School Zone Speed

BudLove

Hey guys, i'm new here and don't know where to post this but I have a question regarding the speed limit in school zones.

A Garda told me that there is a special time at which the speed is 40km during 9 - 9.30am and 3 - 3.30pm. But my question is if the lights are flashing at lets say 11am outside of the times listed above, do you go the normal limit of 100km?

Cheers,
Bud

spurious

100k past a school at any time of day would be risky imo.
Kids leave and get let out of schools at all times of day.

BudLove

Ya but the school is in the middle of no where on the main road, and thats the speed limit, i'm just wondering which is law, the signs or the specified times at which the lights SHOULD be on.

If they were faulty and were on at 9pm, do you obey the signs or the actual limit.

djimi

You obey the road signs and markings, always, even if they seem to contradict what you would ordinarily accept to be the rules of the road. If theyre faulty then so be it; youre talking about probably a 500m stretch of road where you have to drive 40kmph so its not that big of an inconvenience.

BudLove

I see, it's for a ticket I received though doing 87km in the 60km zone but the lights weren't on and the garda wrote down 9.25am but I have a feeling it was after 9.30am. He also said too many people were getting away with it so he'd "have to do me" or "give me a ticket" can't remember excatly which it was.

He told me that it's a special zone between 9 - 9.30am and 3 - 3.30pm. So now I have an 80 euro fine and 2 points coming. I'm just wondering about appealing it.

Would insurence go up much with 2 points? I'm male and will be 20 in August so it's not that cheap at the moment

djimi

Its your word against the guards with regard the time Im afraid. To be fair you shouldnt be doing more than 50mph past a school at that hour of the morning anyway so Im not sure an appeal will get you very far.

2 points wont (or at least shouldnt) affect your insurance at all. Most insurance companies ignore 2 points and only start getting arsey at 4 points.

Atomic Pineapple

Is this "Special" speed limit for the mentioned times posted on signs?

kasper

a school i pass regularly is 50kph , there was a fatality there years ago ,most times i am passing it at 50kph the racer behind me gets annoyed and overtakes me . i think it should be an instant ban for speeding past a school

Anan1

On the face of it, 87km/h past a school does sound pretty excessive. What exactly do the signs say?

BudLove

There's two tall signs on either side which have in lights a red circle with 60km/h also in lights then under that there is the two yellow circle lights that alternate and under that is the yellow diamond with the kids on it.

The school is on the left with a place to park beside the road and a ditch opposite it.

cyclopath2001

BudLove wrote: »

There's two tall signs on either side which have in lights a red circle with 60km/h also in lights then under that there is the two yellow circle lights that alternate and under that is the yellow diamond with the kids on it.

Not sure that there is any law in Ireland that permits speed limits to change during the day. So, I'd say the limit there is 60 at all times.

In any case, that's the max and if there was an accident, it would not matter if you were at 60 or not, you'd have to prove you were driving with reasonable care.

slimjimmc

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

Not sure that there is any law in Ireland that permits speed limits to change during the day. So, I'd say the limit there is 60 at all times.

In any case, that's the max and if there was an accident, it would not matter if you were at 60 or not, you'd have to prove you were driving with reasonable care.

There is : Sec. 9, Road Traffic Act 2004

(5) In making special speed limit bye-laws under this section a county council or city council may, in the interests of road safety, apply a special speed limit for a specified period or periods during any day or during specified days (such periods and days being indicated in such bye-laws) on a specified road or specified motorway or part of it and such special speed limit shall, notwithstanding any other provision in the said bye-laws relating to any such road or motorway or part of it, be the speed limit for that road for that period or periods only.

(6) Having regard to circumstances that are particular to a specified national road or motorway or any specified part, carriageway or lane of a specified motorway or national road, a county council or city council may, subject to subsection (7), specify in special speed limit bye-laws that a special speed limit applies in respect of that national road or motorway or part, carriageway or lane of it, in lieu of the speed limit that normally applies to the national road or motorway, for any period where the circumstances prevail and are described in the bye-laws.

(7) A county council or city council shall not make bye-laws under this section relating to a national road or a motorway without the prior written consent of the National Roads Authority.

SI 756/2005 describes a Periodic Special Speed Limit sign


http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie/understanding-traffic-signs/regulatory-traffic-signs.html

Esel

BudLove wrote: »

There's two tall signs on either side which have in lights a red circle with 60km/h also in lights then under that there is the two yellow circle lights that alternate and under that is the yellow diamond with the kids on it.

Just tell the judge you never noticed the signs/lights. He'll understand.

BudLove

Ya, i'm sure that would go down well, I WOULD have noticed them if they had been on. But about two feet after the 60 km/h sign is the small 100km/h sign.

I'll probably just pay the fine and take the points it's due on the 28th.