Cork traffic

They have the right to prioritise given resources.

Yeah, thats a disgraceful statement from the Gardai.

In other news, I've decided to potter along in the left lane all along the N40W in the morning, behind whatever lorries (and East Cork Crane Hire, ugh) that is there, even if it slows me down. The right lane is a free-for-all of tailgating. Much better to stay in the left lane and just take it easy.

I counted 4 drivers with their phone in their hand during one sequence of the lights at the opera house the other day. About 10 cars passed me. 40% on their phone.

Was there a crash today, never seen the traffic so bad approaching the link this morning ?

Buddy of mine took 1 hour 40 mins to get to town from Passage today. Gross.

It stops the lad waiting at the first exit from shooting out on front of you.

You're assuming far too much there :)

Great to hear!

There's a lot of light running and illegal turning in that area, for sure. I'm always banging on about it. However, you are wrong about cars turning right onto Cornmarket street. That junction is before the traffic lights and does not have a pedestrian crossing. If turning right, there, when the lights are red, you aren't going through any red light - you are taking a right turn before you get to or pass through any red light. Study the junction next time you're there. To break a red light you have to pass one.

I don't understand what you mean by, "just on the line". You either pass through the lights or you don't. This turning is before the traffic lights. The lights are, literally after the turn. Yes, it's close to the other junction but it's before the traffic lights.

Same as turning right anywhere - you have to cross oncoming traffic to turn right. I don't see the problem with this junction. There is a problem with drivers breaking the lights like there is at pretty much every junction, though.

This is a good point/question.

I have, however, thought of a situation where the stop line is dependant on where you are going.

You are on Lavitt's Quay, by the Opera House, wanting to turn left onto Christie Ring Bridge. The left lane goes left onto the bridge and also straight ahead. If you wish to go straight ahead and the lights are red for straight ahead, then the stop line applies to you. If you are going left onto the bridge and have a left filter, obviously, the stop line doesn't apply to you. So, the same stop line, in the same place appears to have different meanings, dependant on where you are going. (also it seems most people don't realise that you can go straight ahead from the left lane here, and people get honked at for not proceeding onto the bridge when the left filter comes on, despite there still being a red for straight ahead)

So, similarly, at the top of Cornmarket Street, I'm claiming that the stop line applies if you are going straight ahead, but not if you are turning right as you can do both from the same lane.

To me, it's obvious that if turning right, the lights don't apply to you but to others it isn't. It would be interesting to see how it might play out in court.

I don't think you'd be very successful in court!

The stop line is what's important, and it is set back from the radius of the corner. That means that you should encounter the stop line before you come to the junction.

Also, there is a painted marking on the approach to the lights, showing straight and right-turn movements. The purpose of the marking is to show drivers in advance which movements are permitted in the lane at the upcoming signalised junction.

In other traffic news, someone took out the traffic lights at the corner of Merchants Quay.

The stop line is before the turn onto cornmarket street so to make the turn you must cross the stop line and enter the junction - it's illegal to do this unless your light is green. To me it is pretty black and white but I understand where your view point comes from.

The line is close to the turn and this is what I think convinces drivers it is ok to make the turn - it's ok if you are only slightly breaking a rule of the road. It's the same mentality why a lot of drivers break red lights - the lights have just turned red so it is fine. And then they see other drivers doing the exact same thing so they validate that their decision to it is fine.