NARROW COUNTRY ROADS will soon lose their 80km per hour road signs.

The Speeds Limits Working Group established by the Department of Transport today published their recommendations, which include a new “rural speed limit”.

The report recommends a new appeals mechanism for inconsistent speed limits, the removal of misleading 80kmh speed limits on narrow country roads, and the end of signs in inappropriate locations.

Every speed limit in the country will be audited every five years by the National Roads Authority or the local authority, and speed limit guidelines will become binding.

Another proposal suggests using variable speed limits that would change depending on the weather. Motorways would have average speed limits, with drivers’ speeds tracked over distance.

Transport Minister Leo Varadkar said that an existing Transport official would oversee the implementation of the report.

“This detailed report sets out a new approach, and the Department will now work with the NRA, local authorities, the Gardaí, and the AA to implement its recommendations. I also want to thank the Working Group for producing such a comprehensive study. If people are going to respect speed limits, then we need to ensure that speed limits respect the motorist. But we must also ensure that every limit is safe and sensible.”

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