Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THE GOVERNMENT IS committed to rolling out a pilot scheme that will see the installation of cameras to catch drivers breaking red lights, Minister of State Jerry Buttimer has said.
The pilot programme is to be implemented in Dublin and the cameras will automatically record people breaking red lights.
The plan was announced by former transport minister Eamon Ryan last year.
“If we don’t change our behaviour, then nothing happens,” Buttimer told RTÉ Prime Time last night.
“This is about ensuring that we reduce accidents on our roads,” he said.
A Prime Time investigation found that over the course of just eight hours, more than 60 drivers broke red lights at several junctions in Dublin and Galway.
Asked why the cameras were only being introduced as a pilot scheme, Buttimer replied that he and his colleagues at the Department of Transport “are only just in the department”.
Professor Pete Lunn, head of the Behavioural Research Unit at the ESRI, told Prime Time that motorists are breaking red lights out of frustration with the levels of traffic.
“People become more likely to take a decision that is essentially queue jumping. It’s essentially selfish, but it also has dangers, and it imposes risks on everyone else,” he said.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Will they be prosecuting cyclists for doing the same ?
@Brian Keelty: they’re only going after the cyclists that wear there car reg plate on their heads..
@Brian Keelty:
Total whataboutery….
Compare the level of danger between a vehicleweight of 80kg travelling about 15km/hr breaking a red light with the level of danger of a vehicle weight of approx 2500kg travelling about 60km/hr.
Now consider that often the cycle line doesn’t interact with the flow of any other traffic – i.e. going straight (from left to right) at a T-junction, a bike often won’t cross the line of a car turning.
Also, often secondary roads at a junction are only given green when there is a presence sensor triggered. Bikes don’t have the mass to trigger the sensor. Should cyclists have to wait until a car shows up to go?
So yes, cyclists shouldn’t break red lights, but it’s a far less problematic thing to do than break lights in a car.
@Brian Keelty: my first reaction was to think “start by the first offenders the cyclist all right”
@Brian Keelty: yes, if they catch them, but really they are going after the vehicles and drivers likely to cause the most damage and that’s drivers in motorised vehicles. It’s a basic Health and safety proceedure: deal with the biggest hazards first.
@Dermot Blaine: no. it’s because cars have plates and they can be found. cyclist don’t even have a plate, a permit and or an insurance. the fine still the same but good luck finding them
@Brian Keelty: oh Quick ! look over there at them nothing to see here – nothing at all.. Quit your whataboutery ya phuken eejit
@Stiles: awww…their, they’re, there
@Brian Keelty: in the last week we’ve had an 8 year old killed by a motorist breaking a red light case in the courts, and 2 elderly pedestrians killed on our streets too. cyclists weren’t the culprits FYI.
@UK Hurling Bloke: 2 out of 3 ain’t bad…
@Rua Rogan: Yes cyclists breaking red lights do not cause as much damage to larger vehicles, but can cause major injuries or even kill pedestrians.
@Martin Kestell: so can joggers or people walking too fast
@Brian Keelty: well sad as they are the only ones ready the breaking lights
@Rua Rogan: rules are rules, still breaking a red light.
Let’s hope it goes beyond pilot, it’s some of the worst behaviour out there
@Colm O’ Shea: if they want to improve behaviour, think outside the box, anybody who receives a ban has to resit the test and drive with a B sticker for 5 years,like the N sticker for newly qualified drivers, the B let’s other drivers know that this driver persistently breaks the law so drive with caution around them, I reckon the shame would discourage drivers from repeat offences .
@Eddie Garvey: most of those who do get banned have no shame anyway and you only have to look at the number of disqualified drivers who continue to drive to know a ban is utterly ineffective on its own. Vehicle should be impounded immediately, charge a fortune to release and if not collected in a timely manner vehicle should be auctioned or scrapped. To buy a motor vehicle a valid driving license should be a requirement, make it as difficult as possible for a banned driver to drive again.
They need to look at light sequences as part of this too. Between pushing all traffic into one lane with left, right and through options it’s no wonder traffic if so bad. They are narrowing the roads in many places especially with these cycle tracks and stopping traffic from flowing. Frustration is very high, add to that the whattsapp crew its a recipe for disaster.
Well that will take 6 years and legislation change and a Gazillion euro.
@Mr “JonnieBoy” Johnson: After that come the years of challenging tickets in the District Court and solicitors finding loopholes.
If they can get people off for being blind drunk behind the wheel, this will be a cake walk.
A Dublin taxi driver once explained the rules to me; green is go, orange is speed up and red is four more cars!
They need to synchronise traffic lights too but catch the cyclists who are always breaking the lights
@Pauline Cahill: how could cameras catch cyclists they are not identifiable? what would be the point anyway, they’re not the ones causing congestion or killing and maiming people on our roads, check the news.
@eoin fitzpatrick:
Cyclists are often maimed and killed on our roads because of their own stüpïdtƴ, it’s not always down to the vehicle driver. Cyclists are the worst offenders for breaking red lights by a long way. It’s about time Cyclists were held to account, there would be a lot more maimed and killed if it wasn’t for drivers looking out for them and expecting them to do something stupid.
@Regular John: i keep up to date with cyclist deaths, there aren’t that many nowadays thankfully, but can’t find any that were due to a cyclist’s stupidity. any examples in recent years? on the other hand there are plenty of examples of reckless drivers killing people while drunk or speeding, many hit and runs too.
@Regular John: every single day cyclists break the red lights near where I work. They have a protected cycle lane and cars coming from the local hospital are constantly almost in contact with the people on bikes who ignore the red lights and fly past. Cyclists most definitely should be stopped by any passing garda car and spoken sternly to.
@lisa jones: yeah yeah yeah, every single junction I pass on the way to work has five or six cars going through the lights on red, every sequence. I don’t think the odd bike is the problem here.
@Horza Gobuchul:
Why is it that Cyclists want everyone apart from themselves to obey the rules of the road ?
15 minute cities here we come, nothing to do with safety, everything to do with tracking and tracing your every movement!
@Jonn: Cuckoo!
@Jonn: You need to be a special kind of gullible to swallow the ’15 minute city’ conspiracy theory.
@Vladimir Poutine: No: backing up what I say.
Facts still exist, even if people like you want to live entirely by their feelings.
https://www.ucem.ac.uk/whats-happening/articles/15-minute-city/
@Vladimir Poutine: new account name, but not new to this comment section. Was Chop Chop banned?
@Brendan O’Brien:
Now Brendan,when will you learn, you might as well be quoting the ‘Beano’ to me, or ‘Anglers Monthly’, as the Irish Times, basically the in-house newsletter of the civil service,the very people authorising these mandates!
@Jonn: There’s a lot of other material out there if you don’t like the Irish Times. Try my University College of Estate Management link, or this:
@Jonn: Take off your tinfoil hat!!!!!
@Vladimir Poutine: 15 minute cities aren’t a conspiracy theory. A conspiracy theory has attached itself to the concept of 15 minute cities.
@Jonn: This could also be used to bring in ULEZ zones like our neighbours in the UK. If this happens here i would expect a bladerunner type reaction to this car surveillance.
Mespil rd turning right onto Leeson st is a prime example of red light breaking, because there is no bloody filter light and cars are left sitting in the junction. They have no choice but to break the red light.
@Gerard Carey: 100 per cent. It’s crazy. At peak traffic times there is zero opportunity take that right turn without breaking a red light. For such a busy junction I can’t fathom why there isn’t a filter light there.
@Brian: I reported it to DCC.
They couldn’t care less
@Gerard Carey: Why am I not surprised…
@Brian: If you are in the junction will already have passed the green light so would not be breaking the red light. If the light has turned red and then you proceed to the junction in order to turn, then you will have broken the red light and would be eligible for a fine.
@stu nolan: That’s why there should be a filter light to clear the junction.
@Gerard Carey: That isn’t breaking a red light, that is clearing the junction. What Stu says above is correct. There may still be a need for a filter light but stating people are forced to break red lights is nonsense.
@Regular John: No, it’s breaking a Red light.
@Gerard Carey:
It isn’t read Stu’s comment again and then read the rules of the road. Better still book a few driving lessons.
Where I live I don’t see this problem so much but what I do see is the lights going green and then people deciding to put the car in gear and drive away, seconds are lost and a couple of cars would be gone through if people were ready for the light change, it’s not as if it takes them by surprise, if you’re sitting at lights there’s a 100% chance the lights are going to go green at some stage, be ready… Why can’t we have a system like in the UK where when the lights are red and about to change green, the amber and red light are both on for a second giving the cars that time to get into gears and be ready to move when it goes green,its a system that works.
This issue is every road user. It’s also the synchronicity of the traffic lights. Certain areas are particularly worse than others one in particular is on Leonards corner in Dublin. I counted 3 seconds of a green light one day the bus barely got into gear to move before the lights changed to Red basically the bus broke the red light even though it was first in line. Another problem would be a pedestrian walking across when the light turns to green and everybody has to wait, by the time he crosses its red again causing more delays and frustration. It’s the same for some cyclists. They say motorists need to have patience well the problem is some have too much patience and don’t move when the light is green causing people to get frustrated and take a chance on breaking the red lights.
Today in a junction in Rathfarnham. sitting in the traffic lights for 5 min. the traffic lights were open( grenn ) for just three seconds. What a nonsense, no wonders why people breaks traffic lights
Have a numbered countdown at the lights like in Tbilisi, you can see the time left it’s more soothing.
@Dan Murphy: Great idea plus people can get ready to move
@Darren Cooney:
Enjoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ashbi8Y_l7g
Good
@Jonathan Hanlon: completely agree. Shocking behaviour
They should also include cars taking bus lanes and drivers using mobile phones.
Unrelated, but can the government now scrap the carbon taxes, everyone else giving up on the green stuff.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3374ekd11po
Cameras on zebra crossings might improve drivers behaviour.
Cars that slow down yet continue to be in motion, feels threatening to the pedestrians crossing the road. Look at the driver and they are head down, on their mobile, still in motion, oblivious to the person crossing.
When a driver gets out of a vehicle, they are then a pedestrian.
So treat others as you wish to be treated yourself.
@P0h2YVAL: Now that would make alot more sense, a way more common problem than breaking red lights from what I see on the road
Jaysus I lived in London in the late 90s and early 00s, and they had that technology back then. I remember also been amazed that they had electronic signs telling you when the next tube or bus was due.
@The Firestarter: you know what else they had in London in the 90s and 00s!? THE UNDERGROUND. We barely have a working bus system and the Luas is not fit for purpose and only serves the Southside.
Will cops be prosecuted? Show me the cop that ‘prepares to stop on amber without breaking the red light’ and I’ll show you this weekend’s winning lottery numbers!
I was out in Australia over Christmas, and that system is used out there. All drivers out there are afraid to drive through red lights because of cameras. It’s not facial recognition your registration plate is picked up. And as for pedestrian crossings everything stops even when the pedestrian is walking up to the crossing. 10 years driving ban if you hit a pedestrian. The pedestrian is always right. All school areas is 30kph with cameras. It was a pleasure to drive there.
It’ll still b like too much hard work for the guards to drag cyclists and e scooters through the courts for footpaths abuse sure they’ll need to keep their uniform s all nice n shiny for the cameras anyway won’t they
@liam ward: I see elderly pedestrians your age getting killed by motorists all the time in the news, our footpaths are covered in cars driving and parking on them yet you’re totally obsessed with cyclists and scooters posting this stuff all over Facebook and here. Make it make sense.
@liam ward: Here’s an idea:
Instead of mocking the guards, put on your trainers and try to catch someone on a scooter or a cyclist.
Unless it’s a five year old, you will quickly discover that it’s almost impossible.
“Government committed to rolling out cameras to catch red light breakers in pilot scheme”
Never noticed many lights been broken by people, wonder how the cameras work face recognition??
I do see drivers and cyclists failing to stop at red lights however most drivers it’s due to bad traffic light sequences.
How about disband the RSA and give authority to the HSA as they’ve done wonders with health and safety everywhere. Even though I know some of it’s over the top, but still they’re doing their job unlike the RSA who don’t even want to answer a phone call regarding a driving test date.
Let’s hope it includes scooters cyclists and electric bikes. They are the worst offenders
Pity they wouldn’t put them on some rural roads, instead of them expecting people to obey signs which they never did and never will.
Who comes up with these ideas
while rural roads are ignored also, no verges cut
Are only just in the Department..what a stupid comment ,when the idea for the cameras has been there since the last Government
@New Boy: I think they have the cameras on the continent since the 70′s. If I remember right, I was reading last year that Dublin or the whole country doesn’t have one single traffic engineer\planner by profession = they need a pilot because they don’t have a clue.
Typical Ireland.
They “pilot” something that’s been taken for granted in other countries for decades and present it as some kind of earth shattering stroke of genius.
About time. I moved home from the UK in 2001, and they had cameras doing just this at lights back then. We’re a tad behind the times…
Liz O’Donnell of the RSA. Jesus wept.
In this day and age All traffic lights should be sensor activated to avoid keeping people at lights for lengths of time that are completely unnecessary and infuriating prompting drivers to break red lights.
It’s not just road users that are to blame. Accountability for all aspects of road use falls on the state. By all means use technology etc to catch the culprits but driver education is key to changing the culture & it’s not fit for purpose in Ireland. Enforcement is poor & practically ignores minor breaches of road traffic laws. Engineering is overall poor quality with many of our secondary & tertiary roads in an unsafe condition. Signage & traffic information is well below European standards. It’s time the state created a strategy to being all aspects of our road use, education & enforcement up to acceptable international standards & stop tinkering around the edges.
@Michael O’Neill: primarily drivers need education on being ready to move when the light goes green not only when the car in front begins to move.
Also it’s those that plan and install traffic lights that need to be mindful of people stuck at these lights that are red when nothing is coming from any other direction, they need to use the technology that is widely available to automate these lights further sensors would solve a lot of behaviour issues at traffic lights.
In Dracten Holland they got rid of traffic lights.2017.guess what happened.driver behaviour improved and traffic flow increased 35 percent.its now practically common in all areas of Europe with cities towns of less than 100k people to improve safety.Why not here?
Can they fix the traffic lights first!
So many traffic lights are setup with either sensors or timers in the reverse. Some have timers when they should have sensors and visa versa. Areas get built up and then never upgrade them causing havoc for local areas.
How much will this cost to do and then run, it’s not something I see alot I have the maybe it’s different in bigger cities
@MN: “it’s not something I see alot I have the maybe it’s different in bigger cities”. What now?!
Why not start giving a reward to joe public when they take photos or dashcam footage of drivers jumping red lights??
Cool and what’s the outcome of introducing them ?
Would they consider putting cameras in the bus lanes like they do in the UK to stop them from being misused.
have your say