Monday 20th September 2004

Irish Government to hike speed limits

Metrication results in common-sense decision

---

Irish metrication under EU regulations has resulted in a common-sense decision to increase the motorway speed limit to 120kph -- about 75mph, up from the old 70mph. The standard road limit increases 2mph to 100kph. Key factors in the decision were:

• Multiples of 10 are easier to remember and apply
• The change is relatively insignificant
• Modern road conditions and modern cars are safer and so the increase will not decrease safety.

In respect of safety, the Irish government committee which examined the issues said in its report:

"The significant investment in the improvement of the national roads network and the development of new motorway infrastructure since the last review of speed limits in the early nineteen nineties has given rise to a situation where there is, in general, a significant degree of difference between the design, construction and capacity of the national road network by comparison to non-national roads. The Working Group considers that these developments need to be factored into the consideration of the deployment of a new speed limit structure.

"Improvements in vehicle construction standards mean that vehicles are safer at higher speeds than heretofore. The penetration in the vehicle fleet of passenger cars with a capacity to safely travel at increased levels of speed suggest that it is timely to consider increasing the current motorway speed limit of 70mph."

In the current fact-bending climate that swirls around UK transport policy, it is, sadly, hard to imagine such a decision being taken in the UK.

The full report is here.

[twin turbo]

Having just returned from a weeks motoring holiday in Ireland....this makes sense. I did wonder why distance signs were in KM whilst speed signs were still in MPH! Guess they are just getting around to it.

Good on em' for rounding up, not down!

However, due to the state of most of the smaller roads, we had self imposed speed limits to reduce damage to the car (and the sump guard in particular!).

[pdV6]

article said:

Modern road conditions and modern cars are safer and so the increase will not decrease safety.

About time GB Ltd worked that out and killed off the arbitary 70mph motorway limit.

[agent006]

Oooh, a whole 5 mph. And due to a technicality. hardly a victory worth parading in the streets about.

[anonymous-user]

agent006 said:

Oooh, a whole 5 mph. And due to a technicality. hardly a victory worth parading in the streets about.

I think the point to be clinging to is the fact that in this environment of "Speed Kills", they've not rounded down as they might have been expected (and lobbyed) to do.

[mybrainhurts]

They can't do this....Speed Kills.

[kevinday]

Ok, it is a step in the right direction, but why did they not realign the speed limit with Europe and have a 130 kmh for motorways?

[sidevalve]

kevinday said:

Ok, it is a step in the right direction, but why did they not realign the speed limit with Europe and have a 130 kmh for motorways?

Have they *got* any motorways? They didn't last time I went...

[Twin Turbo]

They have an N25....which had much less traffic than our M25!!

I didn't come across any motorways though, just dual carriageways.

[TripleS]

agent006 said:

Oooh, a whole 5 mph. And due to a technicality. hardly a victory worth parading in the streets about.

Exactly. It's not getting me all that excited really.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[Muck Savage]

They are upping the limit on the motorways (less than ten of them I think) but reducing the limit on predominant countryside roads (i.e. about 90% of roads) from 60mph to 50mph.

Many of these roads are fun to drive if you're capable but sadly there are plenty of accidents on them too. Almost all are single vehicle accidents late at night. Either drink driving, young late night Schumachers or truck collisions it seems.

It's a shame then that the gardai(police) spend all their time ticketing people for a few mph over the limit on straight safe roads 9-5 mon-fri. Can't blame them too much though as their bosses give them ticket quotas to get. So of course, they go to the most inappropriately speed zoned roads to get their daily fill.

mikel