Complaints to RSA about speed limits, signs and penalty points

The Road Safety Authority has received dozens of emails from people expressing fears about "death trap" roads and speeding in rural areas, as well as inappropriate signage and penalty points.

The messages to the authority and replies to them were released under the Freedom of Information Act.

In almost all cases, the authority replied to say it had no role in relation to speed limits, signage or penalty points, and that these were matters for the National Roads Authority or An Garda Síochána.

Other complaints to the RSA on roads included one from an area of the Wild Atlantic Way that had become busy with tourists since new signs were erected. A resident living on the Sheep’s Head peninsula near Bantry wrote to say traffic had “quadrupled”.

“The cars are driving in the middle of the road, cyclists are riding on the wrong side, and in the middle of the roads and the walkers well they have no understanding of the amount of traffic on the roads,” the writer said. “It is only a matter of time before someone gets killed. They all think it’s a country road and don’t realise that they are the main roads for the peninsula.

“Last summer a car overturned in front of my house. The French people in the car were not hurt badly but the car was a write-off.”

In Cork, a taxi driver complained of receiving three penalty points for driving at 60km/h in a 50km/h zone at 2.40am.

Push bikes

Another taxi driver in Dublin complained of the 30km/h speed limit in the city, saying he was being “overtaken by numerous push bikes, including the blue Dublin City Bikes” if he stuck to the limit.

“I had drivers shaking their fist at me, cursing me,” he wrote. The limit was “impinging on the ability of taxi men to go about doing their daily work.”

Another driver complained of speed limits of 60km/h on the M7 motorway from Newbridge. The limit had resulted in “harassment from other drivers in the form of light-flashing, horn-blowing, tailgating and hand gestures”, the driver said. “I get the feeling I am the only person observing this speed limit and am beginning to wonder if I am in the wrong here.”

Another person wrote to express “disgust” after a woman caught driving at 187km/h escaped with a fine of €500: “What planet” was the judge on, the writer asked.

The authority replied to say it was not in a position to comment on matters relating to the judiciary or to court cases.

The RSA was told by one person in April that a “grave error” was being made with the new rural speed limit signs, which are replacing 80km/h signs on tertiary roads where they connect to other roads with a speed limit of 100km/h or greater.

Vienna convention

The writer pointed out that the RSA website said the sign was in use internationally under the Vienna signage convention, and meant that drivers must use their own judgment, but must never exceed 80km/h in any case.

“This is incorrect,” the person writes, insisting the meaning of this sign under the convention was “end of prohibition or restriction”.

The authority referred the writer to the National Roads Authority, which in turn said it was a matter for the Department of Transport.

The RSA wrote to local authorities earlier this year with new guidelines for setting and managing speed limits. The new rural speed limit sign to replace existing 80km/h signs on local tertiary roads was among the new measures. All works were to be completed by June 12th.

Extracts from emails to the RSA, 2014-2015

“The dog in the street is wondering how the couple concerned drive the six miles round trip three or four evenings a week, and do so absolutely undeterred at the prospect of being apprehended for drink driving.”

“I was tempted to argue if I was a politician or a family member of same, or if one was a GAA or rugby star or a member of RTÉ, or a family member of a garda etc etc we would have only to make a call and there would be no fine and no points, but unfortunately I don’t belong to that elite grouping, nor do I want to be either.”

“If you are ‘lucky’ enough to catch one old or extremely old driver in front of you, then you can start watch(ing) TV or play games on your mobile. It takes them to pass through a roundabout about two minutes, even if there is nobody coming from (the) right. ”

“We are a country of rules but no action, the poor old motorist takes all the stick from the RSA and the gardaí.”

“In Cork they have a fascination with changing the size and shape of footpaths and roads, so much so that buses cannot traverse the city without taking large swings out to get round or driving over extended corners of footpaths.”

“I don’t consider this [60km/h] speeding. I’m a taxi driver. I’m driving an average of 10 hours a day every day of the week. The speed limits set for daytime driving are unrealistic for night driving when the road conditions are completely different. Where is the RSA’s sense of reason?”

“If I could suggest that personnel go and have a look [at the M50/N4 junction], pretend they are from Mars and have to negotiate the layout.”

“I recognise the need to slow down and stay between legal and safe limits at all times, however, it is unfortunate that we have such high-quality motorways that are not being used the way they should be.”