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We’ve heard various urban legends relating to traffic lights, particularly around whether the pedestrian crossing button actually makes a difference or if it’s just some kind of ‘placebo’ to keep you waiting for a break in traffic. TheJournal.ie spoke to traffic and road system managers and road safety advisers in Ireland to find out how those pedestrian lights really operate…
When a pedestrian presses a traffic light button to cross, does it influence the speed at which the lights change for them to cross?
In short: yes… and no.
Traffic lights systems and pedestrian crossings vary depending on their location and light changes are influenced by the flow of traffic, the number of pedestrians, the distance you have to cross, and if traffic or pedestrian sensors are involved.
Sensing your presence
Often in Ireland, pedestrian traffic lights will not be engaged until someone pushes that button. In particularly busy urban areas where high levels of pedestrians are expected to cross throughout the day, lights automatically include a pedestrian signal as part of the traffic light sequence.
Other crossings, though, have different light management systems involving sensors.
At some junctions, a sensor will actually note that a pedestrian is waiting to cross without them pushing any button, and will queue a light change for them in the lighting sequence to allow a break in traffic. (These can also cancel a request to cross if the person has walked away and is no longer waiting.)
Similarly, detectors can be put on traffic signal heads to detect gaps in traffic and give a pedestrian green light accordingly.
At other junctions, particularly on wider roads with a pedestrian ‘refuge’ in the middle, the little green man will automatically come up when traffic is stopped, allowing pedestrians to get halway across while waiting for the next section to change.
Countdown
In places of high traffic and high pedestrian volume, like Dublin’s Ha’penny Bridge, the pedestrian lights will show a countdown timer. The theory here is that having a countdown showing when the lights will change and allow the pedestrian to cross safely will discourage people from taking a chance to nip across the road.
There are set guidelines for the length of time the pedestrian lights stay green in relation to the distance pedestrians have to cross. They may also stay green for longer if the sensors note a high volume of pedestrians walking in a particular direction, such as after a match or concert.
Some crossings have a special button (for example, ones marked with braille) for pedestrians who may need more time to cross, and they will facilitate a longer green light.The light changes also factor in how far cars travel from the stop position to where pedestrians are crossing.
Do the light changes adapt to different times of day?
In the case of those really busy urban areas where pedestrian light changes are automatically included in the traffic light sequence, yes. The auto-system only operates during the day (generally, 7am to 7pm). The other light systems will continue to adapt their sequencing to traffic and pedestrian volumes, which are typically much lower at night.
How are the locations of pedestrian crossings determined?
It all depends on the level of road use – for vehicles and pedestrians – but you can make a request to your local authority to consider new locations for pedestrian crossings. The introduction of a new crossing depends on safety factors, accident statistics, the difficulty for people getting across the road and the demand for a crossing (if there is high pedestrian footfall in the area, or a school nearby).
The type of crossing also varies depending on what best suits that situation: it could be (seriously) a zebra, toucan, pelican or puffin crossing. Picking between them depends on the speed and volume of traffic, the width of the road to cross, and what kind of delay pedestrians face when waiting to cross (the longer the delay, the more likely people are to chance a run across).
Local authorities will assess the requests for crossings and compile a shortlist of priority crossings. Actually introducing a new crossing though, depends on the available funding.
Safe crossing
Under the 1997 Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) Regulations, pedestrians should not cross a road within 15 metres of a provided pedestrian crossing “except by the crossing”. The Rules of the Road carry guidelines for pedestrian road use, including how to safely cross the road:
Makes sense, the tax system needs to be fair and encourage people to earn more
@Nick Allen: I would agree, but I think the capital gains reduction is just as important, if not more important. A self employed person already has a level of control over how much tax they pay, but not over capital gains. Lowering capital gains would allow people sell off one, and start up another business more easily and with more investment funds. 33% is crazy. I personally know people that won’t sell due it, and their businesses have become a little stagnant. Capital gains is big player in that.
@Niall Sullivan:
Yes, CGT should be slashed to help promote new businesses
@Blarneykite: And I don’t owe you anything- what ‘risks’ has anybody actually taken if they’re clearing 100k a year in this country, seeing as everything is geared to favour those in circles of influence and penalise all outside, be they shop floor workers, small businessmen, small farmers or tradespeople?- The people on the higher USC rate are, by definition, inside a Golden- Silver- or Bronze Circle and should be treated accordingly. Tax as a concept exists not just to fund services but induce fairness, and anybody on big bucks has plainly benefited more than most from our collective resources, that’s why they MUST pay at a higher rate- 70% on earnings over 100k seems appropriate, given the state of housing and health services- and that’s roughly what business people paid in the western democracies 1945-1970- the most successful economies in history.
@Michael Bride:
70% on earnings over 100k, are u insane? The implications of that to Irish business would be severe
@Michael Bride: what risks have t
@Michael Bride: well perhaps they too
@Michael Bride: ‘has plainly benefited more than most from our collective resources’, so nothing at all to do with hard work and willingness to do 70 hours a week? Do you think it just lands at people’s feet because they’re lucky?
@Michael Bride: what risks?
Oh well let’s see…
I remortgaged my home to fund my business.
I didn’t draw down a salary for the first 2 years, whilst employing 7 people.
Brexit really hurt the business last year. The directors took a pay cut, the staff got pay rises
This is the last day of my vacation and I spent it travelling to a customer so I can attend a meeting tomorrow.
People like you are clueless
@Ciaran Whyte: well said Ciaran, some people haven’t a bloody clue. My husband has been on ‘holidays’ the last week and he’s worked some bit everyday. I’m not complaining I’m just saying that’s the reality.
@Nick Allen: say your a nurse in the public service earning €40k and paying, income tax, USC, pension contribution, pension levy, PRSI .Then paying rent, for a car and running a car and surviving on the bread line with the leftover crumbs, would view that person in the private sector on €100k as very lucky indeed. Very few people in Ireland earn over €100k those who do are not going to get any sympathy from me or from 99% of those who survive on half or a lot less than that.
@Charles Williams:
Your argument is completely irrelevant. Face facts, people earn 100k+ and at a lot of tax. It is only fair that the tax take is equal for each person earning the same amount.
How about those earning Minimum wage get a Tax cut? Earning €100k a year and suggesting a tax cut? FFS
@Joseph Dempsey: the issue is that it’s unfair as you don’t pay it if you work for a company but do if you are self employed. We should not be punishing people who take the risk of going out alone and are successful.
G
@Joseph Dempsey:
Someone on minimum wage pays only 884€ a year in tax on earnings of 18,759, you seriously suggesting that is reduced? Everyone needs to pay some tax
@The Guru: I agree. People do take big risks going alone and could lead to further employment for other people also which in turn leads to more tax being paid. The banks are the ones who should be paying the USC with the interest they make. I, like loads of other Irish citizens never borrowed a cent in my life off a financial institution. Why should we pay their mess back.
@Nollaig Elliot:
You still participate in the banking system every time you buy something or go out to eat or to the pub etc. All of these organisations borrow from the banks
@Joseph Dempsey: The self employed are paying an extra tax. A surcharge. Headline is misleading.
@Nollaig Elliot: I would say you are in the absolute minority there.
Take out every one under 18, then everyone who has taken a mortgage, or credit card, car loan , credit union loan, overdraft and so on. That pretty much scoops up the whole of Ireland.
We need banks, No matter how much we seem to hate them.
In relation to taxes and self employed people. Hey should probably be given a tax break or incentive of some sort related to every full time person they employ. This will encourage them to hire people
@The Guru: A fair section of self employed people use very clever accountants who can work wonders at reducing tax for the very rich. FG were always associated with this group . I don’t think much has changed it never will
@Joseph Dempsey: how can the get a tax cut when the pay fuk all tax. FF
@Alan Scott: you mean a fair section of self employed people use accountants who know how to maximise the tax laws in this country for their clients gains. And so they should. If they are breaking the law en-masse then we’re all ears if you have proof.
@Joseph Dempsey:
People on minimum wage don’t pay tax.
Ministers, TDs and Senators should be on the same PAYE as anybody else, and buy their own cars to get to work – reality check.
@John Considine: they’re not on the same PAYE as every other employee in the state?
@John Considine: They are.
@John Considine: You think there’s special tax rates for politicians, really?
@Reg: politicians don’t pay BIK for parking, don’t have to show receipts for all claimed expenses, get allowances for kit ( eg laptops), as for pensions, ministers get a pension after 3 years (perhaps some justification, if only to help them stay honest, but clawback if they are not), T.D.s after 20 years, the cost of which, privately, would be an 100% top up on their salary.
It’s not just the old USSR that needed/needs glasnost & perestroika (showing my age there).
People earning over 100k already have one of the highest marginal rates of tax in Europe. Cut their taxes and also cut the bloated welfare to the able bodied welfare dependents.
@Fred Jensen: Whats the point of your post? Nobody pays the marginal rate, so in effet your post is stating ‘Ireland has the highest rate when taxed in a way that nobody pays their tax’.
Effective tax rate is what people actually pay i.e. reality.
@The Risen:
You wouldn’t know what i mean because i’m talking about incentives to work hard and progress in life… you want equality of poverty and free stuff from taxpayers.
@The Risen: Do you know what marginal rate means? Anyone that earns over EUR33,400 pays 49% on every additional Euro increasing to 52%, 55% for self employed.
Perhaps you’d like to clarify your statement that “Nobody pays the marginal rate”?
@The Risen: And marginal tax rate is what affects people’s decisions when they decide whether or not to pursue a promotion or, as is the case with the self-employed, expand their businesses, usually with a requirement for more workers. That means, as Trump would say, JOBS!
These guys make a lot of sense.
You won’t build a fairer and better society by giving tax cuts to the haves and have mores.
@The Risen: really? I’m not sure you understand this one. The headline calls it a tax cut – but in reality it removing an extra unfair charge on people who get out and create employment. That way they pay the same tax as PAYE workers who earn the same amount.
How is it fair to tax employers more than employees earning the same amount?
@The Risen: nor will you build a better society by removing the incentives to strive for more . By and large those on €100k a yr work dam hard for it , and those who earn it thru self employment have taken risks and generate employment they should be incentivised .
@The Risen:
Do you not think there should be equality between paye and self employed?
Higher rate payers pay over 50% of salary in tax. Minimum wage pay about 5%. That’s hardly giving tax breaks to the higher earners
@The Risen: you think our tax code needs to be more progressive so? Either way extra tax for self employed is wrong
@Martin Byrne:
TheRisen probably understands it but it doesn’t suit his agenda and he only posts about his own agenda rather than what the article is about.
Guys, I apologise. I glanced the article and misread the gist of it. After a couple of weeks of reading about tax cuts in the budget, I thought ‘here we go…’.
Anyways, yes, both self employed and PAYE should be on the same USC rate above €100,000. I’d also advocate moving all working people earning over €100,000 to the higher rate on what they earn over that amount, rather than cutting tax for one sector while we are in the middle of multiple crises.
@The Risen: so more progressive!!!
I just think the whole system is a farce. To suggest a person earning 33800 is a high income earner and slap on 52% tax onto the everything after that just shows how’s ridiculous this tax system is. Considering the cost of rent, fuel, insurance etc this is literally barely enough to get by.
@BigBear321: they hire accohntants to claim all that back, claiming that a self employed person on 100k comes out less money than a PAYE worker on 100k is disingenous, I know both and self employed ppl claim every penny/cent possible back that pretty much if not totally balances it out, thats including cost to hire said accountant.
Write it off in expenses boys!!!
Who should really get a Tax Cut ….
- Families whose shelter is taxed .. LPT .. no tax on state housed families!
- Car owners of pre-2008 cars who pay penal motor tax while those who can afford new cars pay little …
- First time buyers who have to pay €28,000 VAT on a new home … no VAT in UK
- First time buyers who have to pay €5,000 for social housing … daft
- €19 Billion on health system ..highest tax in EU …
- School tax for new books EVERy year!
Societists needed not Economists to design a proper fair Irish Society ….
Irish urgently need to bring their brains to the Polling Booths …
People should pay their taxes, including Apple!
The construction of Tax loop holes and other tax avoidance schemes is immoral and unjust! Tax avoidance and tax evasion are the same and should be treated as such!
@Jarlath Murphy:
Should the government not look at the bigger picture? Would Apple and all of the other US multinationals be in Ireland if the tax rate was higher then other EU countries? How many jobs do we have as a result of our tax rates? We can’t have it both ways where we attract all the businesses with high paying jobs and the tax the hell out of them
@Nick Allen: Why not? They benefit from the infrastructure that we as a society built up over the years, why should they not pay their taxes the same as everyone else?
So they employ people, that’s great! That is the result of sound economic decisions to ensure we had a well educated and healthy workforce, by our society as a whole and paid for by previous taxes!
If they all paid their taxes we could probably reduce the tax burden on all instead of leaving the PAYE sector to carry the burden!
I hear drug cartels employ people too, should we decriminalise to encourage more such “industry”?
@Jarlath Murphy:
It’s nice to think that the multinationals locate in Ireland because of our educated workforce and its a good sound bite. If you believe that the most influential factor in attracting foreign investment is anything but the tax rate then you are in cuckoo land.
@Nick Allen: Nick if you think we should roll over for anyone with a fistfull of dollars you should open a brothel!
@Jarlath Murphy:
A bit of a dumb comment. Maybe an idea for you to try and understand the concept of corporate taxation a little more
@Nick Allen: Followed by an even dumber comment by your goodself!
Maybe an idea for you to Try and understand the concept of social responsibility a bit more?
@Jarlath Murphy:
Social responsibility is something we all should look for but the problem is someone has to pay for it.
@P.J. Nolan: And if everyone pays their taxes we can pay for it!
@Jarlath Murphy:
If we did not have the multinationals here then we would have huge unemployment. The issue of taxation is far more complex that you are demonstrating an understanding of. Also, contrary to popular belief, multinationals do pay tax. The Apple tax issue is still been investigated and even if they lose the 13Bn will not be for the Irish exchequer
@Jarlath Murphy: Apple definitely should pay their corporation tax.
In the USA, their home country from where all of their innovation derives.
Furthermore the people being screwed for this surcharge are mostly employers of staff and pay significant employer’s PRSI. The 11% USC for self employed is unjust and discriminatory . Reform needed urgently.
Once you become self employed then the Social Welfare system does not want anything more to do with you ever and the Tax ones look at you as a criminal from then on and if you get sick then hard luck…
How about we don’t give any more tax cuts and instead build houses for the 7,700 homeless people, invest in health so that 600 people are not on trolleys waiting to be seen, build more schools and hire more teachers so that we don’t have the largest class sizes in Europe, invest in our water infrastructure so no family suffers when it falls apart and invest in a publicly owned childcare system so that parents can work if they wish.
Still talking about tax cuts after €2.9 billion has been given in recent years while all the above problems continue to get worse is nuts.
@Cissy Cahalan:
only someone not paying the higher rate of tax and USC would say that.
The boom is back for the upper class, Pascal you plonker.
@Gavin Redmond:
Why should a paye earner pay 3% less tax on earnings over 100k?
@Nick Allen: it’s a known fact that the tax system in this country is far from sufficient, but a paye earner can’t claim expenses, where a self employed person can, (not on everything I know) pro’s and con’s in everything and the pro’s far outweigh the con’s when self employed.
@Gavin Redmond:
The only expenses a self employed person can claim are for legitimate business expenses which they should be entitled to. Anything other than that is tax evasion and against the law. The revenue need to combat this if it is a problem but increasing the tax rate to take into account a level of tax evasion is not the answer. BTW, I am a PAYE earner and not trying to just get a reduction in the tax rate for self employed
@Gavin Redmond: expenses are company expenses for running the company. There is very little even close to personal savings. The other fact is one year they increase tax on self employed the next they scrapped it saying it was unfair then the brought it back in the next budget. The tax should be the same.
@Nick Allen: 100% agree if they are legitimate then claim away, but we all know how easy it is to get around the system in this country.
@Nick Allen: I recently had a conversation were a guy was advices by accountant to register as self employed rather than PAYE as that would cut his tax bill in half. There are far too many tax loop holes in self employment and these need tightened to bring some parity between PAYE and self employment.
@M Bowe:
I agree to tightening the loopholes but imo the solution is not to increase a higher tax rate. The revenue should clamp down on questionable tax returns
@Gavin Redmond: The boom is back and getting boomier
What self employed person earns that much unless they are giving massages with happy endings lol.
@Alois Irlmaier: I know a few that do. IT contractors mostly but architects and engineers too. It is simply taxing people who get less from the government. Talk of clever accountants is nonsense you can’t avoid income tax like people think. You need to be super rich to have the ability to setup the things people think can be done. €100k is not super rich and it doesn’t mean you earn that every year either
Maybe if they declared what they are actually earning,
More rich whingers . Anybody earning 100,000 is doing fine.
Sure why pay taxes at all when you’re rich? How about introducing a single tax percentage across the board? Everyone pays on every Euro earned. Fair AF, no exceptions
Yeah.? That sounds Wheelie faiw pawschul..Keep all the wich wicher.And too howl with the west ..That eawn a lot less..! Sowwy about the whiting.! But im suwe ewybody knows what im on abouw..! You snowsly snickah..
Yeah.? That sounds Wheelie faiw pawschul..Keep all the wich wicher.And too howl with the west That eawn a lot less..! Sowwy about the whiting.! But im suwe ewybody knows what im on abouw..! You snowsly snickah..
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