driver felt entitled or owed something. I was thinking of /r/justiceporn and hoping a Guard would have been right there to nail him.[/quote]

I seen a lady going through a red light when a family were half way to crossing on merchants road. It was busy. She then proceeded to reverse back on the poor family trying to let a car out of a car park..this was last week
Beggars belief

gordongekko · 21-08-2019 1:56pm

Dr Turk Turkelton wrote: »

The thing that shocks me most about this post is that schools are back already?

First years in secondary are back today. Primary towards the end of next week

21-08-2019 1:57pm

[/quote] cameras to catch people breaking red lights are in use in a few spots in Dublin. It's a no-brainer to roll them out across the country. They would actually make the roads safer and the exchequer would make a fortune in the fines that would be generated.[/quote]

I always wondered why it hasn't been rolled out!
It would make the roads a lot safer for us but more importantly (!)it could bring in a lot of €€€€€ for them!

CrankyHaus · 21-08-2019 2:04pm

Sure it's completely unenforced at the moment, so people will do it with impunity. Had a driver do it behind me on Sunday with two Gardai standing by the junction who couldn't have cared less. Saw a van do exactly the same thing in Tallaght last month right in front a Garda car who similarly ignored it.

Even when these people kill someone through their deliberate dangerous driving the sentence is minimal.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/circuit-court/driver-who-killed-child-6-after-breaking-red-light-jailed-for-four-years-1.3735530?mode=amp

21-08-2019 2:09pm

CrankyHaus wrote: »

Sure it's completely unenforced at the moment, so people will do it with impunity. Had a driver do it behind me on Sunday with two Gardai standing by the junction who couldn't have cared less. Saw a van do exactly the same thing in Tallaght last month right in front a Garda car who similarly ignored it.

Even when these people kill someone through their deliberate dangerous driving the sentence is minimal.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/circuit-court/driver-who-killed-child-6-after-breaking-red-light-jailed-for-four-years-1.3735530?mode=amp

That's some very sad reading there.
Every parents worse nightmare.
Part of the reason why I don't let my younger sons walk the 5 min walk from the school to home. The full duck junction in renmore is an accident waiting to happen.

"She said O’Brien has had problems with alcohol and that his father was also a heavy drinker. She told the court that his wider family was devastated about what happened"

I hate these excuses. Driving through that red light has nothing got to do with his upbringing or alcohol problems. Its choice and entitlement. Sure if we all acted out on our upbringing who would pay the taxes!!!

xckjoo · 21-08-2019 3:14pm

It's chronic. More surprising to see a car stop on amber than to see 2 or 3 run the read these days. Unfortunately the power that be don't seem to have any interest in addressing this. Even when people are hit and seriously injured or killed, the driver is let off with a slap on the wrist.

Portsalon · 21-08-2019 3:17pm

Dr Turk Turkelton wrote: »

The thing that shocks me most about this post is that schools are back already?

I was equally surprised to learn that it was a 15 year old child's first day at school!

21-08-2019 3:57pm

Portsalon wrote: »

I was equally surprised to learn that it was a 15 year old child's first day at school!

First day back yes!
Transition year

ben.schlomo · 21-08-2019 5:27pm

The junction at Moneen and the one at Thermo are two of the worst. People constantly break reds coming from College Rd in the Dublin Rd direction. Likewise there are reds being broken from all sides of the junction at Thermo. Lethal for all other road users.

yaledo · 21-08-2019 5:32pm

That was at the junction of Renmore Rd. & Dublin Rd., right? (@ Duggan's Spar & Bon Secours hospital)

I had a really weird one there this morning.

Have they just reconfigured the traffic light sequence or something?

This morning at 07:55, I was heading outbound. Traffic stopped in both lanes, because of 2 red lights (one for turning right on to renmore road, one for going straight on). Taxi 2nd in queue to turn right beeped. Duly prompted, the car 1st in queue proceeded to turn right, going right through the red light as if this was normal, and the taxi follows it. I thought maybe I was having a stroke or something. Gas!

21-08-2019 6:39pm

yaledo wrote: »

That was at the junction of Renmore Rd. & Dublin Rd., right? (@ Duggan's Spar & Bon Secours hospital)

I had a really weird one there this morning.

Have they just reconfigured the traffic light sequence or something?

This morning at 07:55, I was heading outbound. Traffic stopped in both lanes, because of 2 red lights (one for turning right on to renmore road, one for going straight on). Taxi 2nd in queue to turn right beeped. Duly prompted, the car 1st in queue proceeded to turn right, going right through the red light as if this was normal, and the taxi follows it. I thought maybe I was having a stroke or something. Gas!

Gas carry on alright I'll never understand how lax people are on the roads..
We're talking about people's lives and potentially fatal injuries!
So many people texting too. It'll never stop until they kill someone

Mrs OBumble · 21-08-2019 8:35pm

beardybrewer wrote: »

I lived in San Francisco during a time when cameras were added to a lot of intersections. If you ask me it is addressing a symptom rather than the cause.

A symptom of what though?

Realistically, bad traffic and/or lack of parking is the best driver of behaviour change for people who could catch the bus/train but don't.

Yesterday was our annual "traffic is cat 'cos they're all buying schoolbooks" day. Today, things were a lot calmer - because people were prompted to make better transport decisions.

BeardySi · 23-08-2019 1:28pm

zell12 wrote: »

Yeah, it is normal.
Contact your local Councillors about pedestrian safety issue.
Garda will do nothing unless they see it

Garda will do nothing even if they see it....

Notch000 · 23-08-2019 2:39pm

been commuting across town for last few years its getting worse all the time and into chronic levels lately, I have seen guard pull a few cars for it and a friend of mine in the know has processed many fine but its a really bad situation and getting worse fast, there are also a total disregard for yellow boxes or white lines, taxis as well are guilty of doing what ever the F they like around the city in cutting in out and pulling u turn across solid lines, I see it all daily, the pedestrian crossing around eyre squar eare death traps too, they junction at garveeys I see pedesterians (inc tourists) getting close calls every evening by cars running the lights.

The amount of phone usage by drivers is an absolute shams too,

Thee is no absolutely no enforcement of traffic issues like these

ben.schlomo · 23-08-2019 3:28pm

Notch000 wrote: »

been commuting across town for last few years its getting worse all the time and into chronic levels lately, I have seen guard pull a few cars for it and a friend of mine in the know has processed many fine but its a really bad situation and getting worse fast, there are also a total disregard for yellow boxes or white lines, taxis as well are guilty of doing what ever the F they like around the city in cutting in out and pulling u turn across solid lines, I see it all daily, the pedestrian crossing around eyre squar eare death traps too, they junction at garveeys I see pedesterians (inc tourists) getting close calls every evening by cars running the lights.

The amount of phone usage by drivers is an absolute shams too,

Thee is no absolutely no enforcement of traffic issues like these

Agree on all the above. Taxis are lethal, was forced off my bike by one on the Dublin Rd couple of months back, lucky I wasn't going too fast or I wouldn't be typing this now. Another lad went straight through a red yesterday evening on my way home at Thermo, a good three seconds after the light went.

biko · 23-08-2019 3:30pm

Red light cameras are a must, I see people driving straight through red lights all the time.

Ashleigh1986 · 23-08-2019 7:14pm

Let's not forget the pedestrians who walk out in front of cars at lights when it's clearly showing a red symbol for them to STOP !!

Whereisgalway · 23-08-2019 7:59pm

Lets not mention the cyclists

biko · 23-08-2019 11:03pm

This thread is only about cars and red lights

23-08-2019 11:07pm

fritzelly · 23-08-2019 11:25pm

Taxis running red lights is old news, as is lots of cars running red lights.
On my way to work each morning I regularly see buses, trucks and all sundry running red lights and its always the same junctions
There is an innate mindset in far too many drivers thats shure what harm, no one crossing
Unfortunately Ireland is way behind most other countries for road safety
The only places they have bothered installing auto fine camera systems is at Luas blackspots - they should be introducing it all major junctions. Believe in the Netherlands anyone stopping over the white line at a red light gets a fine.
Whilst there may be red light breakers in other countries it is definitely rife in Ireland

23-08-2019 11:40pm

it’s an absolute pain in the hole driving in places that are monitoring your every move, so much more relaxed driving here so I would in no way be calling for all these cameras.

fritzelly · 23-08-2019 11:45pm

Kolton Shaggy Post wrote: »

it’s an absolute pain in the hole driving in places that are monitoring your every move, so much more relaxed driving here so I would in no way be calling for all these cameras.

Why would it bother you if there are camera's catching red light breakers?
Might be less likely to see these types of stories
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/circuit-court/driver-who-killed-child-6-after-breaking-red-light-jailed-for-four-years-1.3735530?mode=amp

It's not the odd car, it's thousands and thousands breaking red lights consistently in Dublin alone

Go on about your merry business - won't make any difference to you

Taxi drove through red light today - Renmore

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