Has ignoring red lights gotten a lot worse?

ZX7R · 19-02-2019 8:43pm

Saw a woman not just jump but got anoyed at waiting for the green at the railway bridge in Kildare town this afternoon, she broke the red made it have way over the bridge nearly going head on into a van.
Had to say I had to laugh at her panic ridden reversing to let the line of on coming traffic through.

trellheim · 19-02-2019 9:47pm

I have to say RLJs are my pet hate . Most of them do not see why it is wrong and go nuts when I accuse them of being tools

magicbastarder · 19-02-2019 11:16pm

waiting at the lights on east wall road this morning, waiting to turn right onto east wall road (if you know the junction, this should make sense). a full three seconds after the lights had turned red for crossing traffic, and after the light had turned green for me, a flatbed truck carrying (am plucking a figure out of the air) 20 or 30 tons of reinforced concrete on the back drove through the red without any attempt at slowing.

downtheroad · 23-02-2019 9:42am

So we have the technology but there is no plan to roll it out across the country.

1,300 road users detected breaking red lights at busy Luas junction in Smithfield https://jrnl.ie/4501812

AndrewJRenko · 23-02-2019 10:57am

downtheroad wrote: »

So we have the technology but there is no plan to roll it out across the country.

1,300 road users detected breaking red lights at busy Luas junction in Smithfield https://jrnl.ie/4501812

It's much, much worse than that. It's not just that there is no plan to roll it out further. They've actually stopped prosecutions from the one and only camera that we have, because it was too much bother apparently.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/camera-that-caught-1-300-drivers-running-red-lights-now-lying-idle-g696v3fh6

What Username Guidelines · 06-03-2019 9:26am

Something I posted on the cycling forum as well from this morning

--

Christchurch this morning, 3 cars through red from Thomas Street. I must be getting immune to it, because the first two I thought "weren't too bad", but the last was quite blatant as there were cyclists already half way across the junction.

He continues on towards Lord Edward Street, pedestrian lights go red, our hero plows on through, as a pedestrian is stepping into the road waving his arms. Good stuff. I catch up to him at the next lights and he's got his head buried in his phone, texting. Doesn't spot me, but his passenger sees me looking and gives me the two fingers, window comes down, with the usual "**** off". I hadn't even said anything, hadn't actually planned on saying anything, but when I mentioned he had just broken two red lights, I get "**** off, I broke one red light". Silly me, eh?

The kicker? There's a Garda car behind him the whole time. The frustrating reality? They saw it all, and when I motion to them about the phone, I get glared at by the Gardai, who continue on, uninterested. On the plus side, they did let me move out to go around the truck and van parked in cycle lane on double yellows though, which was nice of them.

The rest of the commute had me seriously considering whether I should give up cycling. It's becoming beyond frustrating.

ongarboy · 08-03-2019 11:02am

I find recently that even when the traffic lights go red, there is an increasing delay before the pedestrian lights go green. It's like the traffic planners have accepted that they have to account for increasing amounts of red light breakers.

It's worrying that the cops really don't give a s**t about it even when it happens before their very eyes.

What Username Guidelines · 08-03-2019 11:15am

ongarboy wrote: »

I find recently that even when the traffic lights go red, there is an increasing delay before the pedestrian lights go green. It's like the traffic planners have accepted that they have to account for increasing amounts of red light breakers.

And this increasing delay is what gives some road users more confidence in breaking lights.

LeChienMefiant · 08-03-2019 2:59pm

ongarboy wrote: »

I find recently that even when the traffic lights go red, there is an increasing delay before the pedestrian lights go green. It's like the traffic planners have accepted that they have to account for increasing amounts of red light breakers.

It's worrying that the cops really don't give a s**t about it even when it happens before their very eyes.

I've had this confirmed in writing by the council. It is by design that there is a delay for pedestrians lights.

Ray Bloody Purchase · 08-03-2019 3:21pm

LeChienMefiant wrote: »

I've had this confirmed in writing by the council. It is by design that there is a delay for pedestrians lights.

That is an absolutely ridiculous decision which by design will increase the abuse and risks associated with this type of behaviour.

Shai · 08-03-2019 3:25pm

Ray Bloody Purchase wrote: »

That is an absolutely ridiculous decision which by design will increase the abuse and risks associated with this type of behaviour.

Unless I'm misreading, the council confirmed there is a delay (which I think has always been there). The council did not confirm this delay was increased.

Zipppy · 08-03-2019 3:46pm

Shai wrote: »

Unless I'm misreading, the council confirmed there is a delay (which I think has always been there). The council did not confirm this delay was increased.

I think the delay depends on location, traffic speed, volume of traffic etc.

You can understand why there would be a delay..it protects pedestrians..

and it's not just motorists who are break lights...I take my life in my hands crossing the quays each morning, on a green man, with the amount of cyclists who just whizz by, especially when the lights have just gone red...

LeChienMefiant · 08-03-2019 3:57pm

Shai wrote: »

Unless I'm misreading, the council confirmed there is a delay (which I think has always been there). The council did not confirm this delay was increased.

I reported issues with red light jumpers at a junction and in response there was a delay introduced, in addition to other measures.

Shai · 08-03-2019 4:30pm

LeChienMefiant wrote: »

I reported issues with red light jumpers at a junction and in response there was a delay introduced, in addition to other measures.

I stand corrected. Thank you for the clarification.

colm_mcm · 08-03-2019 4:32pm

I’m getting a dashcam as you wouldn’t believe how bad it’s gotten in Limerick.
This morning I saw 3 cars followed by an artic drive across me as I had a green light at a junction.

I will see 3-4 instances of this every single day on a 15 minute commute through the city.

08-03-2019 4:33pm

"Has ignoring red lights gotten a lot worse?"

No, but the duration of the Amber light has got a lot less giving a lot less warning to slow down and stop.

magicbastarder · 08-03-2019 4:38pm

i saw at one junction yesterday (two lanes feeding it), six motorists run the red.

colm_mcm · 08-03-2019 4:41pm

65535 wrote: »

"Has ignoring red lights gotten a lot worse?"

No, but the duration of the Amber light has got a lot less giving a lot less warning to slow down and stop.

I don’t buy that as an excuse, I see plenty enter junctions long after the amber is lit.

08-03-2019 4:44pm

Well without a time study being carried out we have no way of knowing for certain whether a longer duration Amber signal would benefit or not.
In my own experience I have seen lights changing, Green/Amber/Red in a very short duration

magicbastarder · 08-03-2019 4:45pm

that may be true, but it's beyond reasonable doubt that more people run reds because they know they'll get away with it.

colm_mcm · 08-03-2019 4:48pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

that may be true, but it's beyond reasonable doubt that more people run reds because they know they'll get away with it.

This.

First Up · 08-03-2019 4:51pm

magicbastarder wrote:

that may be true, but it's beyond reasonable doubt that more people run reds because they know they'll get away with it.

There's enough Russian car crash videos out there to suggest they don't always get away with it.

Seth Brundle · 08-03-2019 4:55pm

65535 wrote: »

"Has ignoring red lights gotten a lot worse?"

No, but the duration of the Amber light has got a lot less giving a lot less warning to slow down and stop.

Whatever the duration is, there exists a cohort of drivers who just don't bother trying to stop when they see an amber or an amber that has just turned to red.
The lack of action by the gardai on this issue means that the cohort is gradually increasing in numbers.

Outkast_IRE · 08-03-2019 4:55pm

First Up wrote: »

There's enough Russian car crash videos out there to suggest they don't always get away with it.

Yes it has got a lot worse in my opinion . Relatively easy solution , install automatic fine cameras for running red .

08-03-2019 5:08pm

So there was a study:
https://phys.org/news/2012-09-length-yellow-caution-traffic-accidents.html

The slower the speed of the road the shorter the Amber should be and of course the faster the speed of the road then the longer the Amber should be

08-03-2019 6:29pm

First Up wrote: »

There's enough Russian car crash videos out there to suggest they don't always get away with it.

In Russia it appears that there is no delay between your side going red and the cross traffic getting the red/amber sequence, but the Russian lights also have a flashing green two seconds before the amber. so two chances to see that the lights are about to change (some lights also have a countdown timer).

Some drivers simply don't care about lights (vodka fuelled perhaps), these drivers will simply ignore the rules until they've crashed!

If Irish motorists were aware that the cross traffic would start to move immediately after they see red, they're far less likely to jump a red as it means a certain crash, having a delay allows them to jump, safe in the knowledge that they've a few seconds before the cross traffic starts to move

downtheroad · 08-03-2019 6:55pm

I drove through an amber light in Sydney years ago and got issued a substantial fine for doing so, caught by the automatic camera at the junction. You can be sure I never did it again.

Last year I emailed the minister for transport about how bad red light jumping has become in Ireland, to be told that it is a matter for the department of justice as it is a police issue. The minister for justice or his secretary replied to say there are no plans to bring red light cameras in to Ireland. They just don't care.

It gets worse and worse by the day. What used to be 1 car breaking a red became 2 then and now 4. It's not far off the stage of just abolishing traffic lights because they aren't adhered to by so many drivers.

yer man! · 10-03-2019 6:28pm

downtheroad wrote: »

Last year I emailed the minister for transport about how bad red light jumping has become in Ireland, to be told that it is a matter for the department of justice as it is a police issue. The minister for justice or his secretary replied to say there are no plans to bring red light cameras in to Ireland. They just don't care.

I emailed DCC about installing these cameras and possibly bus lane cameras too, I got the same response as you: "It's a matter for the gardai". Maddens me that that it appears the very people responsible for road design have no collaboration from the very people who will be making sure it's used correctly.

LeChienMefiant · 10-03-2019 6:37pm

It might be worth writing to our new Garda Commissioner in that case. Justice Charleton in his report on the Disclosures Tribunal remarked on Garda inattention to these areas of policing. The Garda Commissioner stated that he had noted the remarks in the report.

10-03-2019 6:40pm

Perhaps you should be writing to Shane Ross, get him to look at some of the more dangerous aspects of Irish driving as opposed to getting a hard on with "speeding".

downtheroad · 10-03-2019 7:18pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Perhaps you should be writing to Shane Ross, get him to look at some of the more dangerous aspects of Irish driving as opposed to getting a hard on with "speeding".

As mentioned above I did this last year and got a response to say it is not a matter for the Department of Transport. Work that out.

Reminds me of a story I heard on Pat Kenny a couple of years back where a school principal was lobbying for defibrillators to be installed in every school in the country. He said that he contacted the minister for education who responded to say it is a matter for department of health, then when he contacted minister for health he got told to contact the department of education. Is there no desire or scope for government departments to work together on legislating for change?

BRYAN Is Ainm Dom · 10-03-2019 9:53pm

downtheroad wrote: »

As mentioned above I did this last year and got a response to say it is not a matter for the Department of Transport. Work that out.

Reminds me of a story I heard on Pat Kenny a couple of years back where a school principal was lobbying for defibrillators to be installed in every school in the country. He said that he contacted the minister for education who responded to say it is a matter for department of health, then when he contacted minister for health he got told to contact the department of education. Is there no desire or scope for government departments to work together on legislating for change?

Having worked in both Departments, Education are notorious for fobbing off the public,emails, PQ's, etc. To be fair it is fairly obvious that this is matter for Dept Education and not Health.

downtheroad · 11-03-2019 11:07am

BRYAN Is Ainm Dom wrote: »

Having worked in both Departments, Education are notorious for fobbing off the public,emails, PQ's, etc. To be fair it is fairly obvious that this is matter for Dept Education and not Health.

If I remember correctly the school principal had done the maths and calculated it would cost €6m to install a defibrillator in every school in Ireland and train staff on how to use it. He was suggesting that both departments contribute half the cost and get the job done. However the incompetence of the public sector wouldn't allow for it.

The same thing is happening with not policing red traffic lights in this country and will result in death before something is done to combat the problem.

First Up · 11-03-2019 11:46am

downtheroad wrote:

The same thing is happening with not policing red traffic lights in this country and will result in death before something is done to combat the problem.

You don't need a camera at every light. Put up some and prosecute offenders at those. Once people think their might be a camera.....

The same principle as spot checks for drink driving.

downtheroad · 11-03-2019 12:28pm

First Up wrote: »

You don't need a camera at every light. Put up some and prosecute offenders at those. Once people think their might be a camera.....

The same principle as spot checks for drink driving.

They are badly needed across Dublin city centre anyway. Walking around town yesterday the amount of red lights broken by cars was crazy, most of which were when pedestrians had a green man.

And if the cameras could assist prosecute drivers on their phones also that would be helpful, another huge problem that was very evident walking around town yesterday.

The cost of implementing this would surely be recouped quite quickly through the fines that would issue.

PWEI · 13-03-2019 1:24pm

Just went out for a coffee there earlier and a car has crashed in to the Luas at the Jervis Street junction. Was chatting to somebody at the junction and the driver broke the red light.
This is the same junction where a Chinese woman was killed a few years ago.
Judging by the crash, Id say it will take quite a while before the Red Line southbound is running again. That's a lot hassle and disruption for many commuters.
Cameras are badly needed across the city.
I was driving northbound at the junction at Whitehall / Collins avenue yesterday evening and I counted 7 cars breaking one red light.

site_owner · 13-03-2019 1:35pm

Caught this on camera yesterday

https://twitter.com/alan_downtown/status/1105588973601214465?s=19

CramCycle · 13-03-2019 2:04pm

site_owner wrote: »

Caught this on camera yesterday

https://twitter.com/alan_downtown/status/1105588973601214465?s=19

Pedestrian crossing outside my kids school, always heavy traffic. My 5yo has learned not to attempt crossing on a green man until the first car or two roll through and finally someone stops to let us cross, some mornings the light sequence goes completely so you have to wait another round.

Zipppy · 13-03-2019 8:12pm

site_owner wrote:

Caught this on camera yesterday

Awful..where is that?

Wishbone Ash · 13-03-2019 9:15pm

Zipppy wrote: »

Awful..where is that?

Baldoyle.

Infini · 14-03-2019 1:20am

magicbastarder wrote: »

that may be true, but it's beyond reasonable doubt that more people run reds because they know they'll get away with it.

To be honest I would say bad traffic flow managment is also not helping. The sequence of the lights behind custom house for example if your coming down Gardiner Street is pretty bad most times if your heading towards the bridge over. Many times your stuck on a red there when the other road not only has a green light but the Luas junction before it is red. There's also another set further up Gardiner St which tends to give priority at times to the side road with very little traffic over the main road which has a fair bit. This kind of bad sequencing can lead to bad habits as people will try to get through the light's to avoid being trapped at the junction.

pclive · 15-03-2019 12:58pm

Infini wrote: »

This kind of bad sequencing can lead to bad habits as people will try to get through the light's to avoid being trapped at the junction.

Or just prioritising public transport perhaps?

There are a lot of buses exiting from Talbot Street

Luas also gets priority

trellheim · 15-03-2019 1:30pm

This kind of bad sequencing can lead to bad habits as people will try to get through the light's to avoid being trapped at the junction.

A few heads on spikes. That is zero excuse for illegal behaviour. If there's no space to pull to without blocking the junction then you plain dont move .... otherwise hand the driving license in, you'll have done us all a favour.

downtheroad · 15-03-2019 1:47pm

Anybody else noticing cars who get caught between junctions because they enter yellow boxes, then the lights turn red but they drive through them once pedestrians have passed? I see it every day in city centre and also at the junction where Malahide Road begins in Fairview.

Yellow boxes are largely ignored these days as far as I can see.

magicbastarder · 15-03-2019 2:09pm

if you do know of a set of traffic lights where the sequence does not make sense, maybe just email traffic@dublincity.ie and bring it to their attention.

cdaly_ · 15-03-2019 3:33pm

Driving the other day, turning right from Griffith Ave to Malahide Road, I ended up blocking somebody who was going straight on against me as I had started turning on amber. They hadn't even cleared the footpath on their road. I paused a bit before moving on as they gestured for me to get of their way so they could run the red light.

By the time I cleared the junction, the light was green for Malahide Road traffic but they proceded to drive across six lanes of traffic 'cos they had started to run a red light so they were entitled to continue...

Ohmeha · 15-03-2019 6:49pm

Breaking red lights has become an epidemic in dublin, particular in the city though I see it enough in quiet suburban roads. 3 times in past 5 years I've had near misses crossing road with the green man with zero near misses in previous 26 years...

Infini · 15-03-2019 9:18pm

pclive wrote: »

Or just prioritising public transport perhaps?

There are a lot of buses exiting from Talbot Street

Luas also gets priority

Ones Im mentioning aren't the ones for the Luas stop its the ones past it on the Y junction directing the flow towards the bridge over the liffey the ones between those at the luas set and the set at the bridge. They actually work against the busses coming out of Busaras too as you can be stuck at that junction while the lights are red at the luas junction and green at the bridge and by the time they switch you get caught at the bridge instead.

Jamie2k9 · 16-03-2019 10:11am

Empty DB collided with a tram on Queenstreet injuring 8 (4 Luas staff) wonder if the lights were red...

https://www.twitter.com/DubFireBrigade/status/1106847358707486720

ebbsy · 16-03-2019 11:16am

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Empty DB collided with a tram on Queenstreet injuring 8 (4 Luas staff) wonder if the lights were red...

https://www.twitter.com/DubFireBrigade/status/1106847358707486720

Jesus Christ. Somebody made a grave error there.

My money is on the bus driver. ...????

Has ignoring red lights gotten a lot worse?

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