There are countless numbers of incredulous speed limits across the country at present.
There are countless numbers of incredulous speed limits across the country at present.
SPEED limits are generally expected to protect and are viewed as being for the good of all in order to ensure safety on our roads.
But what happens if the speed limit you’re abiding by puts you and everyone else in danger?
There are some truly absurd speed limit designations on certain roads around the country.
It’s a bewildering experience to leave a national primary route where the speed limit is 100 kph and travel along a narrow country road and see a signpost informing you that the speed limit is 80 kph.
Some roads which have this designation aren’t fit for travelling on at 40 kph let alone double that.
It’s difficult for two cars to pass each other comfortably on some of these roads, and many are nothing more than ‘boreens’ which have grass growing in the middle and are dotted with potholes.
Such limits contradict the many measures which have been taken to improve road safety such as the introduction of drink driving laws and the presence of speed camera vans.
New speed limit signs have been erected around the country throughout the past few years and have left many motorists gazing at them in disbelief.
I could name a dozen roads in County Waterford where the limits are too high and I know that there are many, many more which have frustrated motorists.
Of course we also have the problem of speed limits which are inappropriately low.
Thankfully, Waterford City Council raised the speed limit on the Outer Ring Road to 80 kph last October.
Since it opened in 2005 it was clear that a designation of 60 kph was inappropriate for such a high quality dual carriageway.
Such ludicrous limits aren’t unique to this area of course. These peculiarities are common throughout the country but vary in their degree of stupidity.
Dublin city also experienced problems when, in 2010, a 30 kph limit was expanded throughout the city centre which prompted a huge outcry as it was deemed excessively low.
The lack of consistency is due to the fact that it is up to each local authority to assess a road and select an appropriate speed limit.
The national default speed limit is 80kph and if a road is so minor that the local authority never even assesses it, then the national speed limit applies and it has to be signposted by law.
AA Ireland is engaged in an ongoing campaign to address the situation which it has described as “shambolic, daft and ludicrous”.
The organisation says that one change to legislation to drop the speed limit on all minor roads would solve all the inconsistent problems at the one time.
In a circular sent to city and county managers by the Department of Transport in 2011, local authorities were ordered to take down high speed limit signs on dangerous stretches of roads.
And, last year, Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar announced that a major nationwide audit of such limits would take place.
Such action is most definitely necessary as it appears that many examples of outlandish speed limits are still in existence.
Any ‘boy racer’ or any other speed demon that travels on a narrow rural road at 80 kph technically isn’t breaking the law.
There are some truly unbelievable images online of speed limits across the country and, as there are plenty to choose from here as well, I’d love to see some of your own pictures of ridiculous speed limit signposts in your own area.
The Outer Ring Road issue was addressed after much campaigning so some publicity might force the powers that be to reassess the limits in other areas as well.
Photos of incongruous speed limit signs are humorous but the topic is deadly serious and needs a concerted effort to address it as soon as possible.
If you have any images of plainly daft speed limit signs on country lanes or boreens, please email them to kfoley@munster-express.ie.