Danger ahead: speed set at the wrong limit

ON a recent visit to Ireland it struck me that often there seems to be little connection between road safety and the speed limits on Irish roads.

Let me give an example. The excellent two-way road from Watergrasshill to Fermoy that features broad shoulders, gentle bends, passing lanes and, since the opening of the parallel toll road, presumably a significant reduction in traffic volumes has had its limit reduced in the open country from 100km/h to 80km/h.

In contrast, on the narrow two-way road between Lismore and Tallow, the speed limit suddenly increases from 80km/h to 100km/h just before a series of tight and dangerous bends leading down a steep descent into the Blackwater valley. I’m sure readers can nominate many more instances of this type of inconsistency. Has your transport minister asked the authorities to set speed limits based on national or regional designation irrespective of fundamental driver safety? Otherwise why is it that bureaucrats are imposing the lower speed limits on some of your safest two-way roads and higher limits on palpably dangerous ones?