People driving in the Republic are being urged to take note as new speed limits officially come into force this week. The move, aimed at improving road safety, will see speed limits reduced significantly on many roads across the country.
Starting this Friday, February 7, the default speed limit on rural local roads will drop from 80km/h to 60km/h - a 20km/h reduction designed to make roads safer for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists alike.
New road signs reflecting the lower limits will replace existing ones, and the Rural Speed Limit sign - a white circle with three diagonal black lines - will now indicate a maximum speed of 60km/h instead of 80km/h.
This week's changes are just the first phase of a nationwide speed limit overhaul. Later this year, further reductions will take effect. The exact date for this rollout has yet to be confirmed, but drivers will see:
Urban areas, town centres and housing estates will see speed limits lowered from 50km/h to 30km/h National secondary roads will be reduced from 100km/h to 80km/hGardai have warned that strict enforcement measures will accompany the changes, with speed limits being monitored by handheld and vehicle-mounted speed detection equipment, speed camera vans and average speed and static cameras monitoring systems.
Drivers caught exceeding the new speed limits face:
A fixed charge fine of €160 and three penalty points Failure to pay within 28 days increases the fine to €240 After 56 days, unpaid fines may lead to a court summons with fines of up to €1,000 and five penalty points upon conviction To avoid court, drivers can pay a €320 fine - twice the original fine - up to seven days before their scheduled court date Accumulating 12 penalty points within three years results in an automatic six-month driving banThe speed limit reductions come in response to rising road fatalities. After reaching a record low of 132 deaths in 2021, road deaths climbed to 180 in 2023. Official statistics show that nearly 73% of fatal crashes between 2020 and 2024 happened on rural roads where the speed limit was 80km/h or higher.
A Government spokesperson said: "Reducing speed can significantly increase the chance of survival in the event of a traffic collision, and lowering speed limits on Ireland's road network will save lives."
The Government's Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 aims to drastically reduce road deaths and achieve Vision Zero - zero road deaths or serious injuries by 2050. The World Health Organisation estimates that a 5% reduction in average speed could cut fatal crashes by 30%.
In addition to lower speed limits, Ireland could see an increase in speed enforcement measures. Last month, transport expert and former AA Ireland director Conor Faughnan suggested that the government could introduce more speed cameras, including traffic lights on main roads that flash red for exceeding the limits.
He said: "We are likely to get a lot more cameras. Speed cameras, traffic cameras, red light cameras."
It is claimed that one possibility is the adoption of a Portuguese-style speed control system, where traffic lights on main roads turn red if a driver is speeding, forcing them to stop.
Public-awareness campaigns will be launched to inform drivers about the new limits and educate them on the importance of adhering to them. Gardai urging motorists to to familiarise themselves with the updated regulations.
For more details on changes in your area, check with your local authority.
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