30k speed limits for all urban areas on the way

20-07-2022 11:20AM

I find doing 30kph as a driver totally distracting - you’re so focused on your speedometer that you’re not fully focused on your driving- especially when a tailback is building behind you and others are aggressively overtaking you. It’s difficult to maintain a 30kph speed in a car who’s first gear insists on heading towards 60kph.

In cities like Dublin but really any large town, you need to expect the unexpected- pedestrians are notorious for jumping out at any moment on to the road- it’s better you use your full concentration for that and also fully enforce the current 50kph speed limits- that makes much more sense to me.

Changing the road layout in favour of pedestrians has also shown to help drivers reduce speed- but putting all the blame and responsibility on drivers is unfair- what about railings on paths so pedestrians can’t jump onto the road? What about fining pedestrians for not crossing at designated areas?

A 30kph speed limit is not a panacea for reducing road deaths - in some urban areas and estates of houses it may make sense but not everywhere and more needs to be done around traffic calming road design and preventing pedestrians from walking out on roads where there’s heavy moving traffic

Seth Brundle · 20-07-2022 11:27AM

I find doing 30kph as a driver totally distracting - you’re so focused on your speedometer that you’re not fully focused on your driving- especially when a tailback is building behind you and others are aggressively overtaking you. It’s difficult to maintain a 30kph speed in a car who’s first gear insists on heading towards 60kph.

Change gear then or use crusie control!

In cities like Dublin but really any large town, you need to expect the unexpected- pedestrians are notorious for jumping out at any moment on to the road- it’s better you use your full concentration for that and also fully enforce the current 50kph speed limits- that makes much more sense to me.

Am I correct in thinking that you disagree with slower speed limits because people can walk in front of you at any time? Are you taking the piss?

Changing the road layout in favour of pedestrians has also shown to help drivers reduce speed- but putting all the blame and responsibility on drivers is unfair- what about railings on paths so pedestrians can’t jump onto the road? What about fining pedestrians for not crossing at designated areas?

Railings to stop pedestrians walking? You really want the place looking like a prison simply so you can drive faster to the next set of red lights?

20-07-2022 11:37AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119363024#Comment_119363024

I’m not even going to bother engaging with you- you obviously believe that road deaths are all the cause of drivers and absolutely no responsibility of pedestrians or due to outdated road layout design - in Bordeaux a beautiful city where cars fly around at great speed, there are metal railings everywhere preventing idiot pedestrians from walking out into traffic so I don’t get your outrage with changing Dublin to look like a prison😂😂😂

Seth Brundle · 20-07-2022 11:40AM

So you can't prove any of my points as wrong then?

magicbastarder · 20-07-2022 11:50AM

sorry, your car wants to do 60km/h in first gear?

Dravokivich · 20-07-2022 11:59AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119362996#Comment_119362996

What are you driving?

SuperBowserWorld · 20-07-2022 12:02PM

I find it interesting that road death statistics are discussed but not accidents.

So a kid getting a brain injury or broken back doesn't count or something ?

Hey man, slow down.

https://youtu.be/4OzU1jdjSZA

20-07-2022 12:06PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119363180#Comment_119363180

A car

20-07-2022 12:09PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119363092#Comment_119363092

ive already disproved one of them and that’s about as much time as Im willing to devote to you today because as I said previously, you’ve no intention to listen to the views of a motorist

20-07-2022 12:33PM

Arguments for 30k

Safer
Higher chance of survival and lower likelihood of serious injury in the event of collision
Reduced tyre noise
Reduced emissions
Reduced PM from tyres and brakes

Arguments against 30k

I don't wanna
I'm not able to control the vehicle
Cyclists pass me out
I don't wanna
Road tax 🤪

Dravokivich · 20-07-2022 12:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119363215#Comment_119363215

So you won't tell us what car (make/model/engine/gearbox) wants to do 60kph in first gear?

John_Rambo · 20-07-2022 01:18PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119363215#Comment_119363215

No car "insists" on heading towards 60kph in first gear.

harmless · 20-07-2022 01:20PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119363567#Comment_119363567

What if the throttle is stuck open?

20-07-2022 01:20PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119363362#Comment_119363362

I said heading towards - if you’re in a 30kph zone and there’s a distinct possibility of speed cameras you’ll be doing your level best to watch the speedometer rather than the road ahead.

If you drive in a built up area like an estate of houses and intend on driving slowly overall - you might reach 35kph but because guards don’t usually waste their time sitting with their hairdryers in housing estates, your attention will be fully on driving slowly in general and watching the road- you might do 38 or 28 but the main point is you’ll be driving slowly and keeping your eyes on the road not the speedometer - that’s what safe driving is about - it’s too easy to exceed 30kph in most cars without keeping an eye on the speedometer.

20-07-2022 01:22PM

My god, there are some bad drivers on this thread

magicbastarder · 20-07-2022 01:38PM

to be fair, he's correct - accelerating in first gear means you car is 'heading towards' 60km/h. in the same way you're 'heading towards' the speed of sound.

but it's a bad idea to drive at the speed of sound, it's horrendous for fuel consumption.

Seth Brundle · 20-07-2022 01:39PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119363226#Comment_119363226

To be clear, you didn't disprove anything. You went on again about putting up railings which, to be honmest is an absolutely suggestion and anyone who thinks this is a solution to anything is deluded!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119363079#Comment_119363079

As for not listening to the views of a driver - I'm a driver and have been for a number of decades. I love driving and I love driving fast. I was driving my car less than an hour ago. I'm not sure what that has to do with anything here really because your idea for fencing will still be a completely stupid one, you can't control your car (by your own admission) and you seem to thin that it is more dangerous having pedestrians walk out in front of you when your doing 30km/h rahter than 50km/h.

harmless · 20-07-2022 01:40PM

I think it's just people taking a dig at this ridiculous headline

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/dublin/2022/06/22/drivers-claim-30-kmh-phoenix-park-speed-limit-causes-engine-damage-and-stalling/

magicbastarder · 20-07-2022 01:41PM

as an aside, many people don't realise that braking distance (reaction time aside) squares with speed. so braking from 50 to 0 takes just shy of three times as long as braking from 30 to 0.

or look at it this way - it takes twice as long to brake from 50 to 30 as it takes to brake from 30 to 0.

20-07-2022 01:43PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119363672#Comment_119363672

Calling people deluded? Right I can see now the level of maturity I’m dealing with - if immature name calling is all you can come up with along with the faux outrage, I’ll leave you to it.

Seth Brundle · 20-07-2022 01:54PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119363689#Comment_119363689

It's not faux outrage (I'm not outraged at all!), I'm just surprised that you don't think it is deluded to line our urban roads with metal fences simply to stop pedestrians crossing the road?

20-07-2022 02:08PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119363341#Comment_119363341

How do you know 30 is safer? We'd need a few years worth of data to determine that. You might find more overtaking etc leads to more deaths. Either way we don't know. Maybe loss of trust in speed limits would have a negative effect on society.

The main arguements against is that there is nothing wrong with the current limit and we don't need to increase journey times significantly.

harmless · 20-07-2022 02:12PM

How much does reducing speed limits from 50 to 30 actually increase travel time in heavily congested areas?

John_Rambo · 20-07-2022 02:18PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119363579#Comment_119363579

You put the clutch in, brake to a normal speed, clutch out until it engages and bring it to a safe spot, put it in neutral and get the engine off as soon as you can. Take out your phone, call your mechanic and get a tow truck sorted. Ensure to tell the truck driver the throttle is jammed open.

I'm happy to teach you what intelligent people do in these cases, but my time is precious so best of asking stupid questions in the forum rather than this thread.

railer201 · 20-07-2022 02:19PM

It's a stupid proposal for anywhere outside of housing estates, schools etc.

It won't make much difference anyway if it's brought in for the adjacent arterial routes because a stupid law will be seen for what it is and pretty well much ignored.

Good motorists slow right down when the circumstances require it, and they don't need a sign to prompt them to do so.

Let's hope this gobshitery never comes to fruition !

magicbastarder · 20-07-2022 02:21PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119363579#Comment_119363579

even apart from using the clutch, your brakes are more powerful than the engine. if your throttle sticks open and you emergency brake, the brakes win.

Dravokivich · 20-07-2022 02:35PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119363581#Comment_119363581

You said, "It’s difficult to maintain a 30kph speed in a car who’s first gear insists on heading towards 60kph." You've put it squarely on the vehicle you are struggling to hold back, not just some rudimentary extreme to trivialise the subject. There's a distinct possibility of speed cameras regardless of the road and it's speed limit.

Driving at 30, is no different that 50 / 60 / 80 / 100. Doing so consistently you get used to how it feels. Or do you often find yourself staring at the speedometer as opposed to a quick glance while driving which we should be doing anyway?

20-07-2022 03:00PM

If we actually implemented this, 5 years from now I can almost guarantee the data will show

1) No noteworthy impact on road deaths

2) Conflicting reports on how much it is adhered to and enforced.

With all the many issues we face in this country, this should be bottom of the list stuff.

magicbastarder · 20-07-2022 03:07PM

road deaths are not the only metric on which you'd judge the success of a measure like this.

pedestrian deaths on motorways averaging zero per year is not proof that 120km/h is safe. it's proof that if people avoid walking on or near the road, they won't get killed.

AndrewJRenko · 20-07-2022 03:08PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119362996#Comment_119362996

If your car is insisting on doing any particular speed, you need to take it off the road and bring it to your mechanic urgently. We don’t have autonomous vehicles in Ireland, so drivers need to be in control, by law.

30k speed limits for all urban areas on the way

Comments