A BIG change in on the way for thousands of Dublin drivers this month.
Dublin City Council is introducing signage-only zebra crossings throughout the city.
A new change is on the way for Dublin drivers[/caption]
Signage-only zebra crossings will now be introduced across the city[/caption]
The change is part of an updated guideline from the Department of Transport which allows zebra crossings to be marked with signage instead of flashing beacons.
An update to the legislation specifies that all vehicles must stop and give way to pedestrians waiting to cross or already crossing – even if they haven’t stepped onto the crossing yet.
In a statement, the council said: “Dublin City Council is pleased to announce the rollout of signage-only zebra crossings in the City Council area.
“The guidance around the use of zebra crossings was updated in February 2024 by the Department of Transport to allow the use of zebra crossings with signage instead of flashing beacons.”
This change is a shift from the previous rule, which required vehicles to stop only once a pedestrian had begun crossing.
And Dublin City Council is now urging all road users to familiarise themselves with these new crossings for safety and awareness.
Since the legislation update, two new signage-only zebra crossings have already been installed.
This includes the one on Blackditch Road in Ballyfermot and another on South William Street.
The council also revealed that they have plans to install more of these crossings across the city later this year, in a bid to improve pedestrian safety.
Before this legislation, zebra crossings across Dublin city included flashing amber beacons.
And the new approach is designed with the aim to reduce installation costs, following successful trials by the Department of Transport and NTA.
There are now three types of zebra crossings: Type A with flashing beacons, Type B using a fluorescent yellow-bordered sign, and Type C which doesn’t require either beacons or a sign.
Dublin City Council has since begun rolling out Type B crossings, which replace beacons.
They are installed where conditions like good visibility and street lighting are met.
These crossings will be placed in areas where speed limits are under 50 km/h and traffic volumes are relatively low to ensure pedestrian safety.
Meanwhile, drivers will now need to give their driver number when taking out or renewing insurance under new rules.
This is being carried out in the hope of targeting drivers on Irish roads who have failed to obtain insurance cover.
Drivers in Ireland are each given a driver number which is unique to them.
This number will never change regardless of the vehicle, policy, or licence.
This number can be found under section 4(d) of your driving licence.
The new move will come into effect by the end of this month, making it an official offence for any insurance provider or broker to give insurance without being provided with the driver number.
The driver number must be provided for all named drivers on the policy.
If a motorist fails to do so, they will not legally be able to receive the insurance.
The new legislation will see driver licence numbers being made available to Gardaí on the roadside, the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) said.