REDUCED SPEED LIMITS “WILL SAVE LIVES IN COUNTY MONAGHAN”
1,000 new poles and 1,282 new speed limit signs will be installed across Co Monaghan in November. The works will herald the introduction of new 60 kph speed limits on rural and local roads in Co Monaghan as national legislation is enacted to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Irish roads by 50% by 2030. In a briefing to the members of Monaghan Co Council on Monday on the impending speed limit changes, Senior Roads Engineer Kevin West pointed out that the Council had the option of maintaining the current 80 kph limit on rural roads if they thought this speed was more appropriate than 60.
He personally did not think this was something the Council would be looking to implement but the option was there for the Council if they needed it. Chairperson of the Co Council’s Speed Limit Committee Raymond Aughey (Fianna Fáil) recalled discussions between the committee and the Council’s roads team on this matter.
“We welcome the reduction of speed limits to safe levels,” Councillor Aughey stated, noting statistics that indicated that, between 2014 and 2023, 69% of the deaths and serious injuries on Irish roads occurred to pedestrians and cyclists. “The only way we can make a safe transition is to slow traffic down, and if we do that we can at least make a good impression nom these figures. “What we are all about is saving lives. Speed is the biggest problem in every village, town and townland and it is in the top three of the things…