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26 Mar 2026

Louth councillor says enforcement and traffic calming still an issue

Cllr Sheridan says new limits a start but enforcement and traffic calming questions remain

Louth councillor says enforcement and traffic calming still an issue

Reporter:

Donard McCabe

08 Feb 2025 9:29 AM

Louth's Cllr John Sheridan has welcomed a reduction in rural speed limits to 60km per hour that came into force yesterday, however feels enforcement and need for traffic calming measures locally will remain the issue. 
The mid-Louth councillor said that: "Consistently, one of the biggest issues mentioned to me across Mid-Louth is the speeds of vehicles on rural roads. The reduction in speed from 80kmph to 60kmph is a very welcome start. We know that over the past few years a major focus on road safety has been needed due to the numbers of fatalities on the roads.
"Locally, I have highlighted individual cases where traffic calming is needed. We have a high volume of vehicles on our rural roads, and we also have pedestrians and cyclists too and unfortunately we have had to deal with a lot of crashes and near misses in recent years."
Welcoming the new speed limits, Cllr Sheridan continued: "The new limits, which come into force on Friday are a welcome step. At the end of the day, limits have to be proportionate to the quality and standard of the road and this new limit does change the conversation about speeds. Of course physically changing signs is an important step, the question really will be around mind-set, enforcement and traffic calming.
"Unfortunately, we no longer have the Joint Policing Committee structure to discuss road safety enforcement with Gardaí so we are in the dark as to enforcement measures local Gardaí are planning. Similarly each year we seen the County Council road works programme stretched.
"I await the Council road works programme for 2025 being published later this spring for what traffic calming is planned for 2025. I also expect new traffic counts will be required at accident blackspots to ascertain if the new limits are being adhered to, or if further traffic calming is required." 
Under the new rules all roads classified as 'local roads' in rural areas will reduce from 80km per hour to 60km per hour from Friday February 7, 2025. Regional roads will remain at 80kmph and national roads will remain at 100kmph. Some individual variations will apply and will be signposted accordingly. Separately, there will be other consultations later in the year on reducing other limits on other types of roads.

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