Elaine Loughlin: Independent Ireland not too keen on speed limit changes 

'I drive trucks, I drive tractors, I'm from a rural community,' said TD Richard O'Donoghue, adding that on local roads where 'you're not allowed cut the hedges, so now you have to drive in the middle of the road in certain areas,' a reduced speed is merited. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

Silage season is in full swing, and for members of Independent Ireland it is causing real frustration and a level of road rage that warrants attention.

Just days after the tragic death of Garda Kevin Flatley, the party has come out calling for increases to speed limits.

Garda Flatley died after being struck by a motorbike during a speed check, the high-powered Yamaha R1 1000cc motorcycle continued on for around 500m and crossed the road median before finally crashing into a bus stop.

But Michael Collins, Richard O'Donoghue, and Ken O'Flynn believe that the current speed limits on many roads are too low and used much of their time with the media on Tuesday to vent frustrations about being stuck behind agricultural vehicles.

Stretches of roads, which have recorded no fatalities or accidents, have gone from 80km to 60km, the group protested.

It prompted one journalist to ask whether those responsible for setting the limits should wait for a tragic accident before taking action.

While all motorists will relate to the agonising experience of snailing behind a Massey Ferguson as it trundles along winding rural roads, the statistics speak for themselves.

Speed is a factor in one third of fatal collisions in Ireland.

When a car hits a pedestrian or cyclists at 50 km/h, they have a 50% chance of living. Hit them at 60 km/h, and that chance drops to just 10%.

But Independent Ireland has taken issue with new default speed limits that came into force in February following a recommendation of the 2023 Speed Limit Review and believe that setting limits should be up to local authorities and the gardaí.

"I drive trucks, I drive tractors, I'm from a rural community," Mr O'Donoghue began, adding that on local roads where "you're not allowed cut the hedges, so now you have to drive in the middle of the road in certain areas," a reduced speed is merited.

"You then go on to a regional road, and I'm doing 60 km/h, 53 or 54 km/h in a tractor, and I'm looking behind me, and there's a queue of traffic, no place for me to pull in, and there's a queue of probably half a kilometre behind me."

Mr O'Donoghue argued that this is prompting some drivers to go "nuts" and overtake the entire tailback.

Outlining the solution, party colleague Mr Collins said: "If there's black spots, gardaí know where they are, the local authority knows where they are and they need to work there, not put a blanket ban [in place]. 

So yes, reductions need to happen when there's accidents happening, but certainly not a blanket ban across the country.

He added: "You have a situation in parts of my own constituency, and I can guarantee a lot of other constituencies here, where a tractor, a silage tractor, can hold for 20 for 25 kilometers, doing 20km/h. That's an insane situation, and that needs to be addressed by government."

There is an argument to be made in giving power to local councillors or gardaí, who have a knowledge of particularly dangerous stretches of road. But imagine the uproar there would be, including from politicians, when a decision is taken not to reduce a specific road and then an accident does happen?