The new Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien, and the Minister of State Seán Canney, have jointly launched a new ‘Slower Speeds, Safer Roads’ campaign as the country gears up for the new 60km/h rural speed limits starting on 7 February.
The campaign is aimed at raising awareness of the new speed limits, which will apply to many rural roads which, at the time of writing, have a speed limit of 80km/h.
Contributing factor
Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien said, “I am delighted that the ‘Slower Speeds, Safer Roads’ information and awareness campaign has launched. This Government is committed to reducing road fatalities and creating safer roads for everyone in Ireland. There is no doubt that speeding is a significant contributing factor to many collisions and going slower will benefit us all. By reducing speed limits on many rural local roads from 80km per hour to 60km per hour, the Government is taking action to reduce road fatalities and serious injuries. These measures are part of a range of initiatives to improve road safety and help us to progress toward our longer-term goal of Vision Zero, as set out in the Government’s Road Safety Strategy and its Phase 1 Action Plan.”
The move comes in response to a sharp increase in the numbers killed in car crashes on Irish roads in the last two years, especially on rural roads. Notably, while grants have been made available to local authorities to change road signage, little has been done to improve the physical safety environment of these roads, and nor has the Government made any announcements regarding improvements in driver training.
While there will be some specific 60km/h signs in place, it’s important to note that the diagonal black stripe sign will also now indicate that a 60km/h limit is in force on these roads, a move which may well cause confusion, as traditionally that sign has indicated that the national road speed limit is in force.
These won’t be the only speed limit changes in the coming months. More 30km/h urban limits are on the way, and some roads with 100km/h limits will be cut to 80km/h.
Disputed figures
The Government quotes figures from France and the UK which claim to show that reducing speed limits contributed to a ten per cent reduction in road fatalities in France and contributed to a reduction in insurance costs in the UK.
However, the French figures are in dispute as although the French government claims that as many as 350 lives have been saved by reducing some limits from 90km/h to 80km/h, a spokesperson for la Ligue de Défense des Conducteur stated that an independent review of figures showed that the road deaths figure in almost half of all French Departments was stagnant. Equally, many of the roads with reduced limits were subsequently returned to the old 90km/h limit. It’s also worth noting that Germany, which has no permanent upper-speed limit for its Autobahn network, has shown ‘a consistent reduction in road deaths’ since the beginning of the decade.
As far as insurance is concerned, in spite of some speed limit reductions, the House Of Commons Library in the UK notes that insurance costs have risen by 82 per cent since 2021.
Nonetheless, speaking about the campaign at today’s An Garda Síochána and Road Safety Authority Bank Holiday Road Safety appeal, Minister of State Seán Canney said, “A reduction in the default speed limit from 80 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. Reducing speed on these roads increases the time we have to react to an unexpected situation, such that any collisions that might occur will be less impactful. This is just one of the range of measures and actions the Government is taking to make roads nationwide safer, including stepping up ongoing education, awareness campaigns, enforcement, and significant Government investment in infrastructure improvements. As a nation, we have made great strides in making our roads safer for all in recent decades, and we must keep this up. I have no doubt that if we work together, we can see the numbers of lives lost on our roads come down once again.”
Severity of penalties
Welcoming the launch, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan said, “I am delighted to support the launch of the Slower Speeds, Safer Roads information and awareness campaign, and indeed the lower speed limits being introduced. Successful road safety strategies require us to consider a number of matters that together can save lives: technology, road design, driver behaviour and education, severity of penalties, and speed limits. And of course, ongoing enforcement is a very important aspect of the Road Safety Strategy, be that by Gardaí themselves, mobile, static, and average speed cameras or other technology being deployed.”
Chief Superintendent Jane Humphries in the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau said, “An Garda Síochána has been working closely with the Department of Transport and other stakeholders in preparation for the implementation of reduced speed limits on certain rural roads. An Garda Síochána has in place the necessary structures to implement these changes. There can be no transitionary period. From Friday 7 February, those travelling faster than the new legal speed limit on rural roads will be liable for prosecution. 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. Remember: Slower Speeds, Safer Roads.”
Sam Waide, CEO of the RSA, said: "Speed is one of the most critical factors in road safety—both in the likelihood of a crash occurring and the severity of the outcome. The laws of physics are unforgiving: the energy and force involved in a collision increase exponentially with speed, meaning even a small reduction can significantly improve survival rates. The reality is stark—9 out of 10 pedestrians struck at 80km/h will not survive, while at 60km/h, that number drops to 5 out of 10. Lowering speed limits makes our roads safer for all users, particularly on rural roads where many serious and fatal collisions occur. This change will help reduce the risk of crashes and, crucially, lessen the severity of injuries when they do happen. We urge all road users to respect the new limits, as every kilometre per hour counts when it comes to saving lives.”