In October 2025 the Minister for Transport asked all local authorities to review speed limits with a view to introducing more 30 km/h streets. The revised speed limits will go to public consultation in every local authority area in the coming months. All consultations must be completed by 31 October 2026 and the new 30 km/h speed limits are to be fully implemented by the end of March 2027.

There is overwhelming evidence that lower speed limits make streets quieter, safer and more pleasant places for children and adults to live, work and socialise. 30 km/h speed limits are becoming the norm in cities, towns and villages across Europe.

ACT NOW

• Check out your Local Authority consultation portal/website to see when the speed limit consultation is live
• Tell your local councillors you support 30 km/h speed limits where you live, work and circulate.
• Give feedback on the public consultation in your area
• Ask local schools, sports, community and age-friendly groups to support 30 km/h

30 km/h…saves lives

In Ireland road deaths are on the increase, and pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists now make up 35% of all deaths.

Countries such as Wales, Spain, France and the Netherlands and cities such as London, Paris, Brussels, Milan, Helsinki and Zurich have adopted a default urban speed limit of 30 km/h and have seen significant reductions in serious and fatal injuries.

Wales is an example of how a lower urban speed limit can be implemented nationally in a short space of time. Wales passed legislation setting a default speed limit of 20 mph (32 km/h) in July 2022 and fully implemented this across the whole country 14 months later (in September 2023). One year later they found significant drops in casualties and fatal injuries and the summer of 2024 was the safest since records began, including during the pandemic.

The benefits of the lower urban speed limits in Wales include:

• A 28% reduction is casualties and fatalities, with associated cost savings
• Cheaper car insurance if you live in a 20 mph zone (as vehicle damage claims in Wales fell by 20%)
• 20 mph repeater signs not needed (cost saving)

In Spain a 30 km/h speed limit was introduced on all single-lane carriageways in September 2020. Since then, they have seen a 20% reduction in urban road deaths, and fatalities reduced by 34% for cyclists, 31% for the elderly, and 24% for pedestrians.

Similar benefits have been demonstrated in cities all over Europe - a Transport for London report spanning 20 years showed

• Total collisions fell by 35%
• All casualties fell by 36%
• Fatal or serious injuries fell by 34% *** Child casualties dropped by 46%, and children killed by 75%**
• Among people walking, cycling, or riding motorcycles, killed or seriously injured (KSI) figures were reduced by 28%

30 km/h…make door-to-door journeys safer

We already have 30 km/h in most housing estates. But we need wider 30 km/h zones so that children can safely walk and cycle to school and recreation, and people of all ages can safely move about. Introducing widespread 30 km/h is one of the most cost effective ways of improving road safety. Studies in the UK found that wide area 30km/h limits are seven times more cost effective than isolated zones with physical traffic calming.

Frequent changes of speed limits can be confusing for motorists. Widespread 30 km/h zones in urban areas makes it easier for motorists to know the speed limit.

30 km/h…has minimal impact on travel times

30 km/h has very little impact on journey times, since much of the travel time in urban areas is spent at traffic lights, or stuck in traffic, so motorists travelling at 50 km/h or faster are just racing to the next traffic lights. On a typical 20 minute journey, travelling at 30 km/h instead of 50 km/h will add between 20 seconds to a minute to the journey time.

30 km/h…creates liveable villages, towns and cities

Lower speeds result in less noise and pollution. On residential roads and shopping streets, people simply don't want to be exposed to the noise, fumes and dangers from higher speed traffic. Air pollution currently kills more than 1,000 per year in Ireland, primarily through asthma, cancers and other pulmonary illnesses. Towns, villages and cities with 30 km/h speed limits are more attractive places for tourists, and many EU tourists are used to 30 km/h in their home countries.