Cameras that document drivers who fail to adhere to red traffic signals will be established by the start of the upcoming year, according to Eamon Ryan, the Minister for Transport. These devices, which photograph the license plates of drivers who disregard the law by not stopping at red lights, will first be positioned in Dublin, stated Mr. Ryan. The initiative will then be expanded to cover the whole country.
Mr. Ryan revealed that he received an overview on Monday afternoon about the securing of these cameras, which also upkeep offences related to bus lanes. “Primarily, the system will be used to monitor bus lanes, parking and adherence to traffic regulations,” he explained. “Our surveys reveal a significant number of individuals repeatedly violate traffic regulations, which raises serious safety issues.”
According to Mr. Ryan, this implementation would involve no major expenditure and would substantially save precious resource in the form of Garda manhours, as penalties could be automatically generated. He anticipates the cameras being operational by the end of the year or early next year.
On Monday, the comments were made at an international transportation confernece in Dublin. In 2015, automated cameras tracking red light offences were trialled at the crossroads of Blackhall Place and the Luas Red Line in the northern part of central Dublin. The experiment, initiated by the then Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe, cost €30,000 and lasted six months, recording 813 transgressions. A 2016 report by Transport Infrastructure Ireland highlighted that the leading cause of Luas crashes was frequent road accidents, primarily due to vehicles infringing red signals at junctions where Luas comes into contact with road traffic.
The majority of violations were spotted within the initial quarter of the trial, with the count of motorists breaching signals dipping by 50% in the following three months. Comparable technology has a global utilisation history extending over numerous years, taking in countries such as Australia, Canada, the UK and the US.
Those found guilty of running a red light face a penalty of three points and must pay a fine of €80. If the penalty is not settled within 28 days, the amount increases to €120. During the trial phase, all legal challenges against fines issued were unsuccessful.