Running Red Lights

ziedth

Max Powers wrote: »

the pedestrian crossing outside the tower hotel is lethal with the amount of people running red lights. I can understand a chap going thru an amber if it has just turned but i have seen numerous people who speed up to go thru the red.

the added danger is that the island half way thru the road means that when the green man turns on, people are out on the road and cars are still coming thru from lombard street. one of the filters is broken too.

Where are the gardai, as usual, they are not interested unless they can catch someone doing something while they sit in their cars.

any idea who e-mail re: broken lights?

That's actually true, I have seen up to five cars at a time run those lights.

I was living up in cork by UCC last year and I saw a car run a red light and clean a motorbike out of it. The chap died instantly. Seeing that really shook me at the time and because of it I would hate to be in a car that ran a light.

Sully

You call the council office for Traffic Light problems.

They seem to have been adjusted lately, as you barely get through most of them (ie a car or two) before its red again. Might be trying to force people to the new bridge but not everyone can use that for their inner-city work.

Musicman2000

I was coming home from work last Friday afternoon, the lights at the mary land a Guard in a Fiat paddy wagon straight threw a red light no emergency lights on, and on a mobile, forgive me if I am wrong, dose one rule apply for the guards and something else for the rest of us. Guards are not super human when speaking on a phone that they can avoid an accident. Absolutely ridiculous rule to make the emergency services exempt they should have hands free fitted to all vehicles

Kxiii

I was driving on the quay and stopped at a red light at the crossing outside Dooleys. An elderly couple started to walk out as some gobshìte in a dark green taxi ploughed straight on through he didn't so much as slow down let alone stop for it.

Luckily the couple had only started to cross, a few seconds later and it could've been an awful mess.

sunnysoutheast

Sully wrote: »

Regardless if its personal or private, Gardai are exempt from all traffic laws while on duty. Gardai are also using phones (they buy them IIRC) to communicate as the radio is unsecure and can be intercepted.

Not something I personally like anyway.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2004/en/act/pub/0044/sec0027.html

The final clause is "....where such use does not endanger the safety of road users."

I'm not sure if this has been tested in court. The number of times I've seen guards on mobiles when driving makes a mockery of the "crackdown". I also saw an ambulance (no lights or sirens) overtaking suicidally on the hashes at a junction on the N25 only the other week, they must have been trying to drum up business.

I've great respect for the staff in the emergency services, but the laws should apply equally.

SSE

Speak Now

Max Powers wrote: »

the pedestrian crossing outside the tower hotel is lethal with the amount of people running red lights. I can understand a chap going thru an amber if it has just turned but i have seen numerous people who speed up to go thru the red.

the added danger is that the island half way thru the road means that when the green man turns on, people are out on the road and cars are still coming thru from lombard street. one of the filters is broken too.

Where are the gardai, as usual, they are not interested unless they can catch someone doing something while they sit in their cars.

any idea who e-mail re: broken lights?

I've noticed this as a pedestrian and a motorist. When turning right for the quay from Lombard street the time between the light hitting amber and the green man coming on outside the jade palace is very small. Bascially if you through the amber by the time you get accross the junction and turn right the green man is already on. I now break sharp on amber down there much to the annoyance of those behind me.

mozattack

If clowns drove faster around the place there would be less need to break the lights. So many (slow) dopes on the road it is incredible.

If you want to drive slow, get a bike.

gscully

mozattack wrote: »

If clowns drove faster around the place there would be less need to break the lights. So many (slow) dopes on the road it is incredible.

If you want to drive slow, get a bike.

Utter nonsense. If you're not emergency services, there is NEVER a need to break the lights.

Sully

mozattack wrote: »

If clowns drove faster around the place there would be less need to break the lights. So many (slow) dopes on the road it is incredible.

If you want to drive slow, get a bike.

He has a point. Some unreal drivers around who take an age to move around, either in general, traffic lights or god forbid a roundabout.

Speak Now

mozattack wrote: »

If clowns drove faster around the place there would be less need to break the lights. So many (slow) dopes on the road it is incredible.

If you want to drive slow, get a bike.

Does 30MPH count as slow?

gscully

Sully wrote: »

He has a point. Some unreal drivers around who take an age to move around, either in general, traffic lights or god forbid a roundabout.

Yes there is, but that doesn't advocate the driver held up breaking the law and putting the welfare of other drivers or pedestrians at risk. :rolleyes:

Sully

gscully wrote: »

Yes there is, but that doesn't advocate the driver held up breaking the law and putting the welfare of other drivers or pedestrians at risk. :rolleyes:

I don't think the OP meant it like that, it was a bit of sarcasm at my guess.

gscully

Sully wrote: »

I don't think the OP meant it like that, it was a bit of sarcasm at my guess.

Couldn't have been sarcasm... There was no sign of this: :rolleyes:

nkay1985

The traffic lights at the top of the Folly have been mentioned here and I had yet another experience of it this afternoon. This one in her mid- to late-twenties dricing a black Micra was farting about behind me from the time she nearly drove out in front of me at the roundabout by Superquinn. If you're reading this, you're an awful driver.

She ended up stopped behind me at the top of the Folly, waiting to turn right. Our lights went green and when the traffic coming against us had passed, the two cars in front of me went through.

By the time I was going through, the lights turned amber. I had looked in my rearview and your one was miles behind me. I put the foot down to get through the turn quickly as the green light in the John's Hill direction comes on very quickly. I was well through and who do I see only your one coming around the corner, after obviously blatantly running the red light. She was so far behind me when I made my turn that the light must have been red by the time she reached the white line that she should have stopped behind.

It's so dangerous and so frustrating when you're sitting at the front of the lights to go down John's Hill.

Mysterious&Shy

Some woman this morning on the Quay almost clipped my car by moving from the left land to the right lane - didn't bother her Ar*e looking to see! And then she ran the red lights outside Dooley's hotel nearly hitting a woman with a child crossing the road.

So if you are the sh*te driver with a red 10 CW car (I know your reg), I hope you get banned off the road soon!

Sully

Mysterious&Shy wrote: »

Some woman this morning on the Quay almost clipped my car by moving from the left land to the right lane - didn't bother her Ar*e looking to see! And then she ran the red lights outside Dooley's hotel nearly hitting a woman with a child crossing the road.

So if you are the sh*te driver with a red 10 CW car (I know your reg), I hope you get banned off the road soon!

Why not report her to the Guards instead of ranting online where nothing can be done?!

gscully

Sully wrote: »

Why not report her to the Guards instead of ranting online where nothing can be done?!

Are you underestimating the power of boards Sully? So far this year, we've made Waterford Today, The Munster Express, The News and Star...and 2FM.

Probably more useful to rant on here than phone Garda Confidential.

wmpdd3

Unless you have a witness the guards won't do a thing and the traffic number is not being answered anymore. The 1850 one.

I called one day, a good while ago, when a bloke overtook 4 cars on a turn on the N24. They had no interest as I was in the car on my own.

Sully

wmpdd3 wrote: »

Unless you have a witness the guards won't do a thing and the traffic number is not being answered anymore. The 1850 one.

I called one day, a good while ago, when a bloke overtook 4 cars on a turn on the N24. They had no interest as I was in the car on my own.

Your the witness. Its your word against them though.

Mysterious&Shy

Sully, it would be my word against them so what is the point???????

Sully

Mysterious&Shy wrote: »

Sully, it would be my word against them so what is the point???????

CCTV for starters. If I saw it, reported it but I was the only witness they take my details anyway. Then you call, report it, and bobs your uncle we have two witnesses.

Also, the Guards can call out and give a caution.

STIG83

wmpdd3 wrote: »

Unless you have a witness the guards won't do a thing and the traffic number is not being answered anymore. The 1850 one.

I called one day, a good while ago, when a bloke overtook 4 cars on a turn on the N24. They had no interest as I was in the car on my own.

I reported a car for dangerous driving before to my local Garda Station, i explained what happened and gave them the Reg Number, he looked it up for me but could not give me the drivers name but said he was from Tramore and the Garda i was talking to said he would let his counterparts in Tramore know about the guy i reported, what good is that?

Sully

STIG83 wrote: »

I reported a car for dangerous driving before to my local Garda Station, i explained what happened and gave them the Reg Number, he looked it up for me but could not give me the drivers name but said he was from Tramore and the Garda i was talking to said he would let his counterparts in Tramore know about the guy i reported, what good is that?

Did you report it as it happened? The Gardai in Waterford would probably tell those in Tramore to pick the car up as it comes in. Seen it done before when reporting a car, the Guards wait for it and then follow it to see its behaviour on the road before pulling it over.

Otherwise, they may just call up to the owners house and say there was a complaint about his driving.

STIG83

Sully wrote: »

Did you report it as it happened? The Gardai in Waterford would probably tell those in Tramore to pick the car up as it comes in. Seen it done before when reporting a car, the Guards wait for it and then follow it to see its behaviour on the road before pulling it over.

Otherwise, they may just call up to the owners house and say there was a complaint about his driving.

The dangerous driving happened between Castlemartyr and Midelton,(near to where the crash about 2years ago when the 2 guys from Waterford were killed)
A BMW overtaking a few cars on a bend including my car, so i reported it when i saw a Guard was on duty in Kilmac Station, (at that time the station was only open certain times of the week) was a few days after.

Mysterious&Shy

Sully wrote: »

CCTV for starters. If I saw it, reported it but I was the only witness they take my details anyway. Then you call, report it, and bobs your uncle we have two witnesses.

Also, the Guards can call out and give a caution.

Ran the Traffic watch and explained the situation to a Garda and what was his response? "We will try to call to them"

Sully

Mysterious&Shy wrote: »

Ran the Traffic watch and explained the situation to a Garda and what was his response? "We will try to call to them"

When? Did you speak with a Guard or just the person who answered the phone? Traffic Watch are absolutely ****e IMO. I called them before and they were absolutely useless. Hadn't a clue where I was or who to call. Gave up and called the nearest station myself.

Mysterious&Shy

Rang the Garda Station in Ballybricken and they are going to investigate it.

bkehoe

I'm surprised nobody has commented on the traffic lights coming from Grattan Quay onto the bridge on the filter lane. There seems to be an unwritten rule that the red light only means stop if there's a pedestrian crossing. The only time the red light comes on is when te pedestrian lightmis green - rest of the time its flashing amber.
I've often had guys sitting on the horn behind me because I refuse to break the red light - I mean what's one expected to do??

Sully

bkehoe wrote: »

I'm surprised nobody has commented on the traffic lights coming from Grattan Quay onto the bridge on the filter lane. There seems to be an unwritten rule that the red light only means stop if there's a pedestrian crossing. The only time the red light comes on is when te pedestrian lightmis green - rest of the time its flashing amber.
I've often had guys sitting on the horn behind me because I refuse to break the red light - I mean what's one expected to do??

Yeah lol that seems to be a Waterford thing, as its a bitch to get out when the lights are back to normal.

Finnbar01

Sully wrote: »

When? Did you speak with a Guard or just the person who answered the phone? Traffic Watch are absolutely ****e IMO. I called them before and they were absolutely useless. Hadn't a clue where I was or who to call. Gave up and called the nearest station myself.

Sully, traffic watch was only set up as a publicity stunt. :rolleyes: