Mathew Dearnaley: Flouting the signals as old red, yellow and green

Running the red has been an all too popular Auckland pastime since the first set of "vehicle actuated" traffic lights was installed at the intersection of Customs and Albert Sts in June, 1947.

But the main culprits in those days were on foot, according to a Herald survey a month after the lights were switched on, when about 80 per cent of pedestrians were found to be ignoring them.

"It is notorious among motorists generally and those with a knowledge of overseas cities that Auckland pedestrians do not obey traffic regulations as much as they should," the newspaper wrote.

That view was echoed by the mayor of the day, Sir John Allum, who said he could not understand why so many Aucklanders should flout the lights while people overseas obeyed them.

But there was no law against jay-walking at the time, so it was a tram driver who became the first to be prosecuted for running the lights, although he was convicted and discharged without a fine after a magistrate asked him: "Have you got the hang of it now?"

Traffic officers were called in to explain safety benefits of the first lights to be introduced to Queen St at the end of 1947, at the intersection with Victoria St, when pedestrians complained about having to wait for several seconds after pushing buttons.

The following October, after another set of lights was installed near the ferry terminal in Quay St, a council traffic department loud-speaker car was used to bark at pedestrians crossing against the red.

A Herald report said that as far as a large section of commuters rushing to catch ferries was concerned, the council "might just as well have saved the cost of the signals and allowed the pedestrians to take their chances with the vehicular traffic".