NEW SPEED limits are now being enforced on rural local roads across the county but some Clare councillors are concerned that simply lowering the speed limits won’t be enough to tackle the ongoing issue of speeding.
As of February 7th (yesterday), speed limits on various rural roads will be reduced from 80 km/h to 60 km/h as part of an effort to improve road safety. The affected roads include several key routes, such as the N67 from Carnaun Cross to St. Theresa’s Nursing Home in Kilrush, and the N67 from Kilkee to Moyasta, among others. Additional roads including L-1012 in Boston and L-6054 in Querrin, will also be impacted.
In a statement to The Clare Echo, a spokesperson for Clare County Council welcomed the change in speed limits on rural roads. The local authority believed that it will help to improve the safety of vulnerable road users. “This change will make Ireland’s roads safer for motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, and all road users. Between 2020 and 2024, almost three in every four road deaths occurred on local rural roads which currently have a speed limit of 80km/h.”
“Reducing speed can significantly increase the chance of survival in the event of a traffic collision, and lowering speed limits on Ireland’s road network will save lives.”
While individual Clare councillors agree with the statement made by the County Council, some argue that changing the signs alone won’t be sufficient to stop the persistent speeding problem. Cllr Pat O’Gorman (FF), speaking at the Shannon Municipal District meeting, expressed concern that without increased enforcement, drivers may continue to ignore the new speed limits. “Unless we can encourage the Gardaí to be more of a presence on these roads, residents are afraid that even though the limit has gone down to 60 km/h, people will just ignore it and keep driving at the same speed,” he said.
The new speed limits are part of Ireland’s Government Road Safety Strategy 2021–2030, which aims to reduce the number of road deaths and serious injuries by 50% by the end of the decade. The changes were also informed by a Speed Limit Review conducted in 2023 by multiple agencies, including the Department of Transport, An Garda Síochána, and the Road Safety Authority (RSA). The review highlighted the importance of speed in protecting vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists, especially in rural areas.
The introduction of these new limits is in line with the Road Traffic Act 2024, which includes provisions to reduce speed limits on rural, local, and national secondary roads. Future phases of the strategy will also focus on lowering speed limits in urban cores, including housing estates and town centres, to 30 km/h, while national secondary roads will see their limits reduced from 100 km/h to 80 km/h.
Speaking to The Clare Echo Cllr David Griffin (FF) welcomed the lowering in speed limits on rural but echoed the concerns of his fellow Fianna Fáil councillor saying, “There is a concern that if there is no monitoring on the roads will the change in speed limits have an impact on speed because really when it comes to rural roads it’s more about driver behaviour and if they will choose to adhere to the speed limits”.
Griffin also praised the preparatory work of the County Council ahead of the enforcement of the new lower speed limits; “The council have been very proactive ahead of the change in speed limits. They have been out on the roads for the last number of weeks installing the new signs, which are covered currently until the change comes into operation but, just having those signs out there is highlighting ahead of time that there will be a change in speed limits on those roads. There are also a number of news signs in areas where there may not have been a speed limit sign before which helps greatly with the visibility of this change.”
Cllr Rita McInerny (FF) told The Clare Echo that the lower speed limits are generally welcomed but says that these changes must not take away from the essential funding needed to maintain satisfactory road conditions. “It’s important that we continue to work towards the maintenance of our rural roads and ensure that they are in suitable condition for drivers. It isn’t an excuse to allow roads to be in poor condition just because they are now at a lower speed limit.”
Cllr Mary Howard (FG) also welcomes the reduction of speed limits highlighting the widespread danger and poor driving habits along regional roads; “I feel that on some of these roads 80km/hr is not an appropriate speed limit. Regional roads can be very dangerous. They are not straight, they are not very wide and people do tend to speed on them. I would ask people to make themselves aware of the roads affected, slow down and arrive alive”.
