As local elections loom, motoring issues are slowly creeping up the agenda, thanks in part to threats from the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, that he will remove the power to set speed limits from local authorities if they are not increased or re-assessed.
The move has highlighted the fact that in most instances it is the local councillors - and not the Department of Transport - who are responsible for the seemingly illogical limits on main national routes which in turn have led to complaints against the Garda who enforce these limits. The Minister has also said that these limits harm the general acceptance of the penalty points system.
With over 1.9 million cars on our roads, the potential voting pool of interested motorists could well put speed limits onto the election agendas in several constituencies, and force councillors to account for decisions on zoning particular areas as 30mph when there is little residential or industrial building in the area and the roads are more than capable of taking a higher speed.
The Minister's request highlights specific stretches of road where the Department believes the speed limits may be too low.
At present, the setting of speed limits within the national limit system is a reserve power for local authorities, who usually consult the NRA and Garda beforehand.
Of the 43 locations identified by the Department in conjunction with the AA and the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), most are in the cities and on dual carriageways.
However, Conor Faughnan of the AA says the list is by no means extensive, and local councils and motorists will know of roads in their areas where speed limits seem inappropriate.
"The list or roads we provided to the Department was largely compiled from the daily complaints we receive from members about getting points on wide stretches of straight road, along with the experience of all our officers and employees, from mechanics to hotel inspectors. Our initial list had between 50 and 60 routes on it, but no doubt the Government asked other bodies for their input. The current set of locations are perhaps what would be regarded as a priority."
Among the reasons given for reviewing the speed limits on various stretches, the most common statement is that there is "no obvious reason for the low limit" and in many instances the report received by the local councils cites the fact that these limits often make it "very hard for motorists to comply".
Most of the proposed new limits increase the permitted speed by 10 mph. The list includes some stretches which have become notorious for Garda speed traps, including the Belfield flyover near Stillorgan, Dublin, and the Lucan Road in west Dublin.
There are, however, three instances where the advice is to lower the limit. These are in Limerick on the Patrickswell bypass, where the current 60 mph limit may be reduced to 50 mph because of poor street lighting and the fact that the road is narrow and vulnerable to high winds.
In Wexford, the road from New Ross to Clonroche, currently 60 mph, may be changed to several lower limits in places because of the numerous junctions and heavy truck traffic on the route. Finally in Cork, the road from Fountainstown to O'Leary Cross may be reduced to 40mph.
