Rural speed limits to be revisited

Speed Limits Working Group suggests introduction of new signage for rural roads

 What's the news?

The Speed Limits Working Group, which was set up by Minister Varadkar, has published a report recommending that many of the current speed limit signs around Ireland be removed and replaced with new non-numeric signs indicating that no specific speed limit has been set on that road.

Currently, there are hundreds if not thousands of small rural roads that have had a blanket 80km/h speed limit applied. In many cases the Working Group's report has suggested that it would be too dangerous to have such a high speed limit on such roads. Although an 80km/h speed limit will remain in place, the new sign, which consists of a black circle with a diagonal line, means that the individual driver must use their own judgement - without exceeding the 80km/h limit.

Conor Faughnan of the AA said: "Irish Motorists have been hugely supportive of road safety policy in recent years. AA members are continually telling us that they support speed enforcement but that many speed limits across the country are set incorrectly. The updated policy announced today is a huge step forward in addressing those anomalies. It will allow for a consistent and rational approach across the entire network which is very necessary and very welcome."

Anything else?
An Appeals System will also be put in place to allow members of the public to appeal to the local authority about a specific speed limit within their area. The local authority must then consider the issue within a set timeframe and make a decision on the appeal. This appeals board will comprise of independent experts and decide on a case-by-case basis.

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