Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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As part of the Government's response to the ongoing worrying trend of rising road fatalities and serious injuries, the Road Traffic Act 2024 was brought forward to address key driver behaviours.

The Act introduces penalty point reform, mandatory drug testing at the scene of serious collisions, and reduces default speed limits as recommended by the Speed Limit Review. This will involve reducing the default Speed Limits from 50km/h to 30km/h for ‘built-up areas’, from 100km/h to 80km/h for rural national secondary roads, and rural local roads from 80km/h to 60km/h.

The Act was approved for drafting last October and has since successfully passed both Houses in a timely manner, with the President signing it into law on 17 April. My Department are working with relevant stakeholders on the commencement of provisions. It is expected that once my Department issues guidelines in relation to the reduction of the default speed limits, local authorities will conduct speed limit reviews for their regions, with the intention of having safer speed limits, and limits which reflect the engineering of the roads, and the area.