Gardaí have warned that there will be “no transition period” to the new speed limits on rural local roads and people found to be speeding will face a penalty.
It comes as Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien and Minister of State Seán Canney launched the Slower Speeds, Safer Roads information and awareness campaign, to highlight the forthcoming change in speed limits.
On Friday 7 February, the speed limit on many rural local roads will change from 80km/h to 60km/h.
Chief superintendent Jane Humphries in the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau said that those travelling faster than the new legal speed limit on rural roads will be liable for prosecution.
"There can be no transitionary period,” she said. "An Garda Síochána will be utilising our network of roads policing and front line resources and technology to enforce these new speed limits on local rural roads.
“An Garda Síochána partners in Road Safety, GoSafe, will also be deploying mobile safety camera vans as required to enforce the new lower speed limits.”
Future phases
Further implementation phases will focus on the speed limit in urban cores, which include built up areas as well as housing estates and town centres, reducing to 30 km/h.
The speed limit on national secondary roads is recommended to reduce from 100km/h to 80km/h.
Local authorities have received grants to change speed limit signs from ‘80’ to ‘60’ on relevant local roads.
The striped ‘rural speed limit sign’, which is used as an alternative to numeric speed limit signs on specific single lane rural roads, will also now mean that a maximum 60km/h limit is in force.
Speaking at a Bank Holiday Road Safety appeal, Seán Canney said that reducing speed on these roads increases the time we have to react to an unexpected situation
“A reduction in the default speed limit from 80km/h to 60km/h on local rural roads, which can be narrow and winding, with limited visibility, and where sadly many collisions happen, is a step in the right direction towards tackling the unfortunate increase in fatalities and serious injuries we have seen in recent years,” he said.
"As a nation, we have made great strides in making our roads safer for all in recent decades, and we must keep this up.”
Fatal collisions
In April 2024, the Road Traffic Act 2024 was signed into law and included provisions to amend the default speed limits on rural, local roads, urban roads and national secondary roads.
The change, recommended by a working group of relevant stakeholders, is in line with the ‘Vision Zero’ aspiration for 2050 adopted across EU member states and the Irish government’s road safety strategy has the primary aim of reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries on Irish roads by 50% by 2030.
International research has shown that speed is a contributory factor in a third of fatal collisions, and that reducing speed significantly reduces road deaths.
Countries across Europe have lowered speed limits on certain road types in recent years which has contributed to a 10% reduction in road fatalities in France and a reduction in insurance costs in the UK.
"There is no doubt that speeding is a significant contributing factor to many collisions and going slower will benefit us all,” added Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien.
By reducing speed limits on many rural local roads from 80km/h to 60km/h, the government is taking action to reduce road fatalities and serious injuries.”
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Gardaí have warned that there will be “no transition period” to the new speed limits on rural local roads and people found to be speeding will face a penalty.
It comes as Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien and Minister of State Seán Canney launched the Slower Speeds, Safer Roads information and awareness campaign, to highlight the forthcoming change in speed limits.
On Friday 7 February, the speed limit on many rural local roads will change from 80km/h to 60km/h.
Chief superintendent Jane Humphries in the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau said that those travelling faster than the new legal speed limit on rural roads will be liable for prosecution.
"There can be no transitionary period,” she said. "An Garda Síochána will be utilising our network of roads policing and front line resources and technology to enforce these new speed limits on local rural roads.
“An Garda Síochána partners in Road Safety, GoSafe, will also be deploying mobile safety camera vans as required to enforce the new lower speed limits.”
Future phases
Further implementation phases will focus on the speed limit in urban cores, which include built up areas as well as housing estates and town centres, reducing to 30 km/h.
The speed limit on national secondary roads is recommended to reduce from 100km/h to 80km/h.
Local authorities have received grants to change speed limit signs from ‘80’ to ‘60’ on relevant local roads.
The striped ‘rural speed limit sign’, which is used as an alternative to numeric speed limit signs on specific single lane rural roads, will also now mean that a maximum 60km/h limit is in force.
Speaking at a Bank Holiday Road Safety appeal, Seán Canney said that reducing speed on these roads increases the time we have to react to an unexpected situation
“A reduction in the default speed limit from 80km/h to 60km/h on local rural roads, which can be narrow and winding, with limited visibility, and where sadly many collisions happen, is a step in the right direction towards tackling the unfortunate increase in fatalities and serious injuries we have seen in recent years,” he said.
"As a nation, we have made great strides in making our roads safer for all in recent decades, and we must keep this up.”
Fatal collisions
In April 2024, the Road Traffic Act 2024 was signed into law and included provisions to amend the default speed limits on rural, local roads, urban roads and national secondary roads.
The change, recommended by a working group of relevant stakeholders, is in line with the ‘Vision Zero’ aspiration for 2050 adopted across EU member states and the Irish government’s road safety strategy has the primary aim of reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries on Irish roads by 50% by 2030.
International research has shown that speed is a contributory factor in a third of fatal collisions, and that reducing speed significantly reduces road deaths.
Countries across Europe have lowered speed limits on certain road types in recent years which has contributed to a 10% reduction in road fatalities in France and a reduction in insurance costs in the UK.
"There is no doubt that speeding is a significant contributing factor to many collisions and going slower will benefit us all,” added Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien.
By reducing speed limits on many rural local roads from 80km/h to 60km/h, the government is taking action to reduce road fatalities and serious injuries.”
Read more
Increasing tractor driver age limit ‘not the right approach’
Almost 3,800 tractor licences issued in 2024
Four tractor drivers killed and 11 injured on Irish roads since 2019
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