New speed limits in Ireland will reduce speeds by 20 km/h to improve road safety
Dublin: Speed limits on many Irish roads will drop by 20 km/h next month. This change aims to reduce common road accidents.
Starting Friday, February 7, rural local roads will see a 25% speed limit cut. The limit will go from 80 km/h to 60 km/h. New signs will replace the old ones to show this change.
The Rural Speed Limit sign will also change. It will now indicate a limit of 60 km/h instead of 80 km/h.
From 2020 to 2024, 73% of road deaths happened on rural roads with an 80 km/h limit or higher. Almost half of serious injuries occurred on these roads too.
This change is part of the Road Traffic Act 2024. More speed limit reductions are expected later this year.
In urban areas, the speed limit will drop from 50 km/h to 30 km/h. National secondary roads will also see a decrease from 100 km/h to 80 km/h.
These new limits come as road deaths in Ireland have increased in recent years. Between 2006 and 2021, fatalities dropped significantly, from 365 in 2006 to 132 in 2021.
However, road deaths rose sharply again, reaching 155 in 2022, 184 in 2023, and 174 in 2024.
A transport expert recently suggested that the government might use speed control tactics. This could include traffic lights that flash red for speeding drivers.
Former AA Ireland director Conor Faughnan mentioned that more cameras could be installed. This includes speed cameras, traffic cameras, and red light cameras.
There’s also talk of adopting a Portuguese tactic. This would involve traffic lights turning red to stop speeding drivers on main roads.
