Charles Flanagan
Ceist:21 Mr. Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will establish a lower maximum speed limit, that is, 20 mph, for discretionary use by local authorities in urban areas. [9548/01]
Written Answers. - Traffic Regulations.
Nora Owen
Ceist:41 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has received an application to introduce 20 mph speed limits; when he received this application; the person or group from whom he received the application; and when he proposes to take action on the application. [10061/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 21 and 41 together.
As indicated in reply to Question No. 406 of 20 March 2000, the standard speed limit for built-up urban areas is currently 30 mph. However, there is a general obligation that a vehicle shall not be driven at a speed exceeding that which will enable its driver to bring it to a halt within the distance which the driver can see to be clear.
The Government Strategy for Road Safety 1998-2002 indicated that changes to speed limit regimes, which were comprehensively reviewed some years ago, were not proposed in the immediate term: the priority must instead be to secure a much higher level of compliance with existing speed limits.
However, the option of revising speed limits downwards is not ruled out if enforcement of existing limits does not show good progress towards the strategy goal of reducing present excessive levels of speeding. Such downward revisions could address lower speed limits, such as 20 mph, in built-up areas. Adequate legislative provisions are already in place under section 46 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961, as substituted by section 33 of the Road Traffic Act, 1994, if required, to support this approach.Some interest has been expressed in a number of Parliamentary Questions and by two local authorities in particular, Dublin Corporation and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, in the application of 20 mph speed limits.I intend that the situation will continue to be monitored in line with the above approach.
Nora Owen
Ceist:22 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has been approached by persons (details supplied) with regard to a new invention that involves coloured markings on roads to reduce road deaths and accidents; the action he has taken on this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10059/01]
A submission has been made to my Department which includes a proposal for the introduction of a new form of colour coded roadway marking to depict maximum speed limits on particular roads. My Department has been in contact with the promoters of this proposal for the purpose of facilitating a video presentation, and a response is awaited.