Speed limits reduced across Irish roads as part of plan to reduce deaths Speed limits are being reduced on hundreds of rural roads in the Republic of Ireland as part of a Government plan to tackle the number of road deaths.
Minister of State at the Department of Transport Sean Canney said: “Today’s speed limit change is an outcome of many years of consultation, deliberation and engagement across the system, most notably from the evidence base of the 2023 Speed Limit Review and close collaboration with local authorities who are implementing this reduction.
The “rural speed limit sign”, which is used as an alternative to numeric speed limit signs on specific single lane rural roads, will now mean that a maximum 60km/h limit is in force.
“Systemic changes like today’s speed limit reduction and road safety education – along with enforcement – have helped us significantly bring down road deaths, but in recent years this trend has worryingly reversed.
Research by the Road Safety Authority has shown that seven in every 10 fatal traffic collisions happen on rural roads with a speed limit of 80km/h or higher.
