Drivers routinely breaking red lights --- going through green man

smeedyova

Hi all,

I walk around Dublin City Centre a lot and every day I would say that I encounter at least 5-6 car drivers (not to mention Dublin Bus drivers and cyclists) who just sail through the green man at pedestrian crossings. What about drivers who think nothing of just parking across the pedestrian crossing when the man is green, what do you all think of this? Does anybody know how to report this?

I ask because I find it very common but yesterday I was almost knocked by a driver who thought I shouldn't have been in the middle of the pedestrian crossing while the man was green!

Why do the guards ignore this? Dublin city traffic is like something you would expect in some madly chaotic country with no laws at all --- very dangerous for pedestrians.

bobin fudge

100% agree, really ****s me off, its not just one car that goes, typically as much as 3 cars will break a green man from both side

I'll never understand why they don't put a camera on the junction of Georges St and Dame St and fine everyone who breaks the light/turns right from Georges St to Dame St (Often coming in from the left hand lane). It is the worst black spot for it imo

BeerNut

I blame the lights for some of it. I regularly make a right off the north quays at a junction where the lights start at red, then go red with a vertical green arrow underneath while the ped crossing to the right lets people across, and finally goes just green. A lot of drivers making the right just see the green in the second phase and plough straight through the ped crossing. If I'm at the front of the queue of right-turners I frequently get beeped at by drivers behind me. The guy pointing up at the red light is me.

It's a really unusual, counter-intuitive sequence and I've never seen it anywhere else in the world.

BeerNut

Deleted User wrote: »

I'll never understand why they don't put a camera on the junction of Georges St and Dame St and fine everyone who breaks the light/turns right from Georges St to Dame St

I've often seen a Traffic Corps motorbike at the top of Crow Street pulling over the evil-doers.

SantryRed

I hate people who turn left when the arrow is only pointing to go straight. Pisses me off.

dan1895

Doyle's corner in Phibsboro is another joke of a crossing.

Toby Take a Bow

Deleted User wrote: »

I'll never understand why they don't put a camera on the junction of Georges St and Dame St and fine everyone who breaks the light/turns right from Georges St to Dame St (Often coming in from the left hand lane). It is the worst black spot for it imo

That's one of the worst junctions for it. So much so that there has to be some issue for the drivers coming from Lord Edward Street, as it's usually just those cars that try and break the lights. I tend to just continue on my way, and assume (or hope) the cars will stop.

maximoose

SantryRed wrote: »

I hate people who turn left when the arrow is only pointing to go straight. Pisses me off.

This. It seems a hell of a lot of drivers in dublin don't understand basic traffic lights. I cross quite a few big junctions on my daily walk to work that would have a lane turning left/right and a lane going straight ahead. The amount of flipping mongs who can't tell that their lane is on a red light and just drive on through a crossing that has a green man for pedestrians is ridiculous.

SunnyDub1

cyclists are the biggest culprits for this :mad::mad::mad:

Qualitymark

Completely agree.

It's also true that the lights change way too fast on many junctions.

The problem will continue until

a) we have cameras on junctions
b) the cameras are linked up to an automatic system to send a €20 fine for every lights-breaking incident to the owner of that licence plate
c) there are 'licence plates' for bicycles that can be part of this system (which would also help to end the bicycle theft epidemic).

Can't understand why cyclists cycle blithely through red lights, though I've been known to hop off the bicycle and wheel it through a green pedestrian light.

SunnyDub1

Qualitymark wrote: »

Completely agree.

It's also true that the lights change way too fast on many junctions.

The problem will continue until

a) we have cameras on junctions
b) the cameras are linked up to an automatic system to send a €20 fine for every lights-breaking incident to the owner of that licence plate
c) there are 'licence plates' for bicycles that can be part of this system (which would also help to end the bicycle theft epidemic).

Can't understand why cyclists cycle blithely through red lights, though I've been known to hop off the bicycle and wheel it through a green pedestrian light.

Great Idea!!

Because the govt. need ANOTHER source of revenue from us.


Yeah, fantastic idea

/sarcasm

gurramok

maximoose wrote: »

The amount of flipping mongs who can't tell that their lane is on a red light and just drive on through a crossing that has a green man for pedestrians is ridiculous.

They should introduce a Turn left on Red option like in USA(turn right on red). Use those zebra crossings instead of the Green man whereby the driver can turn left on red but must give way to pedestrians.

Too often the Green man lights up for invisible pedestrians causing a backlog at many junctions leading to frustration and gridlock as traffic does also be backed up in the main lane from the spillover due to large portions of the left lane reserved for bus lanes only apart from space for just 2 or 3 cars before the lights.

ardmacha

Because the govt. need ANOTHER source of revenue from us.


Yeah, fantastic idea

There is an enormous deficit, the government do need more revenue. Collecting it from people who break red lights is as good a way as any, as the rest of us who stop at red lights won't have to pay.

But that aside, this carry on is a danger to pedestrians crossing at a green light and it needs to end, and €20 is nowhere near enough for the fine, this is much more serious than overstaying a parking meter.

Wishbone Ash

......and maybe reg plates for pedestrians. It's illegal for pedestrians to cross on a red light or begin to cross on an amber.

SunnyDub1

Deleted User wrote: »

Because the govt. need ANOTHER source of revenue from us.


Yeah, fantastic idea

/sarcasm

maybe so but the idea of cyclists having a some sort of individual identity on their bikes is a great idea.

I am driving in and out of the city morning and evening 5 days a week. Every day with out fail I see one if not more cyclists braking lights and not following the rules of the roads - is ridiculous.
The most annoying and aggravating part about it is they don't get punished for it.

You see a car braking a light or driving dangerously and you can easily take their reg no and report them.

Prefect example to back me up.
My mother was driving into the city a couple of months ago when a cyclist that was cycling all over the road (hadn't got a clue what lane to be in or where he was going) bashes off her side mirror cracks it, screams at my mother then cycles off.
So my mother is left paying for some pr*cks damage!:mad:

ardmacha

ardmacha wrote: »

There is an enormous deficit, the government do need more revenue. Collecting it from people who break red lights is as good a way as any, as the rest of us who stop at red lights won't have to pay.

But that aside, this carry on is a danger to pedestrians crossing at a green light and it needs to end, and €20 is nowhere near enough for the fine, this is much more serious than overstaying a parking meter.

My point is not about the fines, but the idea of a licence plate for a bicycle is ridiculous. Do you think they would be handed out for free? It would just go up and up and up.

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

......and maybe reg plates for pedestrians. It's illegal for pedestrians to cross on a red light or begin to cross on an amber.

I remember talking to someone about that, and we came to the conclusion that jaywalking isn't illegal in Ireland. If I'm wrong on this, can you point out the relative legislation?

catch--22

Another bad spot is the pedestrian lights at IFSC - Busaras. Cars rushing southbound down Amiens St to get through the Luas lines before the red comes on don't realise there is a pedestrian crossing on the far side of the tracks and just plough through it. The amount of times the green man comes on and I go to cross to nearly be mowed down by a car flooring it through!!

*grumble*

Qualitymark

The psychology of fines is odd. Huge fines make people resentful and defiant, and don't tend to affect their behaviour that much.

Small but inevitable fines, on the other hand, strike people as just: they pay them, and they moderate their behaviour.

smeedyova

Deleted User wrote: »

I'll never understand why they don't put a camera on the junction of Georges St and Dame St and fine everyone who breaks the light/turns right from Georges St to Dame St (Often coming in from the left hand lane). It is the worst black spot for it imo

In fact, this is where I was within an inch of being hit and the only reason I wasn't hit was because I am wary even when the man is green. Had I not been checking for cars that were going to go straight through the green man it might have been curtains for me!

I was crossing O'Connell Bridge from the north side the other day and not one pedestrain managed to cross the road during the first green man because the cars just kept coming. And this is supposed to be a developed country?!?!

Really angry that the guards don't do anything.

As others have mentioned this could be an excellent source of revenue.

But, how to report it in the the absence of cameras at the junctions?

Wishbone Ash

Deleted User wrote: »

... can you point out the relative legislation?

Statute Instrument No. 294/1964:

ROAD TRAFFIC GENERAL BYE-LAWS, 1964.

37. A pedestrian about to cross a roadway at a place where pedestrian lights have been provided shall do so only when a lamp of the pedestrian lights facing him is lit and green.

SPQRI

I was going home Thursday morning & the lights just turned green in
my favour when a car obviously broke a red light coming from another
direction but the driver never noticed a Garda Traffic Car which was behind them.
He was pulled over & no doubt fined.

smeedyova

By the way, I saw on the electronic board at a bus stop on the quays the other day a message flashing up claiming that Dublin has the safest streets in Europe! I can only assume they mean traffic-wise. What was that about?

vektarman

Qualitymark wrote: »

Completely agree.

It's also true that the lights change way too fast on many junctions.

The problem will continue until

a) we have cameras on junctions
b) the cameras are linked up to an automatic system to send a €20 fine for every lights-breaking incident to the owner of that licence plate
c) there are 'licence plates' for bicycles that can be part of this system (which would also help to end the bicycle theft epidemic).

Can't understand why cyclists cycle blithely through red lights, though I've been known to hop off the bicycle and wheel it through a green pedestrian light.

Because some cyclists, like some other road users, know that they can get away with it because of the lack of enforcement.

fonpokno

I work on O'Connell St and have to drive through the city at rush hour at least once a week. While drivers are bad for ploughing through red lights (and it seems to be getting worse), the sheer volume of pedestrians that blindly wander out in front of traffic while gazing the other direction is shocking. I'm amazed I haven't seen anyone knocked down yet.

I admit I'll cross on a red pedestrian light if I'm certain no cars are gonna run me over because I know the traffic light sequences on my route but jesus, some people put the heart crossways on you just strolling out in front of speeding traffic.

An inordinate number of cyclists seem to think they're always right too. I've been roared at many times by a cyclist breaking the lights while I cross correctly. Because I was in their big stupid light-breaking way... *grumble*

smeedyova

vektarman wrote: »

Because some cyclists, like some other road users, know that they can get away with it because of the lack of enforcement.

This is the whole point. In countries where every last thing is enforced (I'm thinking of Germany) this simply does not happen. Also, it's not just the police who enforce everything there but there is social pressure too. If a cyclist or pedestrian were to break a light a lot of abuse would be hurled at them by bystanders, therefore, you simply don't do it. Ever. That said, I would expect to be stabbed for shouting at an offending cyclist here.

UDP

Pretty much all road users break the lights constantly in the city. I think the enforcement needs to be very strong on motor vehicle drivers since they can do the most damage when breaking a red light. However I see pedestrians and cyclists total oblivious or I should say not caring that they are walking out in front of traffic even when the traffic is moving fast. Its ridiculous how little they care.

I will break the lights when cycling or walking but only when it is clearly safe to do so on quiet junctions only. I never do it while driving and never do it at all at busy junctions.

kleefarr

What about the drivers that stop when there's a RED Man!!!

robjones1981

Crossing from one side of Wexford St to the other is another dangerous spot - from the Corner Stone pub to the Burrito place

smeedyova

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

......and maybe reg plates for pedestrians. It's illegal for pedestrians to cross on a red light or begin to cross on an amber.

It's true that it's illegal to cross the road when the pedestrian light is red and I don't condone it --- all road users should obey the lights. That said, pedestrians in Dublin are faced with a dilemma, namely, should I wait for the green man which will inevitably be driven through by several motorists or shall I cross now while it appears to be safe(r)? The fact is that pedestrians who wait for the green man are, I believe, at greater risk of being run over while crossing legally than those who cross, illegally, when it appears to be safe.