Vol. 537 No. 3
184 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will consider the introduction of a new lower maximum speed limit, for application at least in school zones, if not in all densely populated areas. [16146/01]
The standard speed limit for built-up urban areas is currently 30 miles per hour. 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 in built-up areas.
I intend that the situation will continue to be monitored in line with the above approach.
