Plans to reduce speed limits revealed

Plans to reduce speed limits on Irish have been revealed.

The Government published the findings of Speed Limit Review report, which if approved, would see changes on a host of roads across the country.

Key proposals include the default speed limit on national secondary roads being reduced from 100km/h to 80km/h, the default speed limit for the network of local and rural roads throughout the country reducing from 80km/h to 60km/h, and the default speed limit on urban roads, which include built-up areas as well as housing estates and town centres, reduced to 30km/h.

A statement from the Department of Transport read “there has been a remarkable transformation in safety on Irish roads in recent decades. Between 1997 and 2021, the number of annual road deaths fell from 472 to 137,” and noted the reduction was achieved “despite the number of vehicles on our roads increasing significantly in the same period.”

A recent wave of high-profile road traffic accidents have lead to calls to reform speed limits in Ireland, with data from the World Health Organisation showing that fatalities in road traffic accidents can be reduced if speed is reduced.

Discussing the recommendations, Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said “this report is being published at a critical time, when fatalities on Irish roads are increasing at an unacceptable rate and after a particularly painful period of time when we have lost too many young people and families who all set out on their journeys expecting to arrive safely.

“The devastation and loss is being felt right across the country and we have to take action to make our roads safer and more predictable for everyone who uses them. We committed in the Programme for Government to review and, where appropriate, reduce speed limits to address road safety issues and ensure greater compliance. The implementation of the recommendations in this report will contribute to making Irish roads safer for all road users.”

Minister of State Jack Chambers added “the marked rise in road fatalities this year has been a source of serious concern to all of us. There is no doubt that speeding is a significant contributing factor to many collisions.”

Minister Chambers helped launch Vision Zero, which aims to cut road deaths by 50% in Ireland since 2030.

“The Government is committed to working with our colleagues in the RSA, the Gardaí and other stakeholders to deliver reform of the penalty points system, implement the speed limit review and deliver public information campaigns, among a range of other policy and enforcement measures, to work towards a future with no deaths on Irish roads,” Chambers said.