It is to be feared that the majority of the citizens of Dublin do not take the new traffic lights seriously. Of course, there are other cities the inhabitants of which maintain that the Dubliners take nothing seriously. Certainly the residents of the capital have displayed an airy insouciance in some of the most trying experiences that ever befell a city. In normal times they are nonchalant to the point of recklessness, particularly where road traffic is concerned, and motorists from other countries have nearly had heart failure after driving through our streets at the "peak" hours. Although the traffic lights have now been in position for many weeks, there is still a general tendency to regard them as more in the nature of decorative effects than aids to safety. The majority of the citizens remain blissfully oblivious of their real purpose, and treat them with the same calm disregard that they display towards the authorised pedestrian crossings.
The Irish Times, March 31st, 1939.