New Stricter Speed Limit Law In Wales

Jonathan1990

Over in Wales in the UK they've brought a new stricter speed limit law for built up areas. Most places it is 50km/h although they use the term mph in the UK which is miles per hour. In England, Scotland and Northern Ireland it still is 30mph (48km/h) but Wales have made it 20mph (32km/h) which would be like enforcing a 30km/h speed limit in all Irish cities, towns and villages. This article is off a Welsh website. What if Ireland did this?

https://www.swansea.gov.uk/20mph

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058318905/new-stricter-speed-limit-law-in-wales

Ireland is doing this

Cabinet approval came 2 days ago

https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/7589c-cabinet-approves-drafting-of-road-traffic-measures-bill-2023/

There's already a thread too

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058236619/30k-speed-limits-for-all-urban-areas-on-the-way

Witcher

they use the term mph in the UK which is miles per hour

Thanks for clarifying

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058318905/new-stricter-speed-limit-law-in-wales

What if Ireland did this?

It would make our urban areas safer and likely to result in less collisions which would potentially mean that insurance costs decrease further.

However, what they're now finding in Wales is that people's journeys aren't being delayed (cue the usual posters who reckons those 30 seconds lost are significant)

Peregrinus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121261589#Comment_121261589

Contrary to what you might expect, teducing speed limits is often associated with a reduction in journey times.

The reason is that a vehicle's road space requirements (which are determined by stopping distances) are proportional not to the speed of the vehicle, but to the square of the speed of the vehicle;.

So, if a vehicle's speed is doubled, it takes half as long to complete its journey. But it needs four times as much road space, so the capacity of the roads is reduced.

If the roads are empty or nearly so, then increasing vehicle speeds does reduce journey times, as you would expect. But if they are busy or congested, increasing vehicle speeds means you need to have fewer vehicles on the road at any time, or congestion will result. Conversely reducing vehicle speeds increases the capacity of roads, and so reduces congestion.

magicbastarder

in dublin, average urban speed rarely reaches 30km/h anyway.

i wonder if the data google collect for traffic purposes could be used to calculate how much difference a 30km/h limit would make.

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121261788#Comment_121261788

This argument is just nonsense.

Sure, for certain peak hours on particular routes it may be a struggle to get to 30 km/h - but on every other route or at times outside of these peaks there's no issues at all getting to 50, 60 or whatever the current limit on that road is.

Can we please stop trying to make out that Dublin is in the grip of constant stop-start or slow moving traffic 24/7? It's just not the case - and this is from someone who generally makes very good time in and around Dublin in a car.

magicbastarder

just because you can get to 50km/h does not mean your journey will be a lot faster. it's not how fast you go on the fast bits which has the impact on your overall journey time, it's how slow you go on the slow bits.

at the moment - sunday morning - the drive from DCU to UCD (which is 90%+ on 50km/h roads) is an estimated 32 minutes. that's an average of 25km/h.

CelticRambler

As a non-resident of either island, I'm mildly amused at the amount of (sometimes wildly overheated) debate these proposals have generated. Over here on The Continent (specifically the French part for me, but also in my extended stomping grounds in Germany/Switzerland) we've had 30km/h limits for years and the sky hasn't fallen on anyone's head because of it. The only signficant change has been the occasional news report of someone being flashed doing 97km/h in a 30km/h zone when before he'd have been doing 97 in a 50 zone. But even that's relatively uncommon, as yerman would probably wreck his suspenion hitting a badly built, badly marked speed hump at the entry to the 30 zone.

Last year, though, approval was granted for the installation of speed-sensistive traffic lights in 50km/h areas - lights with no purpose other than to turn red if you're doing over 50. If you're the over-enthusiastic driver that triggers one to turn red and holds up a dozen other cars behind you, the hate burning into the back of your head will hurt! But still not as much as a double fine and double points (for speeding and jumping a red light).

Alias G

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270346#Comment_121270346

No, your argument is nonsense. What limits average speeds across city are the numerous junctions and lights to be negotiated en route. You may reach 50km/h for brief periods between junctions. There is no chance you are maintaining that average speed across city even if you are dumb enough to think speeding will make any significant difference to your overall journey time. I used to commute across city for work and honestly the journey time was comparable either by bike or car during off peak times.

_Kaiser_

There's nothing like personal insults to strengthen an argument! 🤔🙄

Most of my Dublin commuting involves the M50 and surrounding areas. It's pretty rare that I would be in the centre of town anymore because I've no real reason to be - but regardless, I have no problem maintaining a high average speed when there's no reason not to.

What this is again is more lowest common denominator pearl clutching that has become the prevailing narrative in this country in the last 5/10 years. Because SOME drivers travel at stupid speeds or do stupid things like dangerous overtaking or breaking lights etc, we must inconvenience and delay EVERYONE because God forbid the Gardai do something useful for a change like detect such muppetry and enforce the existing laws (but that would involve getting out of the stations or off the motorway on ramps chasing down marginal speeders on the statistically safest roads we have).

Because the concepts of common sense and personal responsibility for one's safety are now apparently dirty words, we have to pander to those who think "someone else" should look after them instead.

In real terms it'll make no difference I suppose. The same reasons that lead to people getting hit by trucks at junctions or wrapping a car around a tree at night on a back road will continue to cause injuries and fatalities regardless of what arbitrary number is on a nearby sign.

Alias G

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121276728#Comment_121276728

What on earth has 30 Kph speed limits got to do with the m50. Nice goal post shifting. And there was no insult directed at you, don't be so sensitive. I said people who speed in urban centres are dumb because they don't significantly reduce their journey time but they do increase the risk of a collision and also increase wear and tear on their vehicle and fuel consumption as they race to the next junction where they have to stop and idle anyway. So yes, these people are a bit thick. It is noteworthy that you are unable counter the argument that urban centres (ie the areas where proposes reduced speed limits are likely to apply) by there very design limit average speeds.

magicbastarder

the M50? whut?

anyway, amusingly, at the moment:

that's an average of 28km/h at the moment on that stretch of the M50.

though i appreciate it's probably not amusing for those stuck in it.

Fian

They do

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270427#Comment_121270427

They do this in portugal as well - lights that turn red if you exceed a certain speed. It only has to happen once or twice before the lesson is learned.