Insane speed limit policy stuck in bureaucratic limbo

By TONYâ€Ë†GALVIN WHAT is the speed limit at Carrownurlaur bend, the notorious accident blackspot near Milltown where, in 2009, four young NUIG students lost their lives and a fifth was seriously injured? Is it 60kph, 50kph, or, given the number of accidents that have occurred there over the years, a steady 40kph? Wrong. Believe it or not, the speed restriction governing this tragic spot is still 100kph, with a sign on the actual bend reminding motorists of this fact. There are a plethora of warning signs close to the bend, one imploring motorists to slow down. An anti-skid surface has been applied to the road. There are even plans to spend millions on a by-pass. But the speed limit remains the same as it was on that terrible night in November 2009 when those four girls died. And it is this kind of ludicrous anomaly that Tuam man Francis McGrath is waging a one-man campaign against, in the hope of applying some logic to what he argues is an insane situation. His basic argument is quite straightforward. The National Roads Authority (NRA) has sprinkled the country with 100kph signs and very many have ended up in locations that not only beggar belief (and are now the stuff of ridicule on sites such as YouTube), but represent a clear and present danger to road users. These signs can be found at the entrances to roundabouts, on notoriously dangerous bends, such as the one at Carrownurlaur, and even alongside flashing safety lights outside schools. In fact, Francis has accumulated a collection of photographs of unusual, not to mention downright dangerous examples of such signs to back up his argument. His aim is to ensure the authorities responsible for establishing speed limits consider the condition and safety of national roads before they set them, putting an end to the current blanket speed limits. He calls our speed limit policy 'insane' and he would appear to have logic on his side, but he fears it will take a court case in the wake of yet another tragedy at one of the many multiple-accident sites still governed by an inappropriate 100kph limit before any effective action is taken. 'Scrap the lot,' is his solution to the problem of these signs. They are already a standing joke. Even when the 100kph signs are destroyed in an accident, the NRA rushes in to replace them. When the changeover from miles to kilometres was introduced in 2004, we went from a system that maintained speed-limit signs at the approaches to and exits from urban centres, to one in which the NRA, in its wisdom, decided to litter the country with new 100km signs, at a cost of millions. Francis McGrath argues that the law requires motorists to drive with due care and take into account road conditions, but juxtaposed with safety warning signs throughout the country there are signs 'reminding' motorists that they can travel at up to 100 kph (62mph) if they so wish. 'Any young fellow could attempt to drive up Corkscrew Hill at 100 kph if he so wished and unless he was involved in an accident, there is little the Gardai could do about it. Speed limits such as the 50kph one in Turloughmore are designed to slow traffic down. What are people supposed to think when they see 100kph signs dotted around the countryside, but that's the speed to slow down to?' Francis asked. He said he knows it's commonly stated that 100kph is a maximum speed, not a target, but he argues that the message that these commonly seen signs are sending out is that it is safe and appropriate to drive at this speed when, in so many cases, it clearly is not. He wants the NRA to admit its mistake, stop tinkering with a section of road here and another there, and simply remove the signs altogether. 'Everybody knows the maximum speed on our roads, with obvious exceptions such as motorways, is 100kph, we hardly need constant reminders to speed up, because that's what they are, despite what the authorities claim,' he argues. After communication with said authorities, Francis is of the impression that they know they've made a mistake, but are reluctant to rectify it, because that would involve admitting to the mistake and bureaucratic organisations are not good at doing this. He wonders how long it will be before a legal case is taken against the erectors of an inappropriate sign at a location where there's been a death or serious injury, and he feels this may be the only way that action will be taken. The NRA says that the plan was that it would put up these 100kph signs all over the country and that it would then be up to the local Co Council to come along and replace them with signs suitable for the location. Galway Co Council is currently reviewing speed limits but with budgetary restraints it could be years before the anomalies are ironed out. Francis McGrath is campaigning for a blanket removal of all the 100kph signs, arguing they are confusing, inappropriate and, in many cases, very dangerous. 'It is beginning to dawn on them that the logic of the situation will eventually dictate that they have to take this course. This will cost many more millions in addition to the millions wasted putting them up in the first place. But if the NRA had the authority to put the signs up in the first place then they surely have the authority to take them down?' He concluded by saying that lives are being put in danger simply because the NRA wants to save face by not taking down the signs and that he has little confidence in councils around the country having the resources to carry out the task because of current restrictions on funding. He says the argument that 100kpm signs need to be erected at all junctions with minor roads to reminded driver of the higher speed limit which applies is a nonsense. Who, he asks, isn't aware of the upper speed limit on our national roads. Meanwhile he will continue his campaign, corresponding with the NRA, the Minister for Transport, local politicians and anyone who he thinks may be able to bring some influence to bear on what, he is convinced, is a highly dangerous anomaly. 'We're told speed kills so I feel those responsible for erecting these signs that simply advertise the default speed limit are culpable for the injuries and deaths caused. This is a national scandal. Sending out people to identify a few anomalies won't suffice. Scrap the lot and begin again with safety as the guiding factor, not convenience for the likes of the NRA,' Francis concluded.