OK, bit of a rant here but can't find an answer in the rules of the road for this so maybe someone here can clarify this for once and for all.Filter traffic lights have been installed at the entrance to my housing estate to access main road by turning right or left onto it. So far so good you might think. However so far so confusing. The filter traffic signal is just a green light no left or right arrows. Traffic leaving the estate who are turning right do so as soon as the filter light goes green and proceed on.
However the traffic lights for the main road are just at the exit and you can see one side of them as you turn left. A little further on there is a pedestrian crossing for the main road as well which is part of the traffic sequence and does't change on demand iykwim. These traffic lights on the main road are of course red when the filter light is green.
Most drivers leaving the estate and turning right are proceeding when the filter light is green and ignoring the red light , assuming that it is to stop oncoming traffic on the main road (myself included). Some drivers however are abruptly halting as soon as they turn, which means only half a car can turn right at a time!
Myself and others feel its only a matter of time before someone runs into someone from behind. So are we right in our interpretation of the traffic signals or are we the bad drivers? Even the gardai seem confused by it - when I was leaving the estate today I beeped the car ahead of me to move on as it had braked sharply as soon as it left the estate. ( I wouldn't normally do that and meant it as a little 'helpful' beep - sick child in the back threatening to vomit hence my urgency!)A passing guard 'gave out' to me - I told her that i understood that the red light was for traffic on the main road and we should be following the green filter light, the same as traffic turning to the right was doing.She couldn't tell me if I was right or wrong, maybe someone here could.
However the traffic lights for the main road are just at the exit and you can see one side of them as you turn left. A little further on there is a pedestrian crossing for the main road as well which is part of the traffic sequence and does't change on demand iykwim. These traffic lights on the main road are of course red when the filter light is green.
Most drivers leaving the estate and turning right are proceeding when the filter light is green and ignoring the red light , assuming that it is to stop oncoming traffic on the main road (myself included). Some drivers however are abruptly halting as soon as they turn, which means only half a car can turn right at a time!
Myself and others feel its only a matter of time before someone runs into someone from behind. So are we right in our interpretation of the traffic signals or are we the bad drivers? Even the gardai seem confused by it - when I was leaving the estate today I beeped the car ahead of me to move on as it had braked sharply as soon as it left the estate. ( I wouldn't normally do that and meant it as a little 'helpful' beep - sick child in the back threatening to vomit hence my urgency!)A passing guard 'gave out' to me - I told her that i understood that the red light was for traffic on the main road and we should be following the green filter light, the same as traffic turning to the right was doing.She couldn't tell me if I was right or wrong, maybe someone here could.