Reflective Road Studs for National R Roads

Andy From Sligo

I have sent a letter to Gov.ie this afternoon to the national roads dept asking if they would consider fitting reflective studs / cats eyes on unlit R roads the same they have on N roads (white middle lines and yellow at edge of the road) - i realise this would be massive cost to achieve nationwide but I do think it would make the roads safer - you could be talking some of these roads rated at 50km/h and some of the edges of these rods are really close to the ditch .

do you think it will be listened to , or a waste of time writing the email?

I only thought after writing the email are the 'r' routes the responsibility of national government or local authorities / councils?

L1011

R roads are council.

Andy From Sligo

I wrote an email today to Gov.ie roads department asking if they would consider adding reflective road studs / cats eyes to all the national unlit R roads across Ireland , White in the middle lines and yellow reflective at the edges of the roads.

I realise this would be a massive cost to deploy but I also believe it will make the roads safer for the motorists especially at night and in fog etc and some of the edges of the roads are right near to the ditches and some of these R roads are assigned to 80km/h . - if the requirements are on unlit N roads with speeds of 100km/h and hard shoulders to have them I cannot see why it would not be a good idea for the regional roads to have them also.

Do you reckon it would get considered or is it a waste of time even writing the email?

I only thought after I sent the email that maybe the R roads are not the responsibility of national government but of local authorities instead?

Andy From Sligo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118149004#Comment_118149004

yep wondered that afterwards - is it likely though that it would filter down and the money to pay for it come from the government?

Esel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118149010#Comment_118149010

No chance.

Markcheese

Even a white line up the middle would be nice on many of them , but if you're not sure where the verge is then slow down -

cruizer101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118149423#Comment_118149423

I would have thought most R's would of had a white line down the centre, do you know of ones that don't

Markcheese

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118149452#Comment_118149452

In fairness most have or had a line, maybe a bit faded though ...

listermint

Specifically how would these make the road safer over say the white line which covers more road surface

JimmyVik

They wont do it.

R roads have a lot of traffic that drives on the lines. Less of a problem on motorways and wider roads. Those cats eyes will be broken within weeks of being put down.

Total waste of money.

Glaceon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118149452#Comment_118149452

R108 north of the Naul is one that springs to mind.

Andy From Sligo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118149587#Comment_118149587

They very heavy duty, they are cushioned and go into the ground when driven over- can be driving over many time with cars/lorry's/busses with no damage

Andy From Sligo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118149498#Comment_118149498

They are already used on unlit 'N' roads as a requirement to make the road safer

Alun

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118151583#Comment_118151583

Theoretically, yes. In practice, give them a year or so and they're nearly all completely useless. Add in a bit of seasonal tar and loose chippings and that's it, you may as well not have bothered.

The problem in this country is that while we seem to be getting slightly better at building stuff, we completely forget that it needs to be maintained to keep it in working order.

Andy From Sligo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118151606#Comment_118151606

yes your right i suppose especially with the gravel chippings, a lot of 'R' roads get a dressing of chippings just thrown on them from time to time

JimmyVik

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118151583#Comment_118151583

They have a finite life. Take a trip down any road with them in Ireland and look how many dont work anymore. most of them.

Now imagine putting them on every R road and having to replace them all the time. Nightmare.

coylemj

Did you forget that you created a thread on the same topic 17 minutes earlier?

Andy From Sligo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118160365#Comment_118160365

If you look at the date its the 10th I posted it up .... and it had replies, but for some reason all the replies have now been erased - could this be another oddity to do with the new boards?

CrabRevolution

I would imagine the benefits would be utterly negligible compared to the costs. If you can't tell where the side of the road is and need a reflective marker to stop you driving off the edge you should slow down and/or get glasses.

Andy From Sligo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118163207#Comment_118163207

So why are they required on all new and other N roads then if thats the case ?

loyatemu

they don't bother maintaining them on the N roads, what's the point.

coylemj

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118160392#Comment_118160392

?? Both threads were created on the 10th, 17 minutes apart. Your original thread now has 17 replies.

Andy From Sligo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118169533#Comment_118169533

I dont know what is going on then sorry - can only remember posting once ... unless I hit post again? (but then I thought Boards normally give you a message something like "this is a duplicate of what you posted" and does not allow you to post again ,well it used to I am pretty sure.

Andy From Sligo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118169054#Comment_118169054

i was on an older N road the other day with some potholes ... all seemed to be working fine - great effective way of marking the edges of the roads

CreadanLady

On a scale of 1-10, how naive are you OP?

Many R roads have studs anyway. Some do and some don't. I don't think it is mandatory on R roads, but they will do them sometimes if circumstances require it.

Instead of issuing your decrees to the Dept of Transport to install them on all R roads, which is a flight of fancy, you'd probably be better off getting on to your local council area engineer's office to request studs on any particular stretches of road that are near your home or that you consider especially in need of them. That too is a bit of a long shot, but it has better odds that sending unsolicited fan mail to the Dept. It will go nowhere except the shredder.

Andy From Sligo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118170369#Comment_118170369

I would like you to supply a couple of R roads you have found them on as an example but I wont hold my breath.

I already said that after i sent my letter to the government roads department I thought that it might have been local councils that would have be better to contact.

loyatemu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118170341#Comment_118170341

I was on the N11 at the weekend trying to spot where the slip road for a junction started - not one of the studs was reflecting my headlights.

CreadanLady

I'm under no obligation to supply you with anything, but....

Parts of the R579 & R618

The majority of the R639, but this is the former N8

R626, R624 in parts.

Some busier local roads will also have them.

I suggest the main adjustment needed here is an adjustment of your attitude. Issuing decrees and instructions to goverment departments and councils as if you are some sort of monarch you might as well be pissing into the wind.

Andy From Sligo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118170668#Comment_118170668

My attitude in the email to them was "would they consider adding reflective road studs" and in no way is that issuing decrees and instructions to them as if I was some sort of monarch.

Thanks for the R roads as examples

Far better for the councils to be removing the verges that encroaches on the R roads, thus making it wider and safer without a lot of effort and resources.

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118177700#Comment_118177700

This. The roads around were my Dad is from you used to be able to meet cars or tractors without much trouble, now you can barely get a car down them. One road I had to pull into a gate to let a cyclist 100m away pass and on another a pedestrian had to step off the road for me to pass, couldn't reverse because it was a corner so couldn't see it it was safe.