Speed Limit

Valhalla90

Not sure if people are aware. Government to change speed limits on local and regional roads by November. The R675 Waterford-Tramore road is classed as a regional road with a current speed limit of 80km/h this would drop to 60km/h and same with the R710 Outer ring road around the city. Council have the power to adjust speed limits on particular roads. We have been here before with the ring road when it was 60km/h and the cars crawling along a dual carriageway let’s not go back to this madness.

We need the R675 Tramore road to be upgraded to a national road as it’s the main artery route for Tramore.

Wanderer78

yea those roads are well capable of 80, 60 would be a bit ridiculous alright

Cabaal

I'd point outthat there has been a number of deaths on Tramore road, for anyone that cycles it they'll tell you people aren't safe on it.

Never saw big deal about ring round being 60km, there was less feckacting on it when compared to now.

Valhalla90

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122392586#Comment_122392586

Don’t agree with you at all. I can’t understand how anyone can think 60km/h is normal on a dual carriageway with a medium barrier. I’m not advocating for 100/120 but seriously 60km/h is a joke and there has been no deaths on the outer ring road thankfully with its 80km/h. Tramore road likewise. Seems the be another Green policy against cars on the road.
If this goes ahead I can’t see it lasting as the backlash from the public who will be commuting and getting speeding fines or longer commute time will change policy especially near to election time.

Dum_Dum_2

For the most part these roads are engineered for 80kph. Madness to not use them otherwise.

(was the Tramore road 60Mph before 2005?)

Cabaal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122394296#Comment_122394296

So you've cycled the Tramore road then and you feel its safe?

Also, you've never been on the N7 have you?
A duel carridgeway with sections which are 60km limit.

While certainly parts of the outer ring can be 80km, more sections of it should be 60km in particualr around some of the roundabouts.

Never been a death on Tramore road, you have to be kidding me right?
Here's one https://www.independent.ie/news/motorcyclist-dies-in-co-waterford-crash/37269511.html , there's also be plenty of collissions https://www.wlrfm.com/news/tramore-road-crash-316978

Valhalla90

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122396756#Comment_122396756

Speed limit related! Unfortunately accidents happen. Putting roads at 60km/h is not the answer it’s a cheap fix. Road improvements make a difference. The R675 at the moment has no cats eye light reflectors, the road surface is mostly cheap chippings done in patches. Getting that sorted would be more beneficial safety wise than lowering the speed limit.

nomoedoe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122394296#Comment_122394296

If cyclists dont feel safe cycling on the Tramore road then they probably shouldn’t cycle on it,as it is now its one of the most frustrating roads in Waterford to drive on you have auld ones already doing 60km on it causing traffic to back up with no safe place to overtake.

Boooourns

Yeah let's keep driving really fast, think of all those minutes you'll save by driving 80 instead of 60kph which will be about 2mins on a spin out to Tramore.

A lot of Irish drivers attitude is to get to a place as quickly as they can instead of safely as they can. All they save is a few minutes.

Valhalla90

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122398519#Comment_122398519

If you think 80km/h is fast I’d hate to be stuck driving behind you. I have experienced the driver going at 60km/h on the Tramore road and there is nothing more infuriating to experience. Massive tailback of cars behind. This is more of a safety risk than drivers doing a sensible 80km/h

Wanderer78

…or maybe roads such as the r675 need better cycling infrastructure, so that all road users can be far safer, and then maybe 80k speed limits could be maintained…..

Boooourns

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122399580#Comment_122399580

Tbh I think 80kph isn't fast driving but people have zero patience on the road as in the example you give. So what if someone wants to do 60kph, most often then not it's elderly drivers that want to drive at a safe speed for them. It's very rare I get caught behind someone on and 80kph that's doing a low speed but I'd show a bit of cop on when I do.

Bards

Failing to keep up with traffic is an automatic fail on the driving test and shows you are not competent to drive.. Doesn't matter your age or experience.. If you cannot drive safely (slow is not safe) you should not be on the road

iseegirls

https://www.wlrfm.com/news/urban-greenway-tramore-waterford-334257

Not sure if we've heard anything else about this plan since last year.

Valhalla90

The R675 should be classified as a national road in order to receive road maintenance and funding from NRA. The road currently is not in good condition with cheap chipping surfaces everywhere and hardly any road markings. Long term with the growth of the city and Tramore plans should be now made to make it a dual carriageway and then you can add your cycling walking facilities.

Boooourns

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122400850#Comment_122400850

All well in good in saying that, you can go down a rabbit hole in what should be happening the road …indicators, wrong turns on roundabouts will always happen. My main point is just have a bit of cop on when you come across it, dangerous overtaking or road rage etc is not the answer. Unfortunately from my experience as a driver everybody wants to get as quickly as they possibly can to their destination and you see some absolute stupidity on the roads.

blackcard

Speed limits on Regional roads aren't being reduced. They are on local roads from 80 kph to 60kph

Rustyman101

Mad stuff, maybe bring the Garda RP unit up to strength or beyond preferably & enforce the existing laws, plus lots of tech that could be used.

But let's decrease the limits rather than enforcement.

Amount of "Ls" you see driving unaccompanied is unreal.

I know crazy shite.

And maybe statistical analysis of the numbers I.e. growth in population v numbers again crazy stuff.

Saying 104 deaths in 2024 versus 7 in 1935 sounds like a huge rise but it isn't pro-rata.

I realise it's not a minitab exercise but there's is merit in analysis.

Now ever death has a horrific effect on family and responders,no doubt but we need context.

anyways it all part of the green agenda make private car usage untenable!

And a nice revenue earner for all those juicy fines. F*** all to do with actual road safety.

Remember this in the GE with voting for Marc & Co.

Cabaal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122397960#Comment_122397960

If motorists feel frustrated by somebody doing 60km and they feel this gives them the right to make dangerous overtakes, then they shouldn't really be driving. At the end of the day, if there is no safe place to overtake then very simply you do not attempt to overtake.

As for cyclists, unlike motorists cyclists have an automatic right to the road. Motorists must first get permission and then permission can be revoked. Your attitude to justifing behavior explains why we need to see driver refresher tests.

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122402993#Comment_122402993

…dont worry, marc and co are toast, and since we ll have another ffg government, radical changes will occur, cause that whats happens when governments stay the same……

Cabaal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122402993#Comment_122402993

I love this type of rambling about green agenda etc. Such nonense.
Also attemptmpting to play down road death numbers is pretty disgusting.

You want enforcement but yet in the same breath you say "nice revenue earner for all those juicy fines. F*** all to do with actual road safety."

Its EVERYTHING to do with road safety because speed very much kills. if you can't drive within the speed limit then frankly you deserve every fine you get. Think of fines as a tax on idiots, now think about how you can avoid paying that tax.

Stuff like graduated penalities needs to happen in Ireland, where the faster speed you go the larger the fine and points. Go 90km in a 80km and get 1 point and 80euro fine, but go 100km and its 2 points and a 140euro fine etc etc.

Reality in Ireland is busy roads like Tramore road, all N roads and all M roads should have avg speed cameras, that will quickly put an end to the idiots. That still leaves mobile phone use which really should result in driving bans if we were serious about dealing with distracted drivers.

Mobile phone use after all impacts reaction times and in some cases even more so then drink driving.

nomoedoe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122403485#Comment_122403485

You should probably re-read my post where I said SAFE overtaking not once did I mention anything about dangerous overtaking.

nomoedoe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122403485#Comment_122403485

And on your point about refresher tests ,i drive across the island of Ireland regulary and ive seen all manners of good and bad driving from both men and women of all ages in cars, vans, lorries ,motorbikes and cyclist's ,i fully agree that we need driver refresher courses for everyone who uses the road,im not sure what attitude to justifying behaviour you are on about maybe if you climbed down off your high horse bicycle that you have an automatic right to use then you might be able to think straight.

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122403866#Comment_122403866

…i do agree with the refreshers approach, but i wouldnt go down the road of more tests, unless its found particular drivers are particularly bad after refreshers lessons….

…theres no question id fail the test if i done it now, so refresher lessons wouldnt be a bad idea, but this should all be included in road tax payments, not just more fees….

Cabaal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122403879#Comment_122403879

If everyone thinks they are such good drivers what do they have to fear from refresher tests?

I certainly wouldn't fear one

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122403911#Comment_122403911

….not everyone thinks they are, i certain am not, but i think some think theyre good drivers, but may not actually be…..

….we all know tests are very stressful, and the teaching to test system is deeply flawed, most drivers probably change their driving habits post test, and not for the better, so i do think we all should be checked from time to time via mandatory lessons, and if its deemed from there that retesting is required, so be it….

65535

Ah the usual convienent soundbyte of - Speed Kills - well I've news lads - Speed is a mathematical formula - a combination of distance and time if you will - if speed actually killed us then we would all be dead from flying in planes at speed.

Speed in and of itself can never kill.

The following are reasons for deaths on the road.

Poor driving skills at speed - lack of training.

Bad decisions made at speed - alcohol or drug related -more enforcement of existing laws needed

Inexperienced driving at speed - more training needed.

Putting a mobile phone up to your ear at speed - more enforcement of existing laws needed.

Smoking and mobile phone useage at the same time at speed - again more enforcement of existing laws needed.

All you Waterford lads know the road there before Lemybrien on the Waterford side.

There was a speed wagon as ususal and everyone was abiding by the speed limit.

A motorbike overtook me and further on there was a Garda car which then deicded to overtake everyone and almost write off a car that was turning right to go up to Mahon falls (L7032)

So that was not good enough for them - now the right turn is not allowed apparently all because the Guards thought they were above the law by overtaking a car that was in the process of doing a legal right turn - all to 'catch' a motorbike that was driving correctly but at a higher speed.

Then there's the ususal Speed Wagons or Garda Cars parked up at the top of the hill before you get to Kilmeaden - that road is constructed to be a motorway yet it's limited to a National Route.

Motorways and Dual Carrigeways are the safest roads - 2 way roads are the least safe.

Edit: And before any BS - I passed an advanced drivers course 100%

Rustyman101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122403493#Comment_122403493

Not trying to down play road deaths in anyway, maybe I didn't make my point clearly enough, the amount of cars on the roads has increased therefore unfortunately in all probability the road deaths and accidents will increase.

I agree with you on the use of technology I stated that.

On the green agenda its clearly stated to reduce substantially the amount of private cars on the road.

I would suspect by all means possible.

And yes I do see a lot of speed vans as revenue collectors with their placement.

I don't see the point in changing the laws maybe try enforcing the existing ones first by beefing up the RPU.

I actually agree with some of your post.

Phones, learners, drink drugs & excessive speeds are all major contributors.

Do the RSA release the specifics of crashes ?

I don't think they could be wrong, but there more going on than doing 90 in an 80 zone.

Cabaal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122403995#Comment_122403995

No you're right, speed in itself doesn't kill. Its the object hitting you with increased kenetic energy due to the increased speed that kills you.

But your claim that speed doesn't kill is complete nonsense.

If you are driving a car and you hit a pedestrian at 60km there's a 90% you'll kill them.
If you are driving a car and you hit a pedestrian at 50km there's a 50% you'll kill them.
If you are driving a car and you hit a pedestrian at 30km there's a 10% you'll kill them.

Your speed kills, you can argue with this all you want but it doesn't change reality.

As a pedestrian, which speed would you like a car to hit you at…you know, since you don't think speed doesn't kill you in itself. 🙄

65535

No, speed does not kill - as you say 'speed in itself does not kill'

So the BS Soundbyte of 'Speed Kills' is incorrect

Anyway we've moved on now from the disproven 'Speed Kills' to the new Town Markers on every motorway called

'Tiredness Kills'

So - which is it ?

More education for drivers especially in secondary school.

Mandatory re-testing of drivers every 10 years.

Remove ambiguity from road signage - near where I live there are speed bumps painted with white arrows - people who are not from around here decide that they are pedestrian crossings and guess what happens then.

Cabaal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122405704#Comment_122405704

You saying something isn't true or its been disproven, doesn't make it untrue 🤣

As for the speed bumps, if the pedestrian is already crossing the road I'd expect any good motorist to stop to enable them to finish crossing safely and in their own time.

65535

Meh…

Twice I've seen people use the speed bumps as pedestrian crossings - one was a primary school teacher leading a group of kids.

'Let's be careful out there'

Good luck in Blaah Land

Up Cork for the hurling.

Cabaal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122405872#Comment_122405872

"Meh"

Yep that pretty much sums up most people's attitudes to road safety, including your own.

65535

No, there's no 'Meh' for actual Road Safety.

If the speed bumps were designed and painted properly then there would be no 'Meh'

If pedestrians could easily see the difference between a speed bump painting and a pedestrial crossing painting then again there would be no 'Meh'

If cars were not allowed to park on double yellow lines next to actual pedestrian crossings then again there would be no 'Meh'.

The problem here is that Road Safety begins with you and with those in authority but they only see one thing and that is the BS of 'Speed Kills'.

Everything should be designed for road safety, the actual road surface, how it handles water to decrease the possiblity of aquaplaning and the constant negative cambers that are on the roads.

Stupidity of placement of speed limit signs - like the 100Kph sign that was put before the bend in the Youghal Bridge before some understanding individual removed it.

Cleaning of road signs - in Waterford they do it but in Cork they dont.

And so on - I've driven roads in Ireland and in many other countries and still find that the lack of education of road users (that is ALL users) is very low here.

Guards have a duty to show example but decide not to - even this morning a Garda car blocking a narrow road here in Cork - I was trying to reverse - Guard came out and drove off - turned left - no indicator - avoided a speed bump by going up on a footpath - no good example being shown to other road users.

The Golden Egg of stealing money from hard pressed motorists will only continue now with a senseless reduction in speed limits.

65535

Above is what passes for a pedestrian crossing in Cork - including cars parked and what you can't see - vans parked on left

And this is supposed to be a 'speed bump' yet it looks like a pedestrian crossing.

Here is a 2 way street - yes a two way street

And here is more 'road safety' with the minor single lane road on the left being given priority.

Boooourns

Must have lost the hurling.

Cabaal

This is a two way street its more the wide enough, the issue is people storing private property on the road.