When one Luas junction proved especially high-risk for crashes, cameras were mounted to detect road users breaking the red lights. And now the results are in for the full period of the pilot.
A pilot project that saw detection cameras installed at a dangerous Dublin junction has revealed motorists broke the lights more than twice as often as cyclists.
And before fines were introduced for drivers, their rate of offending was even higher.
In the period before the fines, some 87 per cent of people breaking the lights were driving vehicles.
New figures, for a near 18-month period, reveal that when fines were introduced for drivers, their rate of offending dropped off.
During the full near 18-month period of the trial, some 32 per cent of red light offenders were on bicycles and 68 per cent were in vehicles.
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Despite the success of the cameras - in making detections, issuing fines and bringing about a drop in the number of drivers breaking the lights – there appear to be no plans to replicate the system at other junctions.
Indeed, the project at the junction where it was operating has now come to an end.
Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan said he was unaware of any plans by the Garda or other agencies involved in the pilot project to continue or expand it.
The cameras were installed in Dublin’s north inner city at the junction of Blackhall Place and Benburb St.
When the red Luas line began running through the area, the junction proved a dangerous one.
Several collisions occurred when drivers broke the red lights as the Luas was coming across the junction.
The red light detection pilot project ran between June 2015 and December 2016.
Under the system, the cameras automatically took photos of vehicles and cyclists breaking the red lights.
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The cameras only recorded the offenders, rather than all vehicles or cyclists passing through the junction. Because of that, the only data available is for the number of people who broke the lights.
And the only breakdown that has now been made available is for the number of drivers and the number of cyclists recorded breaking the lights.
The project was established between Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the National Transport Authority, Dublin City Council and An Garda Síochána.
In reply to a written Dáil question from Catherine Martin TD (Greens) Mr Flanagan set out the number of detections under the pilot project.
“There were 1,300 detections (and) 737 of these detections were accepted and processed for prosecution, while 563 were rejected. Cyclists accounted for 73 per cent of all rejections,” he said.
“Detections may also be rejected due to obscured/obstructed camera images, or in cases where the vehicle registration is not visible.
“Some 624 fixed charge notices (FCNs) were issued, of which 440 FCN amounts were paid (71%).”
The stats mean that of the total 1,300 detections, 32 per cent were cyclists. And of the total number, 57 per cent resulted in an FCN being issued.
Only 34 per cent of the total 1,300 detections resulted in an FCN being issued and paid.
Mr Flanagan was unable to offer any more information on the number of prosecutions before the courts.
The Irish Court Service told the Department of Justice the data from this one pilot scheme was not compiled separately.
It means there is no information about those motorists to whom an FCN was issued but who did not pay.
These should have been brought before the courts when their fines went unpaid. But there is no information available on that group.
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