New speed limits penalise law-abiding drivers - Mayo TD

THE government’s new speed limit review has been criticised by Deputy Paul Lawless, who called it a 'blanket approach' that punishes responsible drivers while failing to tackle reckless and dangerous driving.

“Road safety is an extremely important issue, and we must punish those who drive recklessly,” he said. “However, this review completely ignores the real issues - enforcement is down 40% since 2009, dangerous junctions remain unaddressed, and road conditions, hedge-cutting and traffic calming measures continue to be neglected.”

He noted that while some local road speed reductions are justified, the proposal to cut speed limits on national secondary roads from 100km/h to 80km/h is 'totally wrong'.

“One example is the N60, which links Claremorris, Castlebar and Ballyhaunis. This is one of the best stretches of road in County Mayo, yet ghe Government is forcing a reduction to 80km/h,” he said.

Deputy Lawless also criticised Transport Infrastructure Ireland’s approach, highlighting that according to a TII engineer on RTÉ Radio, all roads without a central barrier will be reduced to 80km/h.

“This means there would hardly be a road in Mayo where motorists can legally drive at 100km/h.

“We’re creating a situation where tractors will be overtaking cars. Instead of targeting reckless drivers, this government is penalising responsible motorists who obey the rules,” he stated.

The Mayo TD accused the government of failing to prosecute dangerous driving while taking a heavy-handed approach to speed limits.

And he called for a more localised approach, where councillors and area engineers can make evidence-based decisions.

“Local democracy must play its part. There are good stretches of road that should retain their current limits, while genuinely dangerous areas should be reviewed based on data. This one-size-fits-all policy from central government is dangerous - it will frustrate drivers, encourage unsafe overtaking, and ultimately lead to more road deaths,” he warned.

He appealed to the Transport Minister: “I am asking you to bring common sense back into this debate.”