Motorway speed limits in Ireland

Ginger83

Decrease them to 110 km/h

Voodoomelon wrote: »

Once again, "i'm in the right, law is on my side, nothing else matters". How about some consideration for those around you? Yes 120km/h is not a target, but doing 80km/h on a motorway is disruptive to the flow of traffic and you are more of a hazard than you realise.

Trucks are allowed do 90km/h on the motorway. So if you dip below your 80km/h dawdle momentarily to say 75km/h, account for your speedos margin of error, then yes, it is no surprise that you have trucks overtaking you.

If HGVs are overtaking you, you're driving too slow, plain and simple. Truck drivers do not like overtaking and would rather not whenever possible. It's an unnecessary maneuver for them, it's slow and tedious and blocks traffic from behind.

Whether you like it or not, i'm sure you accept that there are vehicles doing 130-150km/h on a daily basis on the motorway. Depending on traffic conditions, line of site, weather conditions and countless other things, coming across a vehicle doing 80km/h in an environment where everyone is going considerably faster is dangerous. You no doubt will argue that its their fault if an accident occurs, but that's no use to you when you're upside down, buried in a barrier.

I'll admit to doing 100-110kph on a lazy day, it saves me a considerable amount of fuel with a larger engine, but I still pass out trucks and coaches.

Accepting that the motorway is a high speed road territory and that you are exceptionally likely to meet fast moving vehicles, it makes sense to keep your speed closer to the limit, and not 33% below it.

Yes i'm fully aware of vehicle travelling at 130-150...THEY ARE BREAKING THE SPEED LIMIT!!!,
A car travelling at "the speed limit" should have no problem adjusting to a car doing 20-30km/hr less. Its these idiots that think its ok to drive way over the limit that have problems coming up quickly on cars driving within the limit...why? because they are driving too fast.

You did a driving test right? Did you ever read the big blue sign on entering a motorway?

Ever heard the term "SPEED KILLS"

Ginger83

Decrease them to 110 km/h

So are you saying a truck doing 90km/hr is a hazard? Whats the right hand lane for?
What about 1L cars? My wife has 1 and i wouldnt do 120km/hr in it, it'd blow up.

Voodoomelon

You sure like to sensationalise. Yes i've heard the term speed kills, that phrase that's bandied about by the RSA for folks like yourself to regurgitate? Are you aware that speeding as a primary cause contributes to 8% of accidents?

A 1 litre car has no problem doing 120km/h. I never once said I do 130-150kph, but I accept that people do and am prepared for them. Your black and white view to driving, low driving speed on motorways and lack of acceptance of how others drive will no doubt contribute to an accident some day.

polan

Raise to 140 km/h

I've driven a 0.8L Daewoo at a 130kph in Poland and it didn't blow up.

Ginger83

Decrease them to 110 km/h

Voodoomelon wrote: »

You sure like to sensationalise. Yes i've heard the term speed kills, that phrase that's bandied about by the RSA for folks like yourself to regurgitate? Are you aware that speeding as a primary cause contributes to 8% of accidents?

A 1 litre car has no problem doing 120km/h. I never once said I do 130-150kph, but I accept that people do and am prepared for them. Your black and white view to driving, low driving speed on motorways and lack of acceptance of how others drive will no doubt contribute to an accident some day.

My view is to drive within the law, nowhere does it state i must drive at the speed limit. What if a moped was doing 60/70km/hr? They might inconvenience you but they break no law.

Maybe you should talk to your local TD about us slow folks and have a minimum speed set....but there is 1...its 50km/hr.

The road was made for us all to share. I accept some want to drive faster, I dont have to agree or like it but they dont have to like a driver taking his time.

On the contribution to an accident i'll leave you with this "A driver must always be able to stop within a distance you can see to be clear".
When have you ever heard cause of accident-the driver was going to slow.

Safe motoring.

Ginger83

Decrease them to 110 km/h

polan wrote: »

I've driven a 0.8L Daewoo at a 130kph in Poland and it didn't blow up.

Yet

1. you are putting the engine under alot of stress.

polan

Raise to 140 km/h

Ginger83 wrote: »

Yet

1. you are putting the engine under alot of stress.

That car has been fine for 18 years and 245000 kms, I doubt it'll happen any time soon.

Ginger83

Decrease them to 110 km/h

polan wrote: »

That car has been fine for 18 years and 245000 kms, I doubt it'll happen any time soon.

Keep motoring so...must be some scream out of a 0.8L at that speed.

I've been in and driven small cars at motorway speeds, not exactly a safe comfortable feeling.

conacks

I'd vote to stay as is @ 120KM/h. A couple of points I'd make

I hear lots of people I talk to say that they are confident that they are a good driver. To me this is irrelevant how good a driver you are, you need to have the time to react to a 'Bad driver' making a blatant mistake which could cost you your life. This is why driving at a sensible speed is important.

It is always unwise to have a big difference between a motorway speed limit and an ordinary road limit as when you leave the motorway you lose perspective on the speed you are doing. If motorway driving was at 160KM/Hr and you leave motorway 100KM/H will seem ridiculously slow and there is more of a tendency to speed on secondary roads.

M94

Ginger83 wrote: »

My view is to drive within the law, nowhere does it state i must drive at the speed limit. What if a moped was doing 60/70km/hr? They might inconvenience you but they break no law.

Maybe you should talk to your local TD about us slow folks and have a minimum speed set....but there is 1...its 50km/hr.

The road was made for us all to share. I accept some want to drive faster, I dont have to agree or like it but they dont have to like a driver taking his time.

On the contribution to an accident i'll leave you with this "A driver must always be able to stop within a distance you can see to be clear".
When have you ever heard cause of accident-the driver was going to slow.

Safe motoring.

Ramming cars off the road should be legal so people can get to work on time.

M94

Ginger83 wrote: »

Yes i'm fully aware of vehicle travelling at 130-150...THEY ARE BREAKING THE SPEED LIMIT!!!,
A car travelling at "the speed limit" should have no problem adjusting to a car doing 20-30km/hr less. Its these idiots that think its ok to drive way over the limit that have problems coming up quickly on cars driving within the limit...why? because they are driving too fast.

You did a driving test right? Did you ever read the big blue sign on entering a motorway?

Ever heard the term "SPEED KILLS"

I guess everyone that drives in Germany on autobahns over 120 km/h is an idiot then.

Special Circumstances

Ginger83 wrote: »

Maybe you should talk to your local TD about us slow folks and have a minimum speed set....but there is 1...its 50km/hr.

Safe motoring.

What are you scuttering on about Gaybo?

Special Circumstances

Odyssey 2005 wrote: »

Of the fuppin idiots in the Dublin Coaches who insist on hogging the overtaking lane

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Ah yes that's true and they're pretty aggressive about cutting across into it as well

One more cowboy episode from Dublin Coach and I'm getting a dash cam. Driving a bus like it's a sports car just skip 10 cars at a roundabout, forcing gullible idiots to jam on the brakes to force themselves back into the correct and obvious lane they should have been in all along.

magicbastarder

Raise to 130 km/h

re the talk about the german approach and limitless autobahns - how many two-lane autobahns are there with no limits?

M94

Driving in Germany is regulated by the Straßenverkehrs-Ordnung (road traffic regulations,[90] abbreviated StVO). Enforcement on the federal Autobahnen is handled by each State's Highway Patrol (Autobahnpolizei), often using unmarked police cars and motorcycles and usually equipped with video cameras,[91][92] thus allowing easier enforcement of laws such as tailgating. Notable laws include the following.

The right lane should be used when it is free (Rechtsfahrgebot) and the left lane is generally intended only for overtaking unless traffic is too dense to justify driving only on the right lane. It is legal to give a short horn or light signal (flashing headlights or Lichthupe) in order to indicate the intention of overtaking, but a safe distance to the vehicle in front must be maintained,[93] otherwise this might be regarded as an act of coercion.

Penalties for tailgating were increased in May 2006 to a maximum of €375 and three months license suspension:[94] "drivers must keep a distance in meters that is equal to half their speed. For example, a driver going 100 km/h on the autobahn must keep a distance of at least 50 meters (165 feet)". The penalty increase followed uproar after an infamous fatal crash on Autobahn 5 in 2003.[95]

In a traffic jam, drivers must form an emergency lane (Rettungsgasse) to allow emergency services to reach an accident scene. This "lane" is the middle of the left two lanes.[96]
It is unlawful to stop for any reason on the autobahn, except for emergencies and when unavoidable, like traffic jams or being involved in an accident. This includes stopping on emergency lanes. Running out of fuel is considered an avoidable occurrence, as by law there are petrol stations directly on the autobahn approximately every 50–55 km (31–34 mi). Drivers may face fines and up to six months suspension, should it come to a stop that was deemed unnecessary by the police. In some cases (if there is a direct danger to life and limb or property e.g. cars and highway infrastructure) it may also be considered a crime and the driver could receive a prison sentence (up to 5 years).

Overtaking on the right (undertaking) is strictly forbidden, except when stuck in traffic jams. Up to a speed of 80 km/h (50 mph) it is permitted to pass cars on the right side if the speed difference is not greater than 20 km/h (12 mph) or the vehicle on the left lane is stationary. This is not referred to as overtaking, but driving past. Even if the car overtaken is illegally occupying the left-hand lane, it is not an acceptable excuse; in such cases, the police will routinely stop and fine both drivers. However, exceptions can and have sometimes been made.


Failure to use the correct lane and hindering other drivers is punishable by €80 fine.

There is definitely so much to learn from Germany and not only from autobahns.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Arcade_Tryer wrote: »

A few good reasons you shouldn't be travelling at 120km/hr:

1. Safety - Yes, you may be quite safe travelling at 120km/hr and above on a motorway but that does not take away from the fact that driving more slowly is still safer in general e.g. between 90km/hr and 120km/hr.

2. Stressing the engine - for many cars, driving at 120km/hr for half an hour or more is needless stress on the engine.

3. Fuel cost - Following on from above, far more efficient to keep the revs down and your bank balance up.

Point one and two, complete nonsence. Point three is correct, but why stop there? Walking or cycling will save you much much more.

Arcade_Tryer wrote: »

Amazing the reaction to a poster who simply admits that they do not always travel AT or ABOVE the speed limit. It really is no wonder road death statistics are what they are. Not purely due to the speed of course. But rather the arrogant superiority. And seeming anger.

Nobody is suggesting you drive around a dangerous bend, or in poor driving conditions, at or above the speed limit. I don't see why people have an issue with driving at the speed limit, if there's a problem, it's with them. Don't feel intimidated to drive above the speed limit, however, if you are in the over taking lane, then that's a different story. Or if you are travelling at 60Kmph in an 80Kmph zone, then you are in the wrong.

1. Never said constantly. 2. Yeah. Here's an analogy right back at ya. If you claim to have never been tailgated, then you're either a tailgater yourself, don't know what tailgating is, or both.

Why are you making these assumptions? Maybe the poster has a misunderstanding of tailgating, people think you have to be within 1-2 meters to tailgate, which is incorrect (depending on the speed of course).

M94 wrote: »

There is definitely so much to learn from Germany and not only from autobahns.

While we could learn a lot from Germany, the some aspects of driving in Germany is also awful (merging & unmerging, speeding, and tailgating). However aggressive you think it is in Ireland, in Germany it's on a completely different level. We should probably look at Switzerland, Netherlands and the UK.

I am for dynamic speed changes with increased automated enforcement. Change the speed due to the conditions and traffic density. Add much more cameras on the roads and we really need to address the issue of ignoring amber and red lights.

DakarVert

Leave it at 120 (75)
Generally 85ish is okay & accepted when conditions allow.

Lane discipline and asshole drivers is a massive problem,
Just yesterday I was in the overtaking lane (85ish) overtaking a truck and an Audi put his foot down tried to undertake me and cut across in front. But he couldn't do and had to brake hard behind the truck and then pull out behind me.

No need for that at all.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Why are people talking in Miles? It's been over 10 years since we changed to KM? Are people still talking in punts?

DakarVert

My car is in miles (2008).... I auto convert from KM to Miles.

Just easier to get an idea of distance IMHO

Alun

Abel Icy Spaceman wrote: »

While we could learn a lot from Germany, the some aspects of driving in Germany is also awful (merging & unmerging, speeding, and tailgating). However aggressive you think it is in Ireland, in Germany it's on a completely different level. We should probably look at Switzerland, Netherlands and the UK.

Things may have changed since I lived over there, but I never experienced very much in the way of bad driving on the autobahns in Germany, unless it was Dutch holidaymakers pulling out in front of cars going much faster than them without looking properly. Merging was never a problem.

Now if you want a master-class in tailgating go the the Netherlands, or worse still Belgium.

_Kaiser_

Raise to 150 km/h

Ginger83 wrote: »

I normally drive no more than 100km/hr, quite happy at it too. 80km/hr if i'm in no hurry, no laws broken, if people are not happy theres an overtaking lane.

I sat at 100km/hr today and was passed by a lorry supposed to be limited to 80km/hr. The country has gone mad with speed/rushing.

And before anyone asks i'm in my 30s with a 2L car, i just choose not to be dragged into the rat race brigade.

So because of your "I'm above it all" attitude, you instead act as a rolling roadblock and hazard on a motorway, driving at anywhere up to 40 km/h less than the posted limit so that even HGV's are forced to overtake you?

And you think you're in the right? :rolleyes:

Ginger83

Decrease them to 110 km/h

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

So because of your "I'm above it all" attitude, you instead act as a rolling roadblock and hazard on a motorway, driving at anywhere up to 40 km/h less than the posted limit so that even HGV's are forced to overtake you?

And you think you're in the right? :rolleyes:

Where does it state 120km/hr is a target and anyone driving below it is wrong?
ffs

Ginger83

Decrease them to 110 km/h

M94 wrote: »

Ramming cars off the road should be legal so people can get to work on time.

Give yourself enough time and you wont need to drive like a maniac

grogi

Raise to 150 km/h

Ginger83 wrote: »

Where does it state 120km/hr is a target and anyone driving below it is wrong?
ffs

There isn't such statement.

However, excessively slow driving on the motorway is as dangerous as driving too fast - and can be qualified as "Driving without reasonable consideration".

Ginger83

Decrease them to 110 km/h

M94 wrote: »

I guess everyone that drives in Germany on autobahns over 120 km/h is an idiot then.

Are you trying to compare our idiotic 2 lane motorways with Germany's autobahn :rolleyes:

bladespin

Raise to 150 km/h

Abel Icy Spaceman wrote: »

Why are people talking in Miles? It's been over 10 years since we changed to KM? Are people still talking in punts?

A mile is still a current unit of measure for distance, the punt is dead and gone (unfortunately).

Ginger83

Decrease them to 110 km/h

Special Circumstances wrote: »

What are you scuttering on about Gaybo?

Read the 3rd line on that big blue sign on entering a motorway and come back to me.

draiochtanois

Raise to 130 km/h

This post has been deleted.

Ginger83

Decrease them to 110 km/h

Abel Icy Spaceman wrote: »

Why are people talking in Miles? It's been over 10 years since we changed to KM? Are people still talking in punts?

Where does it say you are wrong to do 60km/hr in an 80km/hr zone?

Ginger83

Decrease them to 110 km/h

grogi wrote: »

There isn't such statement.

However, excessively slow driving on the motorway is as dangerous as driving too fast - and can be qualified as "Driving without reasonable consideration".

I wouldn't consider 80-100km/hr as slow.
41 people here think no speed limit would be better. A guy was clocked doing 216km/hr in an Audi TT recently, if there was no limit and he had to adjust to a 120km/hr driver would you consider the 120km/hr to be driving too slow?