Red means stop. Amber also means stop, unless you’re too close to stop safely. Green means go if the way is clear — it is not a right of way. A green arrow lets you go in that direction even on a red, giving way to pedestrians. A flashing amber arrow lets you turn but you must give way to cyclists on the cycle track beside you. There is no left on red for drivers. Running a red costs €80 and 3 penalty points.
Every signal explained
Tap a signal to see what it means, what to do and what the law says.
Green arrow
A filter: you may go in the direction of the arrow, even though the main light is red.
- Go only in the direction of the arrow, and only if it’s safe and clear.
- Give way to pedestrians who have already started crossing.
- When the arrow goes out, the red light applies again.
The law: Article 30(3)(b): a driver going in the direction of a green arrow “may do so when such lamp is illuminated” — still subject to the safety and yield conditions in 30(3)(a).
The rules are in Article 30 of the Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) Regulations 1997, which was rewritten on 9 October 2025. The new version added the flashing amber arrow that makes drivers give way to cycle tracks, and a sign letting cyclists go on red (see below).
The sequence
- GreenGo if the way is clear
- AmberStop unless you can’t safely
- RedStop behind the line
- GreenBack to the start
The lights can also be combined with arrows. A red arrow means you can’t go in that direction; an amber arrow means stop for that direction unless you can’t safely; a green arrow means you may go that way. A U-turn arrow works the same way.
What to do: 9 situations
Each diagram shows a crossroads from above, with you (green) approaching from the bottom and the signal facing you in the bottom-right corner.
1The light turns amber as you approach
- Stop at the line if you can do so safely.
- Don’t speed up to “beat” the red.
The rule: Amber means stop, unless you are so close that you cannot safely stop before the line (Article 30(2)).
2A green filter arrow lets you turn left on a red
- Turn left while the arrow is lit.
- Give way to any pedestrian already crossing the road you’re turning into.
- Don’t go straight ahead or turn right — the main light is still red for you.
The rule: A green arrow lets you go in its direction, but only if no other road user is endangered (Article 30(3)). The Rules of the Road calls it a filter light.
3The filter arrow goes out and the main light is red
- Stop behind the line and wait for green.
- Don’t follow the car in front through once the arrow has gone out.
The rule: The arrow only lets you go “when such lamp is illuminated”. Once it’s out, the red light applies (Article 30(1) and (3)(b)).
4You’re turning right on a full green
- Move forward into the junction and wait for a gap in oncoming traffic.
- Watch for pedestrians crossing the road you’re turning into.
- Don’t sit behind the line waiting for a right arrow that may never come — you can miss your turn.
The rule: Green is not a right of way: you must give way to oncoming traffic. In the driving test, waiting behind the line on a full green and missing the turn is marked as a fault.
5A flashing amber arrow beside a cycle track
- Check your mirror and left blind spot.
- Let bikes and e-scooters on the cycle track go straight on first, then turn.
- Don’t turn across a cyclist who is coming up on your left.
The rule: Since October 2025, a flashing amber arrow lets you turn, but you must yield to all vehicles using an adjacent cycle track approaching the junction (Article 30(3)(c)).
6Flashing amber at a pedestrian crossing
- Wait until everyone on the crossing has finished crossing.
- Then go, even if the amber is still flashing.
- Don’t edge forward at people still on the crossing.
The rule: On a flashing amber you may go only after yielding to any pedestrian who has started crossing (Article 30(4)).
7There’s a cyclist box (advanced stop line) at the lights
- Stop at the first white line you reach.
- Give cyclists in the box time to move off when the lights change.
- Don’t stop in the shaded cyclist box.
The rule: The Rules of the Road says drivers “must wait behind the first white line they reach and not cross into the shaded area.”
8The traffic lights aren’t working
- Stop at the stop line.
- Go only when it’s safe, giving way to traffic that has the right of way.
- Don’t assume the other road will stop for you.
The rule: The Rules of the Road: if lights are out of order, “you must first stop at the control line and only proceed when it is safe to do so”.
9An ambulance comes up behind you at a red light
- Stay where you are, and make room only if you can do it without crossing the line.
- Move through the red only if a Garda or emergency worker directs you to.
- Don’t drive through the red light to clear the way.
The rule: The Rules of the Road says never break a red light to let an emergency vehicle pass “unless you’re directed to do so by the Gardaí or emergency service personnel.”
Luas, level crossings and other signals
- BUS lights: lamps showing the word “BUS” control the bus lane only. If you’re in a general traffic lane, follow your own signal. More in our bus lanes guide.
- Luas signals: trams have their own white-bar signals, which can show something different from the lights for cars. Don’t follow a tram through a junction — wait for your own green.
- Railway level crossings: you must not pass the stop line or barrier while the red lamps flash. The RSA says flashing red lights there mean the same as a steady red. This is a separate offence: €80 and 2 penalty points (5 on conviction).
- Overhead lane control signals: a red X means the lane is closed — don’t drive past it in that lane; a green downward arrow means the lane is open.
- Cycle lights (with a bicycle symbol) apply to cyclists, e-scooters and e-mopeds, not to drivers.
- Yellow boxes at lights: even on green, don’t enter unless your exit is clear. See our yellow box junctions guide.
Cyclists and “left on red”
Since 9 October 2025, where a special cyclist sign with an arrow is fitted beside the lights, cyclists and e-scooter and e-moped users may go in the direction of the arrow on red, giving way to pedestrians and traffic. In February 2026 the Minister said a pilot location had been agreed with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, to be run by the National Transport Authority.
For drivers nothing changed: you may not turn left on red anywhere in Ireland unless a green or flashing amber arrow for your direction is lit.
Myths vs the law
Fines and penalty points
| Who | Fixed charge (28 days) | Next 28 days | Penalty points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driver failing to obey traffic lights | €80 | €120 | 3 (5 on conviction) |
| Driver at a railway level crossing | €80 | €120 | 2 (5 on conviction) |
| E-scooter user | €50 | €75 | — |
| Cyclist | €40 | €60 | — |
If a fixed charge isn’t paid within 56 days, the case goes to court, where a conviction brings 5 penalty points and a fine set by the court. Some websites call €120 the “court fine” — it’s actually the late-payment amount. See our penalty points guide for how points add up and affect insurance.
How many drivers are caught
4,932 “fail to obey traffic lights” penalty point offences were recorded on Irish driving licences in 2025. In the first seven months of 2026 there were 3,414 — up 18% on the 2,903 recorded in January–July 2025.
These are offences recorded on licences (after payment or conviction), not the number of drivers stopped by Gardaí, so they lag the date of the offence.
Red light cameras
- Junctions: no red light camera has been reported as operating at an ordinary road junction. A pilot ran at Blackhall Place / Benburb Street in Dublin in 2015. A Dublin pilot planned for 2025 didn’t go ahead; in January 2026 the NTA said cameras at “one or two isolated junctions” would not give a scalable system.
- Level crossings: a red light camera has operated at the Merrion Gates crossing in Dublin 4 since 30 January 2026 — the first of up to six. It led to 94 fixed charge notices in its first five months.
- The plan: the National Safety Camera Strategy (April 2026) focuses on speed, red light and bus lane cameras, with an initial aim of 10–20 new camera locations a year across all types. An oversight group chaired by the NTA met in June and August 2026; no dates for junction cameras have been announced.
Know the rules, and know what your car really costs
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Frequently asked questions
Sources
- S.I. No. 182/1997, Article 30 (traffic lights) — revised text, as substituted 9 October 2025
- S.I. No. 473/2025 — Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
- S.I. No. 433/2025 — Road Traffic Signs Regulations 2025 (traffic light types, stop lines, Luas signals)
- Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) Regulations 1997 — full revised text (Art. 8 yielding, Art. 31 level crossings)
- S.I. No. 227/2024 — fixed charges (Schedule 5 €80, Schedule 7 €50, Schedule 8 €40)
- Road Traffic Act 2002, Schedule 1 — penalty points (3 on fixed charge, 5 on conviction)
- Dáil written answer, 13 Jan 2026 — penalties for running a red light
- RSA — Rules of the Road (traffic lights, filter arrows, lights out of order, emergency vehicles)
- CSO table PPM03 — penalty point offences recorded by offence and month
- National Safety Camera Strategy (29 Apr 2026)
- Dáil written answer, 13 Jan 2026 — NTA on red light cameras at isolated junctions
- Dáil written answer, 16 Jul 2026 — Merrion Gates level crossing camera
- Dáil written answer, 29 Sep 2026 — Camera Enforcement Oversight Group
- Dáil written answer, 4 Feb 2026 — cyclist left-on-red pilot