30k speed limits for all urban areas on the way

Oscar_Madison

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121081162#Comment_121081162

That’s good to hear - I hate when people applaud lower speed limits just for the sake of it-we know that many accidents that happen throughout Ireland every year have nothing to do with a round metal disk with a number on it stuck on a pole at the side of the road.

In France there are many roads I wouldn’t dare approach the speed limit as I feel I’m going too fast for that stretch of road - in Ireland I often get the opposite feeling ie that the speed limits are set far lower than the road can actually take- where accidents are caused by excessive speed related factors, It’s not even lower speed limits we need, it’s people obeying the ones that are currently in place.

How will a person texting their friend whilst driving a car be any safer if the road they’re driving on has its speed limit reduced from 100 to 80?

they’re still going to cause carnage either to themselves or others

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121081677#Comment_121081677

Why aren't all roads unlimited speed if it makes no difference.

Oscar_Madison

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121082115#Comment_121082115

Why don’t you try answering that question yourself- I’m sure you’re more than capable

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121082220#Comment_121082220

I would have if I was going too fast. But I wasn't so I was able to stop and ask you.

The Welsh 20mph (30kph) national limit became effective from yesterday. They have a ridiculously simple approach to the classification of roads

A good piece from the Mayo News

VonLuck

My main opposition to a reduction in speed limits is that it does not appear to be accompanied by any traffic calming measures. If a road was originally designed for 50km/h, cars are going to find it difficult to maintain a 30km/h limit.

magicbastarder

cars are going to find it difficult to maintain a 30km/h limit.

(pedant hat on) - motorists. no issue in holding 30 in a car.

i see two main issues people have if they try to drive at 30km/h on an open road; first, they're simply not used to it. it's a matter of practice/familiarity/what have you. secondly, if you do try it at the moment, you're quite possibly going to be the only motorist on the road doing so, so will feel exposed by others doing 20 or 30km/h more than you (unless you're in the only car on the road, obviously). i suspect it'd be easier once everyone starts doing it.

magicbastarder

but yes, further road design would not be unwelcome in reducing speeds on a road originally laid out for higher speeds.

VonLuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121129857#Comment_121129857

I am regularly in the Phoenix Park and I can tell you that the majority of cars (motorists) are not doing the posted 30km/h speed limit!

You can't solely rely on people's behaviours to change just because you've told them that they have to reduce their speed.

magicbastarder

well, the new speed limiters built into cars may have an effect on that hopefully - and it might only take a few new cars to create the 'context' for other road users to stick to the same speed.

not that i've heard a lot about those speed limiters having any effect.

Disco24

Wonder could insurance companies offer a substantial discount for motorists that agree to have speed recorded against limits. Technology mustn't be that far to allow this. Drivers who break speed limits regularly I'd imagine are more likely to attract claims.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121134693#Comment_121134693

BoxyMo (and possibly others) have been doing that for quite some time now.

Flinty997

Old review here

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2057616628/factual-boxymo-my-experience-35yo-male-learner

Can't see it working myself. Road limits are so random even a saint will get caught out from time to time.

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121134693#Comment_121134693

Technology mustn't be that far to allow this

again, apparently it's already in cars which were new to the market since the middle of last year; and all cars sold from July next year must also have it too.

Next up, Limerick City Council will vote on Monday to apply a 30k limit in the city center

https://www.limerickpost.ie/2023/09/21/safety-must-come-first-in-councils-30km-h-speed-limit-vote/

I'm guessing this will pass without issue given the national speed limit review that came out recently, as in its better for them to do it now, get some publicity out of it rather than wait for it to be imposed

But hey, this is local councilors so anything is possible

TedBundysDriver

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121129938#Comment_121129938

30 is ridiculously low for that park. I regularly do 60 or more safely when i have to dash through there.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121138065#Comment_121138065

Safely for whom?

Flinty997

For those on the Pedestrian/ Zebra Crossings.

07Lapierre

Ever been hit by a car doing 60kph? Trust me…it hurts.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121139956#Comment_121139956

Does being hit at 30kph not also hurt?

07Lapierre

im sure it does, it not as much…car that hit me was doing 60+.. (in a 30 zone) thankfully it was just the door mirror that glanced off my arm. It was enough to take the bike from under me and I landed on the road. I was even more grateful that when I fell to the ground, the car coming towards me was able to stop before running over me.

BTW…I agree that 30kph is too slow in the Phoenix park with its current road design. They need to modify the roads (add chicanes, speed ramps etc.) to slow cars down. Expecting cars to stick to 30kph along Cheaterfield Ave. is unrealistic at the moment.

Flinty997

That it hurts when it by a car seems quite an arbitrary metric.

If they have a issue with pedestrians crossing on Chesterfield Ave perhaps a pedestrian crossing might work better than playing chicken through traffic at ANY speed.

Besides AFAIK the park isn't a public road in the normal sense. They can just put in a by law and change whatever rule they want. I'm open to correction on that.

I'm a bit baffled why if pedestrian safety is an issue for the OPW. Why they have not put any pedestrian crossings on the Ave. If the OPW don't want cars going up the middle, why they don't route them around the perimeter. Theres himalayan speed ramps on the north road. No one's doing high speed over those.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121140279#Comment_121140279

Personally I find a through road in the middle of the park more baffling but that's just me

Flinty997

Not entirely sure why they OPW (and others) are more interested in cars than actual safety.

The Park is man made. Its artificial. Its AFAIK always had a through roads (plural) even pre-car. They rebuilt the Ave about a decade ago. Because it didn't have a proper foundation. They closed it for best part of a year. That was the time to close it.

Back in the day they ran a Grand Prix in the Park. Ironically they ran a pedestrian subway crossing for the race, under the Ave and OPW haven't even a zebra crossing.

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/the-pride-of-the-irish-race-how-phoenix-park-grand-prix-helped-put-ireland-on-the-map-1.4071678

https://www.tailte.ie/blog/the-irish-international-grand-prix-motor-race.html

jlang

Independent of car speed it has already got so much safer to cross the road since the parking along the Avenue stopped because driver and pedestrian sightlines are so much better. I wouldn't be in favour of installing dedicated crossing points. I prefer being able to cross the road wherever using normal safe cross code procedure. Drivers should be considerate and careful everywhere in the park, not just if the road has stripes painted. It's not like the deer will ever restrict their crossings to designated points.

Flinty997

Certainly adds a bit of excitement when a pedestrian or jogger just randomly runs out across in front of a cyclist.

Can't blame the deer for being skittish when we shoot a load of them on a regular basis.

07Lapierre

The park’s primary role should be for people to relax/recreation etc. Any road restrictions should be for motor vehicles. People should be free to cross wherever/whenever they wish. If designed appropriately it’s possible to cater for this. In short the OPW need to prioritise people over vehicles. If they did that then the changes needed are quite obvious. BUT, we all know that the changes needed will never be approved by our current politicians. The fact that they managed to remove the car paring along chesterfield ave is a miracle!

magicbastarder

the time difference between doing 60 on the main avenue and doing 30 is a maximum of 4 minutes.

you'd lose that on a busy day waiting just to get past the top of auburn avenue.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121129938#Comment_121129938

The majority of motorists are doing lower speeds than they were doing before the 30 kmph limit came into play.