caught speeding on moniva road

cats.life

so people how many of you have being caught speeding on monivea road at the community centre last week. well i didnt but mr cats.life did. he was doing 90 . for people who dont know the area ,its 80km speed on that road. he know,s he has done wrong but i would like to know are there many more like him to get caught ?

mikom

cats.life wrote: »

i would like to know are there many more like him to get caught ?

Yes.

loser2old4board

No. But wherabouts is the community centre on the Monivea Rd?

galwayshelly

carnmore centre

Fozzie Bear

loser2old4board wrote: »

No. But wherabouts is the community centre on the Monivea Rd?

Its Carnmore Hurling pitch. About 1.1/2 miles from the traffic lights at Grealish's pub.

It was a red van for those of you who are interested parked up outside the hurling pitch wall. It was there on a few different occasions over the past week, different days and times.

aido76

I would say quite a few got caught out with that. I normally do the 80KM/H on that road anyway unless someone is only doing 50-60KM/H. You would think the road was a motorway the way some people drive on it. The camera was on the right after the airport heading into Galway in the 60KM/H zone a couple of times the same week. I'm sure a few people got caught there too.

Anybody know the reason for the 60KM/H zone after Carnmore Cross heading past the airport into the city? The road is as open as any road in the county, bar duel carraigeways and motorways, with a hardshoulder. Seems a bit ridiculus really. It's not very well signed after the cross either. One of the signs is knocked and the other is slightly twisted away from you. If you didn't use the road very often you would think the speed limit was higher than 60KM/H. 80KM/H would be more appropiate on that road.

Madame Razz

The speed camera is there again at the moment.

Iwannahurl

aido76 wrote: »

I would say quite a few got caught out with that. I normally do the 80KM/H on that road anyway unless someone is only doing 50-60KM/H. You would think the road was a motorway the way some people drive on it. The camera was on the right after the airport heading into Galway in the 60KM/H zone a couple of times the same week. I'm sure a few people got caught there too.

Anybody know the reason for the 60KM/H zone after Carnmore Cross heading past the airport into the city? The road is as open as any road in the county, bar duel carraigeways and motorways, with a hardshoulder. Seems a bit ridiculus really. It's not very well signed after the cross either. One of the signs is knocked and the other is slightly twisted away from you. If you didn't use the road very often you would think the speed limit was higher than 60KM/H. 80KM/H would be more appropiate on that road.

A school, residences, entrance/exits along that stretch could possibly explain the 60 kph limit.

I'm open to correction, but the limit may be 80 around the entrance to the airport. If so, that is too high.

johnnyk66

Iwannahurl wrote: »

A school, residences, entrance/exits along that stretch could possibly explain the 60 kph limit.

I'm open to correction, but the limit may be 80 around the entrance to the airport. If so, that is too high.

The speed limit from Carnmore Cross past the airport into about 500m before Briarhill School is 60kph, it then drops to 50kph past the school as far as roundabout.

Storm 10

And whats great about the Airport road is its 60 kph and every side road off it both left and right is 80 kph and you can hardly drive a car on those narrow roads. What a shambles our roads and speed limits are.

cats.life

the van was there again today but the cars who were coming towards me were flashing at me warning me at what lay ahead. i was going 70 anyway.but the flashing thingy is against the law isnt it, saw it some where that a fella flashed at an on coming car warning them that the gardai were stoping up the road but the car that he flashed was an of duty gardai. think he got done for dangerous driving or some thing like that.

aido76

Storm 10 wrote: »

And whats great about the Airport road is its 60 kph and every side road off it both left and right is 80 kph and you can hardly drive a car on those narrow roads. What a shambles our roads and speed limits are.

And from Carnmore cross towards Monivea is 80KM/H and the road is nowhere near as good as the airport rd.

I agree that 80KM/H would be too high at the airport enterance but from there to the 50KM/H zone before the school should be 80KM/H.

Iwannahurl

Storm 10 wrote: »

And whats great about the Airport road is its 60 kph and every side road off it both left and right is 80 kph and you can hardly drive a car on those narrow roads. What a shambles our roads and speed limits are.

Speed limits were changed from MPH to KPH in 2005. Before the conversion, AFAIK, the general limit was 60 mph and this applied to many of the side roads you refer to.

This seems to be confirmed by a May 2001 article in the Irish Independent:

NEW road restrictions on young drivers and a radical overhaul of speed limits were proposed by gardai last night. Mid-ranking members of the force declared that the general speed limit of 60mph was clearly too fast for many regional roads, which were narrow and winding and often had poor, potholed surfaces.

The new speed limit of 80 kph was a reduction on the previous general limit of 60 mph, but there seems to be widespread agreement that it's still not low enough for many of the side roads you refer to.

There are frequent complaints on Boards that the 80 kph limit for side roads is too high, and that this makes a nonsense of lower speed limits on better roads.

Couple questions for you, regarding your impressions/knowledge of the situation before the 2005 changeover.

What kind of campaigning/complaining re the inappropriately high 60 MPH limit do you think was done on Boards and elsewhere prior to the 2005 conversion to KPH?

Were there many calls on Boards for a lower limit for these side roads around 2004-2005 during the process of conversion to KPH?






.

Storm 10

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Speed limits were changed from MPH to KPH in 2005. Before the conversion, AFAIK, the general limit was 60 mph and this applied to many of the side roads you refer to.

This seems to be confirmed by a May 2001 article in the Irish Independent:

NEW road restrictions on young drivers and a radical overhaul of speed limits were proposed by gardai last night. Mid-ranking members of the force declared that the general speed limit of 60mph was clearly too fast for many regional roads, which were narrow and winding and often had poor, potholed surfaces.

The new speed limit of 80 kph was a reduction on the previous general limit of 60 mph, but there seems to be widespread agreement that it's still not low enough for many of the side roads you refer to.

There are frequent complaints on Boards that the 80 kph limit for side roads is too high, and that this makes a nonsense of lower speed limits on better roads.

Couple questions for you, regarding your impressions/knowledge of the situation before the 2005 changeover.

What kind of campaigning/complaining re the inappropriately high 60 MPH limit do you think was done on Boards and elsewhere prior to the 2005 conversion to KPH?

Were there many calls on Boards for a lower limit for these side roads around 2004-2005 during the process of conversion to KPH?






.

To be honest with you I was not a member on boards then I only became aware of boards when I joined something which I regret as there is such great info her, with regards to the crazy speed limits my other half is from the West and the road up to her house is unpaved yet its 80kph and coming down to turn onto the main road its 60kph. Even doing 20kph on the road its dangerous being so narrow and full of turns, crazy crazy set up.

aido76

The speed camara was outside the Carnmore pitch again this morning.
I witnessed the worse driving I have seen in a long time also. I was driving along behide another car doing in the region of 80KM/H most of the way until we came up behind another car doing around 70KM/H. Nothing wrong there as it's an 80KM/H zone. Another car came up behind me which I would say was doing more than 80KM/H. Went around the corner before the pitch and the front car slowed slightly. Again nothing wrong there either as they may have seen the speed van in the distances. Just as we came to the speed van the front car HIT the brakes down to about 30KM/H :eek: . There were no other cars coming against us and the road surface is not that bad (not great but not that bad). The car behind me nearly hit me. There was no reason for the car infront to hit the brakes only that the speed van was beside them. The car infront was doing nothing wrong in the first place but to hit the brakes for no reason was ridiculus. Do alot of people hit the brakes just as they are about to pass a speed van even when thay are within the speed limit? You are well intrully caught before this point. I understand people slowing a bit before they get to the van.
I know some people will write back here telling me that you should expect the unexpected. I do. You should leave enough braking distance to the car in front. I do. I have no problem with somebody hitting the brakes for a good reason but this takes the biscuit.
Sory RANT over:mad::mad::mad::mad:

sgthighway

If in your opinion you witness what you consider dangerous driving report it because the offender will not improve their driving habits.
Garda Trafficwatch: 1890 205 805

cats.life

aido76 wrote: »

The speed camara was outside the Carnmore pitch again this morning.
I witnessed the worse driving I have seen in a long time also. I was driving along behide another car doing in the region of 80KM/H most of the way until we came up behind another car doing around 70KM/H. Nothing wrong there as it's an 80KM/H zone. Another car came up behind me which I would say was doing more than 80KM/H. Went around the corner before the pitch and the front car slowed slightly. Again nothing wrong there either as they may have seen the speed van in the distances. Just as we came to the speed van the front car HIT the brakes down to about 30KM/H :eek: . There were no other cars coming against us and the road surface is not that bad (not great but not that bad). The car behind me nearly hit me. There was no reason for the car infront to hit the brakes only that the speed van was beside them. The car infront was doing nothing wrong in the first place but to hit the brakes for no reason was ridiculus. Do alot of people hit the brakes just as they are about to pass a speed van even when thay are within the speed limit? You are well intrully caught before this point. I understand people slowing a bit before they get to the van.
I know some people will write back here telling me that you should expect the unexpected. I do. You should leave enough braking distance to the car in front. I do. I have no problem with somebody hitting the brakes for a good reason but this takes the biscuit.
Sory RANT over:mad::mad::mad::mad:

no wonder the camera is out side there again with the twats who drive on there, they come right up behind you .,and nearly in my back boot some time,s,he must be getting loads of them go ing like the clappers, but what happened to you is a typical asshole of road, if they are that nervous they should be not behind a wheel of a car, as you say the camera would have got him if he was speeding away before he saw it, yes always exspect the unexspected but hitting the breaks dead like that :eek::eek::eek:.as for getting the reg ,well i say you had to recover from shock first , well done for not raming into it.

Eilswen1

aido76 wrote: »

Anybody know the reason for the 60KM/H zone after Carnmore Cross heading past the airport into the city? The road is as open as any road in the county, bar duel carraigeways and motorways, with a hardshoulder. Seems a bit ridiculus really. It's not very well signed after the cross either. One of the signs is knocked and the other is slightly twisted away from you. If you didn't use the road very often you would think the speed limit was higher than 60KM/H. 80KM/H would be more appropiate on that road.

I just received two tickets in the post- one for 14:01 and one for 14:06 both on the airport road. This means €160 and 4 points. I've emailed them about it but it seems totally unfair. That road is terribly signposted I was sure it was a 100km/h zone and when I saw the truck I thought maybe it's an 80km/h zone but was caught doing 69 and 76- raging!

KylieWyley

That is a bit ridiculous in fairness... Getting punished twice for the one offence. Hope common sense prevails there.

Also, 9 km above an already ridiculously low limit is hardly dangerous. If that was a garda manning a gun, you'd hope he'd have the common sense to let you by. My fear with this new gatso system, is that it'll be like the clampers, whereby you are blindly given a fine/ticket and then they have so much bureaucracy to hide behind when it comes to the appeals process to the extent that its nigh on impossible to get your money back.

AMHRASACH

@ Kiltullagh. A big money earner for the state.

Hotwheels

AMHRASACH wrote: »

@ Kiltullagh. A big money earner for the state.

To fund our wonderful banking system...

There is now a black gatso van doing the rounds as well, been on the N63 a few times this week...And met him coming into Turloughmore....

As hard as it may seem, watch your speed and deny these debt collectors any money.

Discodog

cats.life wrote: »

the van was there again today but the cars who were coming towards me were flashing at me warning me at what lay ahead. i was going 70 anyway.but the flashing thingy is against the law isnt it, saw it some where that a fella flashed at an on coming car warning them that the gardai were stoping up the road but the car that he flashed was an of duty gardai. think he got done for dangerous driving or some thing like that.

It would be impossible to prove that a driver specifically flashed his lights in an attempt to pervert justice.

DanielI

Eilswen1 wrote: »

I just received two tickets in the post- one for 14:01 and one for 14:06 both on the airport road. This means €160 and 4 points. I've emailed them about it but it seems totally unfair. That road is terribly signposted I was sure it was a 100km/h zone and when I saw the truck I thought maybe it's an 80km/h zone but was caught doing 69 and 76- raging!

That's tough... How long did it take them to issue the ticket?

Iwannahurl

Hotwheels wrote: »

To fund our wonderful banking system...

There is now a black gatso van doing the rounds as well, been on the N63 a few times this week...And met him coming into Turloughmore....

As hard as it may seem, watch your speed and deny these debt collectors any money.

That's the way to do it. Make sure they don't make a cent. Then everybody wins, no?

Iwannahurl

Eilswen1 wrote: »

I just received two tickets in the post- one for 14:01 and one for 14:06 both on the airport road. This means €160 and 4 points. I've emailed them about it but it seems totally unfair. That road is terribly signposted I was sure it was a 100km/h zone and when I saw the truck I thought maybe it's an 80km/h zone but was caught doing 69 and 76- raging!

That sounds very strange. Unless you were going back the other way on the same stretch of road 5 minutes later? Did you not see the speed camera?

KylieWyley

Iwannahurl wrote: »

That sounds very strange. Unless you were going back the other way on the same stretch of road 5 minutes later? Did you not see the speed camera?

answer:

...road is terribly signposted I was sure it was a 100km/h zone and when I saw the truck...

galwayrush

Ironic, the old Monivea road was brutal and the max speed limit applied, then they upgraded the road from Carnmore Cross to Briarhill and reduced the speed limit. The rest of the road to Monivea is still poor quality, narrow, lots of bad bends, but the max speed limit applies there.
Shooting fish in a barrel as regards colecting fine money for the State it seems.

Iwannahurl

galwayrush wrote: »

Ironic, the old Monivea road was brutal and the max speed limit applied, then they upgraded the road from Carnmore Cross to Briarhill and reduced the speed limit. The rest of the road to Monivea is still poor quality, narrow, lots of bad bends, but the max speed limit applies there.
Shooting fish in a barrel as regards colecting fine money for the State it seems.

There are various exits along that stretch, including residences and the airport itself. There is also a school in that location.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=70780852&postcount=9

Head The Wall

Yes and they were all there before the road was improved.

Iwannahurl

Eilswen1 wrote: »

I just received two tickets in the post- one for 14:01 and one for 14:06 both on the airport road. This means €160 and 4 points. I've emailed them about it but it seems totally unfair. That road is terribly signposted I was sure it was a 100km/h zone and when I saw the truck I thought maybe it's an 80km/h zone but was caught doing 69 and 76- raging!

I'm just in the process of checking roads in that area, using StreetView, and I think you may be correct. I've long believed that it's 60 kph from roughly the Briarhill side to Carnmore Cross, but I can't find any evidence of signage on StreetView.

You may have a case for having the speeding ticket(s) cancelled. Somewhere on Boards there is another case mentioned where 40 tickets were cancelled because the official speed limit on a stretch of road (near Athlone I think) was higher than that in the GoSafe database.

I presume you would need to have solid evidence that there is a problem with signage. Not sure what such solid evidence would be, but photos and exact locations would be a good start. Purely out of curiosity (and because I hate laziness and sloppiness in official matters) I am going to contact Galway Co Co to ask for the formal details regarding the speed limits in this location, especially the signage.

My quick scoot through StreetView suggests that there are not enough speed limit signs, and that they are absent where they are most needed. For example, why are there Drive On The Left signs in the vicinity of the airport but no indication of a speed limit? How are visitors supposed to know?

There may be other anomalies and oddities. The speed limit on some side roads is indeed clearly indicated as 80 kph as you leave the main road, but on the other side there is a 60 kph limit. That's fine for someone coming out of a side road, but gives no information to motorists on the main road.

Also, the speed limit approaching Carnmore Cross (a historically bad spot for crashes) is actually 50 kph. However it appears that there are no further signs along the road past the airport, which in theory suggests that the limit is still 50 kph because it has not been 'cancelled' by another sign. Evidently the Galway Co Co roads departments is as disorganised as their "planning" section.

galwayrush

Iwannahurl wrote: »

There are various exits along that stretch, including residences and the airport itself. There is also a school in that location.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=70780852&postcount=9

There are even more exits on the old part between Carnmore Cross and Monivea, and a hell of a lot of traffic.

aido76

On streetview there are 2 60KM/H signs just after Carnmore Cross heading towards the city. If you drive that way today there is 1 sign on the opposite side of the road and is slighty tilted away from you. The 60KM/H limit is fairly clear traveling from the city side. I think I can see (on street view) 2 speed limit signs at the airport just outside the carpark barriers. I could be wrong. Speed limits should be written on the road every couple of hundred metres especially on lower limit roads and that way you can't but know the limit of a particular road. It's very easy to miss a limit sign post.
Every road in Ireland has various exits, residences and some have schools on them and they don't have lower limits. I don't see why this road should be any different. As Galwayrush has said this is a shooting fish in a barrel exercise. The speed camera is much better served at the Carnmore pitch which is a much more dangerous road and most people do speed along it.

Iwannahurl

Here's one set of signs on the Monivea Road, 50 kph on one side, 60 on the other. I can't find corresponding signs at the Carnmore Cross end.

aido76

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Here's one set of signs on the Monivea Road, 50 kph on one side, 60 on the other. I can't find corresponding signs at the Carnmore Cross end.

If you go to Carnmore cross on street view and look in the direction of the city, you will see 2 60KM/H signs just pass the house on the left.

Also if you go to the entrance to the airport you will see the back of 2 signs just before the barriers. Sorry I'm not able to add links.

Iwannahurl

Thanks. Missed the signs earlier -- was going too fast. In StreetView.

Well, that's clear then. The speed limit is 60 kph on the stretch of the Monivea Road between the two sets of 60 kph signs, and 50 kph around the junctions at either end. I suspect Galway Co Co will tell that is sufficient information. However, I have a lot of sympathy for the view that more signage would be helpful at the very least. Certainly signs are needed on the Galway side shortly after the airport entrance. That would help tourists as well as motorists who don't frequent the area.

While the arguments for more signage have merit, IMO it is pointless (after getting a ticket) to argue that the speed limit is too low. If the speed limit ought to be reviewed then there is a legal/bureaucratic process to be followed. Until that happens and a new limit is imposed, I'm staying at or just below 60 kph along that stretch. I can see no merit in driving faster than the posted limit.

Iwannahurl

aido76 wrote: »

On streetview there are 2 60KM/H signs just after Carnmore Cross heading towards the city. If you drive that way today there is 1 sign on the opposite side of the road and is slighty tilted away from you. The 60KM/H limit is fairly clear traveling from the city side. I think I can see (on street view) 2 speed limit signs at the airport just outside the carpark barriers. I could be wrong. Speed limits should be written on the road every couple of hundred metres especially on lower limit roads and that way you can't but know the limit of a particular road. It's very easy to miss a limit sign post.
Every road in Ireland has various exits, residences and some have schools on them and they don't have lower limits. I don't see why this road should be any different. As Galwayrush has said this is a shooting fish in a barrel exercise. The speed camera is much better served at the Carnmore pitch which is a much more dangerous road and most people do speed along it.

There are DoT guidelines on the use of Normal Signs and Repeater Signs for speed limits. See Table 5.9 in Chapter 5 of the Traffic Signs Manual. Note the reference to the dimensions of the signs also.

Anybody who was nabbed on this stretch of the Monivea Road, and who could potentially make a convincing case that they are not familiar with the area, may find the excerpts below of interest. Emphasis added by me.

5.16.10 Where terminal Speed Limit signs are not at a site with good visibility, consideration should be given to -providing a repeater Speed Limit sign soon after the start of the speed limit for the benefit of those who have not seen the first sign. As it is a repeater sign, its position can be chosen to provide good visibility. In such circumstances this repeater sign should be the same size as the sign at the start. It is especially important to provide such a repeater sign where a lower speed is imposed.

5.16.11 Speed limits often change at road junctions and similar locations where the driver is required to take in a lot of information – traffic signs, road markings, traffic signals, conflicting traffic movements, pedestrians, etc. Even where the recommended visibility to a Speed Limit sign has been provided, drivers may not notice the sign due to other calls on their concentration. Therefore, consideration should be given to providing a repeater Speed Limit sign soon after the start of the speed limit as described above.

5.16.12 In general, the provision of repeater Speed Limit signs at regular intervals is important where a Special Speed Limit of 60, 80 or 100km/h is applied to a road in order to lower the speed limit on that road, or where the speed limit is less than a motorist might normally expect to apply on such a road.

I'm not sure how useful the above info might be in court. My understanding is that the stakes are considerably higher, as I understand the penalty increases if you fight the case and then lose.

aido76

Just past through the Carnmore cross junction and the 2 60KM/H limit signs are up.

That excerpt from the traffic signs manual is quite interesting. Pity councils don't read these manuals and follow there advice!!

Dan_Solo

aido76 wrote: »

Do alot of people hit the brakes just as they are about to pass a speed van even when thay are within the speed limit? You are well intrully caught before this point. I understand people slowing a bit before they get to the van.

Reminds me of the old method the cops used to use at music festivals: pull up in a van beside a big crowd and chase anybody thick enough to start running...:D

cats.life

ive started to go another way into briarhill , going left at cross roads (grealish,s pub) go in the new road at 100km not 120 as some people do. . as the speed limit is 60 at airport and centra ,it takes me the same amount of time to get to my gym.i timed it the first day and i wont be going 60 or 50 km anymore, the motor way is there to use it . i wont be giving anymore cash for doing 81 in 80limit,

Caliden

cats.life wrote: »

ive started to go another way into briarhill , going left at cross roads (grealish,s pub) go in the new road at 100km not 120 as some people do. . as the speed limit is 60 at airport and centra ,it takes me the same amount of time to get to my gym.i timed it the first day and i wont be going 60 or 50 km anymore, the motor way is there to use it . i wont be giving anymore cash for doing 81 in 80limit,

Ive a friend who does similar but I've yet to time it myself.
I'm sure the journey is longer though so more expensive with regards fuel but then again I've a 2 litre car and it isnt at its most fuel efficient going 60/50 kmh.

Also with regards that motorway stretch Ive seen several people pulled up for doing 120 kmh on the stretch between the roundabout exit near oranmore and where it joins up the road towards Galway clinic.
Another easy money location.


Also I dont see the limit being increased at a time when road safety has never been more discussed.
It's far more likely the adjoining roads would have their limits decreased to 50 kmh

Iwannahurl

cats.life wrote: »

ive started to go another way into briarhill , going left at cross roads (grealish,s pub) go in the new road at 100km not 120 as some people do. . as the speed limit is 60 at airport and centra ,it takes me the same amount of time to get to my gym.i timed it the first day and i wont be going 60 or 50 km anymore, the motor way is there to use it . i wont be giving anymore cash for doing 81 in 80limit,

I'm not sure I follow your line of argument there. If it takes the same amount of time, what's the advantage/attraction of going via another route?

cats.life

Iwannahurl wrote: »

I'm not sure I follow your line of argument there. If it takes the same amount of time, what's the advantage/attraction of going via another route?

i find it a bit crap going 60 and 50 km,s and fed up with cars up close behind me.so is that ok with you;)

Iwannahurl

cats.life wrote: »

i find it a bit crap going 60 and 50 km,s and fed up with cars up close behind me.so is that ok with you;)

I suspect that's a common reason for some people's dislike of certain speed limits, not to mention their hatred of speed/safety cameras. Tailgating motorists are probably the same, only more so.

Caliden

Iwannahurl wrote: »

I suspect that's a common reason for some people's dislike of certain speed limits, not to mention their hatred of speed/safety cameras. Tailgating motorists are probably the same, only more so.

Not sure if you're driven the road yourself but if you have you would understand the point they're trying to make.

Driving at that speed on that road (I dont mind the 50kmh near the school, but it still feels like 60kmh would still be possible there without affecting safety) you spend more time ensuring you're going 60 than actually looking at the road and it's quite frustrating as the road is wide enough with enough clear visibility to handle a higher speed.

Iwannahurl

Caliden wrote: »

Not sure if you're driven the road yourself but if you have you would understand the point they're trying to make.

Driving at that speed on that road (I dont mind the 50kmh near the school, but it still feels like 60kmh would still be possible there without affecting safety) you spend more time ensuring you're going 60 than actually looking at the road and it's quite frustrating as the road is wide enough with enough clear visibility to handle a higher speed.

1. I have, and I don't.

2. With regard to the speed limit around the school, if I had my way I'd reduce it to 30 kph or even less (with the aid of appropriate traffic calming measures).

The European Transport Safety Council has this to say on the topic of speed and the risk to pedestrians in general:

For pedestrians, 5 per cent of those struck by a vehicle travelling at 20 miles/h (32 km/h) die, whereas at 30 miles/h (48 km/h) 45 per cent die, and at 40 miles/h (64 km/h), 85 per cent die.

Those percentages are probably much higher for child pedestrians. The risk data alone justify the setting of lower speed limits where there are vulnerable road users. It is this kind of information that should influence the setting of speed limits and the implementation of compliance/enforcement measures, not the feelings of motorists.

Caliden

did you have to get that horse specially made?

aido76

Iwannahurl wrote: »

2. With regard to the speed limit around the school, if I had my way I'd reduce it to 30 kph or even less (with the aid of appropriate traffic calming measures).

The European Transport Safety Council has this to say on the topic of speed and the risk to pedestrians in general:

For pedestrians, 5 per cent of those struck by a vehicle travelling at 20 miles/h (32 km/h) die, whereas at 30 miles/h (48 km/h) 45 per cent die, and at 40 miles/h (64 km/h), 85 per cent die.

Those percentages are probably much higher for child pedestrians. The risk data alone justify the setting of lower speed limits where there are vulnerable road users. It is this kind of information that should influence the setting of speed limits and the implementation of compliance/enforcement measures, not the feelings of motorists.

Why should this school be any different to any other school? There are loads of other schools throughout the country that don't have lower speed limits applying to them. You should change this to read ALL schools.

I agree that roads around schools should be set at a lower speed level for the reasons outlined above, but to have it as a blanket limit would be crazy. A special speed limit to an area around a school should only apply at school times possibly at school start and school finish where there is a a lot of traffic and children running around. To have a blanket limit of say 30KM/H around a school on a Saturday or Sunday or during holidays would be just madness.
There are flashing amber lights on aproach to a lot of schools and maybe a special limit of say 30KM/H could apply when these lights are flashing. These lights could be controlled from the school by the Principal. They could be turned on when there is a risk to child safety.

To get back to the speed van side of things, There are a lot of roads around the country where people have died but you won't see a speed van on them because they are back roads or side roads that have very little traffic, the speed limit is too high for these type of roads and there would not be enough people caught to justify having the van in such a location.

The Monivea/airport road is an easy target as the speed limit is set very low. AFAIK one person has gotten killed on this road in the last few years and this was down to driver error and not speed. Don't get me wrong, one person dying is one too many but when the cause was not speed then I don't see the justification for a low speed limit and the speed van to be in this location.

Iwannahurl

I agree that a lower speed (ideally 30 kph or less) should apply around all schools. I am not familiar with measures used in other jurisdictions to impose different speed limits at different times, depending on whether the school is open or not. If you know of any best practice examples from Ireland or other countries, please let me know as I would be genuinely interested in pursuing the idea.

In the meantime, I am not really bothered about having to comply with a low-speed zone in the vicinity of a school.

Do you have any source for the claim that "there are a lot of roads around the country where people have died but you won't see a speed van on them because they are back roads or side roads that have very little traffic"? What are the actual fatality statistics by road type and location?

Regardless of whether it is warranted or not, the speed limit on the Monivea Road is what it is. If it there is a good case to be made for raising the speed limit, then there is a process to be followed to achieve that. Breaking the existing speed limit, and risking a fine, is not the answer.

Meanwhile, I can't see that a 60 kph limit imposes any hardship. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the distance involved is about 4 km. At an average speed of 60 kph that takes about 4 minutes. At 80 kph you save 60 seconds. A life-changing difference?

johnnyk66

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Meanwhile, I can't see that a 60 kph limit imposes any hardship. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the distance involved is about 4 km. At an average speed of 60 kph that takes about 4 minutes. At 80 kph you save 60 seconds. A life-changing difference?

The distance over which the 60km limit applies is approx 2.5km, increasing the limit to 80 would only save about 37 seconds. Not a lot to ask to save a life or serious injury.

996tt

Caliden wrote: »

did you have to get that horse specially made?

Hes had it a while, he trots over and back between the galway and motors forum spreading his gospel according to iwannahurl, which is a affiliated with greenpeace aiming to banish the country of cars

996tt

johnnyk66 wrote: »

The distance over which the 60km limit applies is approx 2.5km, increasing the limit to 80 would only save about 37 seconds. Not a lot to ask to save a life or serious injury.

Apply that then to every 2.5km stretch of road in the county that has a house entrance at the side of the road, sure it'll only take and extra 37seconds per 2.5km.