Sharp rise in speed on busy roads

THE NUMBER of motorists speeding on the State's busiest roads has risen sharply since 2005, according to figures released by the Road Safety Authority (RSA).

As the Government inches slowly towards rolling out a network of privately-run speed cameras, the RSA figures published yesterday reveal that there is still a large number of drivers breaking speed limits.

Almost a third of cars break the 100km/h speed limit on dual carriageways, and a fifth break the motorway speed limit of 120km/h. Some 44 per cent of all fatal collisions occurred on national routes in 2006, a rise of 4 per cent on 2005.

National roads, which include motorways, dual carriageways, national primary and national secondary routes, account for only 6 per cent of Ireland's road network but carry more than 45 per cent of traffic.

Some 30 per cent of cars surveyed were driving over the 100km/h limit on dual carriageways, a rise of two percentage points. Twenty per cent were breaking the 120km/h limit on motorways, a jump of five percentage points. On national secondary routes 13 per cent (up four points) broke the 100km/h limit while 27 per cent (also up four points) did so on national primary routes, where the limit is also 100km/h.

The behaviour of drivers of articulated trucks improved on large roads, but the numbers breaking the limit remains extremely high.

According to figures from the survey, the number of these vehicles breaking the speed limit on motorways dropped from 94 to 89 per cent and from 87 to 69 per cent on dual carriageways. Trucks are bound to a lower 80km/h limit.

The RSA's survey of free speeds was bad news for speed compliance in urban areas as well, where more than 80 per cent of car drivers broke the 50km/h or 60km/h limits during the study, which was conducted in late 2006.

On urban national roads - busy roads passing through urban areas - 82 per cent of cars surveyed broke the 50km/h limit, a drop of seven percentage points. A total of 89 per cent broke the 60km/h limit and 86 per cent broke the 50km/h limit on arterial roads - roads that are on the outskirts of villages or towns.

The percentage of cars breaking the 50km/h limit on residential roads more than doubled from 20 per cent in 2005 to 47 per cent.

Up to one quarter of cars continued to break speed limits on local and regional roads, according to the survey, but the situation has improved since 2005.

The RSA's survey found that 26 per cent of cars were travelling above the 80km/h limit on regional roads. In 2005, 63 per cent of car drivers broke the limit on regional roads after the limit was reduced from 60mph to 80km/h which is 50mph. On local roads, 19 per cent of car drivers broke the 80km/h limit, compared with 37 per cent in 2005.

The average free speed of cars was below the speed limit on all rural road types, according to the survey. "Free speed" is defined as the speed at which a driver chooses to travel on a straight road and in good weather and traffic conditions.