Heads down, lights on: Dublin installs new light signals for phone-obsessed pedestrians
The first of the red lights, that illuminate the ground, have been installed on Tara Street and are a new safety initiative from Dublin City council.
The move is in a bid to better alert pedestrians who are looking at their phones or otherwise distracted, to pay attention to the traffic ahead. New lights are being installed at junctions in Dublin city to alert distracted pedestrians when to cross the road. Pic: Collins
Having been increasingly successful in other European countries including Poland and the Netherlands, the new initiative is currently operating under a trial basis.
Feljin Jose, Dublin City Councillor and Green party transport spokesperson previously told The Journal: 'The broad idea is that they are being trialled at very busy junctions where there's a lot of pedestrians crossing that may be distracted.'
He added: 'That's exactly the kind of thing that the traffic department should be doing, seeing what improves safety and what doesn't.' The first of the red lights, that illuminate the ground, have been installed on Tara Street and are a new safety initiative from Dublin City council. Pic: Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The lights have been dubbed 'zombie lights' elsewhere, with Dublin City Council eager to implement them in other high traffic areas of the city.
Speaking on the move, a spokesperson for the council said: 'DCC have been trialling this technology at Tara Street for a number of months and will also be trialling different technology at other crossings to determine if there is any requirement for this type of technology to be rolled out at other locations.'
'To date it is too early to determine if any particular technology is suitable and if there is sufficient evidence to roll it out at further locations.'
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