Your voice: Laois people weigh in on new speed limit changes

On the Friday February 7, speed limits on all rural local county roads in the country will reduce from 80km/h to 60 km/h.

New road signage will replace existing signs to reflect these updated speed limits.

Beyond speed limit reductions, the new legislation introduces key updates, such as multiple penalty points for multiple driving offences; mandatory drug testing following serious road accidents, and changes to rural speed limit signage.

The Leinster Express / Laois Live took to Lyster Square this week to hear what the people of Portlaoise think of the incoming speed limit changes.

The people of Laois had varied reactions, from positivity surrounding the reduced likely hood of road deaths, to frustration at the lack of information surrounding this change.

Andrea Mitchell

I just think it’s quite ridiculous, because people speed as it is.  So when they're bringing down the speed limit, it’s going to increase speeding more with people trying to get places faster. 

Realistically, it’s going to be more dangerous. It’s going to be frustrating on loads of people. People will have to overtake, and it’s going to make it worse. It’s going to cause a lot more accidents. 

Nuala Monahan

It hasn't been well advertised, and the fact that the signs are expected to be changed by Thursday evening for the change on Friday. I am assuming, knowing how the Council works, that all the road signs will not be changed, and that people will be caught red handed for speeding when they don’t even realise. 

In the grand scheme of things, it is for the better, accidents won’t be as bad if someone is hit at a lower speed, but the problem is educating people rather than lowering the speed limits. We all know for a fact that people are done for speeding by exceeding it, and I don’t think that a road sign telling them to drive slower is going to make much of a difference in this country. The problem is also education. We go abroad to Canada a lot, and the speed limits are there and taken very seriously by the public. If you are caught speeding, your license could be taken off you, and if you're caught again you are sent to prison. It’s the justice system.

I can’t comment on other countries, but unfortunately for Ireland, I don't think this will make much of a difference. I know they are doing comparisons with other countries but Ireland doesn’t adhere to rules, we don’t like rules. 

David Monahan

It’s just going to take me longer to get to my destination, with the likes of Bus Eireann and that. You're still going to have to be somewhere at a certain time, they give you criteria to meet. They're not taking this into consideration, that these journeys are going to take longer. 

The change won't make much of a difference. There’s not enough policing, and if you're on a back road, you’re just going to get caught and hit with a fine, that’s it. 

John Fitzpatrick

Thirty miles an hour is so slow, and there are roads there with people doing 100kmph when the limit is fifty or sixty. This change is for the worse. It’s crazy. This is being brought in without consulting the people. No one is asking us any more. There's a band gone in there to Government with none of them knowing what they’re doing. None of them are qualified. They aren’t employers and none of them are qualified to do anything. They have no experience, and they have control of a multimillion pound industry. It’s an absolute joke. 

Ann Clarke

I wouldn't be happy with this change, 100%. I haven't seen it on social media, which would be an important place for people to get news. I haven’t seen it. Not everyone watches the news, but I definitely haven't read about it. 

There will be a lot more penalty points, I think people will forget about it. It’s hard enough- I’m not saying that anyone is a road hog, but it’s hard enough to do 80 sometimes, 60 is very slow. 

I live my life on the roads, and honestly no one is obeying the speed limits. I’m not being bad, but there are some people doing awful speeds. We should be going slower through towns and estates, whatever areas are built up, where you have children or crossings, but I don’t see 80 as bad on rural roads. 

Alan Reilly

I think it’s a great idea.  I’m informed that it’s happening, and I think they should lower it. I don’t think the signs will be changed over in time for Friday. I would say there will be a lot of upset from this, and a lot of people will just ignore it anyway. 

Carl Meehan

They actually should increase it, and these ones going around that can’t drive, they should be taken off the road. I do agree that people driving shouldn’t be on their mobile phones.

I think what should be done is the speed should be put back to miles, not kmph. I don't agree with the speed limit lowering, it's going to cause more havoc. I think all this is for more money for corporations. I didn't elect this government, and what needs to be done is taken back. Ireland wont do anything. 

The phones are a problem, you can get bluetooth in the car or pull in, it’s phones causing crashes, not speeding. I have a course in advanced driving done, and I have seen that it isn't speed that kills, its people distracted or people driving too slowly.

People just don't know how to use the roads, and the driving test is a joke. Look at the autobahns- how many deaths do you see on those? It's down to pure stupidity. Look at the statistics. You do get drunk drivers, but it's phones and stupidity. Imagine you're doing the speed limit on a blind bend, and you come around to someone doing half the speed.