From January 7th, 2023, Ireland has implemented new speed limits across many rural local roads, reducing the default speed from 80km/h to 60km/h. The Road Safety Authority emphasizes that drivers must adjust their speed based on conditions, even if it's below the posted limit. The change aims to enhance road safety and is part of a larger initiative to lower speed limits nationwide.
New speed limits have come into effect from today, 7 January, across Ireland . Drivers have been notified to be aware of the new rules that were brought in by the Road Traffic Act. Many rural local roads were reduced from 80km/h to 60 km/h as part of a multi-step process of reducing speed limits to increase road safety in Ireland .
The Road Safety Authority has warned drivers that a speed limit denotes the maximum legal speed, but it does not necessarily indicate the safe speed at which a vehicle should be driven. They said: “It is the responsibility of a driver to obey a Speed Limit and to ensure that the vehicle speed is appropriate for the general circumstances, even if that speed is lower than the Speed Limit. “For example, in poor weather conditions such as heavy rain, we would reduce our speed as it could reduce visibility.” The Rural Speed Limit sign is a black circle with diagonal black lines. You can see it below: The Rural Speed Limit sign was initially introduced to Irish roads in 2015 and originally meant that drivers must use their own judgement but must never exceed 80km/h. However, from 7 February 2025, in areas that have seen the default speed limits changed from 80Km/h to 60Km/h, the Rural Speed Limit sign means that you must drive at 60Km/h or below. The roads that will be affected by the new speed limits are local rural roads, which are marked as 'L' on maps. These roads primarily deal with local traffic for those accessing their homes, farms and smaller rural communities. The change does not currently impact local roads in urban areas, however, more speed reductions will be carried out later in the year. You can find more information here
SPEED LIMITS ROAD SAFETY IRELAND RURAL ROADS TRAFFIC REGULATIONS
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