Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Brady for his presentation. From what I am seeing, this is the TII report on the impact of national road speed limit reductions so it is all about the national road network. I read the 29-page document as much as the opening statement. TII was focusing purely on the national road network, namely, the motorways and national dual and single carriageways. Much of the traffic we all encounter and generate does not involve national roads even though per miles travelled, it amounts to 45% of the total. Many Deputies and Senators drive on national roads but a large part of the general population does not drive on national roads a lot of the time. I am particularly struck by a reference to how a small car run on petrol generates enormous emissions at 5 km/h relative to 30 km/h, 50 km/h or 70 km/h. Emissions increase again when speeds increase from 80 km/h to 90 km/h. The point about the shift from 50 km/h to 80 km/h is, therefore, interesting.

My takeaway from this is that all this stuff about trying to slow people down on motorways is nonsense. It is worth having a look at but the conclusion is that this will not do much for us, whereas a modal shift and not driving at very low speeds while stuck on congested roads will do much more for emissions. I presume there is a fair number of idling buses and trucks outside shops - I see it myself - and vehicles outside schools with the engines running possibly because drivers do not want to use the battery. Emissions could be saved in other ways.

I suppose Mr. Brady is saying that we should not worry too much about the motorway network because TII's model suggests that some people would come off the motorways and start driving on other roads. Is the main reason for that just to save on tolls? I do not understand why because if the motorway speed limit was reduced from 120 km/h to 100 km/h, I would probably still want to stay on the M8 rather than go back on the N8 through various towns where I would potentially encounter congestion that I will not encounter on the M8. Perhaps if the saving was €3 each way, some people might decide it was worth it. When the tolls came in, I used to think when I saw trucks exiting the motorways that the journey would take 20 minutes longer and surely the cost to the driver in terms of time would be more expensive than the saving from not paying a toll for a truck. I do not think I realised before now that the speed limit for trucks on a motorway is 90 km/h. Is that right? I have often encountered trucks travelling as fast as I was, at 120 km/h. I did not realise there was a 90 km/h limit.

Could Mr. Brady confirm that my takeaway, which is that slowing people on motorways will increase road deaths and congestion in towns and take people off motorways that were built to get people from "A" to "B" quickly and safely, is correct? It was not part of this report because TII was focused on national roads but there is considerable scope for people to do things better in urban areas.

When representatives of the Love 30 campaign appeared before the committee they argued against having speed limits above 30 km/h in urban areas. There may be valid reasons for that in terms of road safety and someone being involved in a collision at 30 km/h rather than 50 km/h but in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, that proposal would generate more greenhouse gas emissions in urban areas than people driving at 50 km/h.