A 30 KPH limit for Dublin

Hamsterchops

Over the last few days I've tested out driving @ 30kph and I've come to the conclusion that that it was meant to be 30mph (50kmph). There is no way that you can sustain 30kmph (18mph) for any length of time, certainly not in a diesel that's chugging along between gears.

I think the person who thought of this crazy limit is of a certain age, remembering back to when 30MPH was used to slow down traffic in built up areas, and somehow this has been accidentally transcribed into 30kmph.

Driving on a main road/ dual carriageway @30kph (18mph) for a sustained period is total madness (unless you're in a funeral cortege).

kenmm

RobbieMD wrote: »

I’m 99% certain that cyclists can’t be prosecuted for the specific offence of speeding so there’s no need to be furious if they’re “let go”

While it is legal, I think it was more to do with the Irish sense of "But that's not fair howcome XX gets to do that and I can't" cry baby nonsense.

Hamsterchops wrote: »

Over the last few days I've tested out driving @ 30kph and I've come to the conclusion that that it was meant to be 30mph (50kmph). There is no way that you can sustain 30kmph (18mph) for any length of time, certainly not in a diesel that's chugging along between gears ...

I think the person who thought of this crazy limit is of a certain age, remembering back to when 30MPH was used to slow down traffic in built up areas, and somehow this has been accidentally transcribed into 30kmph.

Driving on a main road/ dual carriageway @30kph (18mph) for a sustained period is total madness (unless you're in a funeral cortege).

30 is slow but I could drive any car at 20/30 in 2nd or 3rd no issue - fu(k most diesels would (reluctantly!) do it in higher gears.

It is a pain in the hole, but its not like its its some impossible situation that requires a mechanical feat of engineering to overcome.


This decision wouldn't have came about lightly. Its tried in other countries and would have been chosen for a number of reasons (reduction of pollution (emissions, noise and others), reducing ave speed, general psychological effect of raising awareness around speed etc) and not just because some senile old fart confused miles and kilometres.

Seth Brundle

No they weren't confused between km/h and mph! :rolleyes:

magicbastarder

Hamsterchops wrote: »

There is no way that you can sustain 30kmph (18mph) for any length of time, certainly not in a diesel that's chugging along between gears.

how do diesels cope with traffic jams?

Hamsterchops

kenmm wrote: »

30 is slow but I could drive any car at 20/30 in 2nd or 3rd no issue - fu(k most diesels would (reluctantly!) do it in higher gears.

It is a pain in the hole, but its not like its its some impossible situation that requires a mechanical feat of engineering to overcome.

Sorry to disagree, but as a very experienced driver of well over thirty years I can safely say that holding (in my case) a 1.6 HDI engine to 30kph is very difficult, as it can be in 2nd or 3rd (just about), but it's tricky to hold it there...

Interestingly the cruise control kicks in @40kph (24MPH) in 4th gear, which would be easy to mintain all day on the flat, if needs be

Shefwedfan

Hamsterchops wrote: »

Over the last few days I've tested out driving @ 30kph and I've come to the conclusion that that it was meant to be 30mph (50kmph). There is no way that you can sustain 30kmph (18mph) for any length of time, certainly not in a diesel that's chugging along between gears.

I think the person who thought of this crazy limit is of a certain age, remembering back to when 30MPH was used to slow down traffic in built up areas, and somehow this has been accidentally transcribed into 30kmph.

Driving on a main road/ dual carriageway @30kph (18mph) for a sustained period is total madness (unless you're in a funeral cortege).

You can't if you are a terrible driver. If you are constantly in traffic and doing 30km/h then you shouldnt be driving a diesel in the first place. But that's another topic.



Germany/France/Belgium etc etc etc all have a 30km/h speed limit in residential areas and cities.

kenmm

Hamsterchops wrote: »

Sorry to disagree, but as a very experienced driver of well over thirty years I can safely say that holding (in my case) a 1.6 HDI engine to 30kph is very difficult, as it can be in 2nd or 3rd (just about), but it's tricky to hold it there...

Interestingly the cruise control kicks in @40kph (24MPH) in 4th gear, which would be easy to mintain all day on the flat, if needs be

At a guess I have driven easily over a thousand different cars over 20 odd years, mainly a mix of petrol and diesel. I don't agree at all.

Its a little bit of a pain if you were to live in a hilly area over distance, but not much. Cruise control is irrelevant, more hassle than its worth in town and if you don't like changing gears, go auto.

Infini

I'll be honest if they expect people to drive that slow on main roads they're living on another planet, people wont drive that slow on big roads and it will get ignored entirely.

kenmm

Infini wrote: »

I'll be honest if they expect people to drive that slow on main roads they're living on another planet, people wont drive that slow on big roads and it will get ignored entirely.

Doubly honest of you! - but yes - apart from the initial few weeks where it will be policed, it will go back to normal - where people do what they want.

But maybe instead of people doing 65/70 in a 50, it will be 40-55 in a 30 - and that might be enough.

Shefwedfan

Infini wrote: »

I'll be honest if they expect people to drive that slow on main roads they're living on another planet, people wont drive that slow on big roads and it will get ignored entirely.

Happy days for the speeding van.



If people are not able to abide by the rules of the road they shouldn't be on it in the first place. So hopefully they will get enough points to kick them off it and that will reduce the traffic then

magicbastarder

Hamsterchops wrote: »

Interestingly the cruise control kicks in @40kph (24MPH) in 4th gear, which would be easy to mintain all day on the flat, if needs be

we're talking about a few km within dublin city typically here, we're not talking about changing the limits on the M1.

Shefwedfan

Hamsterchops wrote: »

Sorry to disagree, but as a very experienced driver of well over thirty years I can safely say that holding (in my case) a 1.6 HDI engine to 30kph is very difficult, as it can be in 2nd or 3rd (just about), but it's tricky to hold it there...

Interestingly the cruise control kicks in @40kph (24MPH) in 4th gear, which would be easy to mintain all day on the flat, if needs be

Cruise control is for the motorway, not for driving in a city centre

Hurrache

The irony of all this complaining is that anyone on a bike would get out of the city centre and the area designated to have the lowered limits, quicker than a car, during peak times. A fit person would beat a car from the city centre to where the N3/Navan road becomes 2 lanes at the Halfway House, beyond the reduced limit area.

It's going to make no difference to people driving in and complaining it'll have them go looking for jobs outside of Dublin.

Hamsterchops wrote: »

Over the last few days I've tested out driving @ 30kph and I've come to the conclusion that that it was meant to be 30mph (50kmph). There is no way that you can sustain 30kmph (18mph) for any length of time, certainly not in a diesel that's chugging along between gears.

Use your gears correctly and it won't be chugging along. How do people manage to drive at rush hour speed as is?

Infini wrote: »

I'll be honest if they expect people to drive that slow on main roads they're living on another planet,

But they already do.

Shefwedfan

Hurrache wrote: »

The irony of all this complaining is that anyone on a bike would get out of the city centre and the area designated to have the lowered limits, quicker than a car, during peak times. A fit person would beat a car from the city centre to where the N3/Navan road becomes 2 lanes at the Halfway House, beyond the reduced limit area.

Not sure what the most recent traffic was like but if you cycled from city centre to N3/Navan a few years back then you would be nearly at Clonee before you would get any speed....the whole of Blanchardstown would be backed up at the M50 junction.

Hurrache

Yeah, so take it outside of Blanchardstown so! Last time I did it by bike was just before the lockdown so there was no traffic queuing at the M50 junction, and even with all the light traffic, I was trading places with cars right up to the racecourse.

Hamsterchops

I remember from the early 80s when doing my driving test, learning to change up through the gears as quickly possible into 4th, and I don't doubt that the same applies today in all modern petrol engined cars....

30 km/h (18mph) is fine for housing estates, but not for extended distances on main arterial roads & dual carriageways ...

IMO.

Hurrache

Getting as quickly as possible into 4th makes no sense, you use the gear best suited to your speed.

What gear do you use when slow moving traffic?

Shefwedfan

Hamsterchops wrote: »

I remember from the early 80s when doing my driving test, learning to change up through the gears as quickly possible into 4th, and I don't doubt that the same applies today in all modern petrol engined cars....

30 km/h (18mph) is fine for housing estates, but not for extended distances on main arterial roads & dual carriageways ...

IMO.

I think you need to do some driving lessons or buy an auto. Then it does it all for you

No idea why anyone would want to get into 4th as quickly as possible. Might explain some of the idiotic driving going on around Dublin mind you

Experience_day

magicbastarder wrote: »

it is, and it happens to be over one and a half times what the average rush hour speed in dublin was before the pox hit.

even now - a sunday evening where traffic is very light, according to google maps the drive from DCU to UCD would be done at an average speed of 32km/h. a 30km/h limit would barely change that.

Yes.........because this law states that it's only active in rush hour busy commute roads rather than all over the shop.....................

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Have you driven in Dublin during rush hour? unless you are one of those plonkers that races from one red light to another you hardly ever go up any gears.

Yes I have. I commute from the southside fairly regularly. And I certainly hit an average of more than 30kph fairly regularly. When I cycle the 15km there would be lots of time I'm breaking this "law".


Some real bootlickers to authority on here. Why we can't move to a hybrid model of people using their initiative/rules vs just stupid blanket rules is beyond me.

Seth Brundle

Experience_day wrote: »

Yes.........because this law states that it's only active in rush hour busy commute roads rather than all over the shop.....................






Yes I have. I commute from the southside fairly regularly. And I certainly hit an average of more than 30kph fairly regularly. When I cycle the 15km there would be lots of time I'm breaking this "law".


Some real bootlickers to authority on here. Why we can't move to a hybrid model of people using their initiative/rules vs just stupid blanket rules is beyond me.

Nothing to do with being a bootlicker to authority.
It has more to do with the fact that I don't want to share the road with an entitled git that thinks they can speed past me whilst looking at their phone.
Roads are shared spaces. It's a pity that some drivers are oblivious to this fact.

As for you breaking this "law" by speeding whilst cycling, no you didn't! There is no such law for cyclists.

magicbastarder

Experience_day wrote: »

Some real bootlickers to authority on here. Why we can't move to a hybrid model of people using their initiative

thanks, i needed a chuckle.

Hurrache

Experience_day wrote: »

When I cycle the 15km there would be lots of time I'm breaking this "law".

No, you won't.

Experience_day wrote: »

Why we can't move to a hybrid model of people using their initiative/rules vs just stupid blanket rules is beyond me.

What do you mean I'm pissed officer, sure I'm not agreeing with that particular law.

Experience_day

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Nothing to do with being a bootlicker to authority.
It has more to do with the fact that I don't want to share the road with an entitled git that thinks they can speed past me whilst looking at their phone.
Roads are shared spaces. It's a pity that some drivers are oblivious to this fact.

As for you breaking this "law" by speeding whilst cycling, no you didn't! There is no such law for cyclists.

Where did I say people looking at their phone? Did you like that argument in your head? :rolleyes:

Seth Brundle

Experience_day wrote: »

Where did I say people looking at their phone? Did you like that argument in your head? :rolleyes:

You're obviously too busy keeping your head in the sand to see what many drivers are actually doing.

Experience_day

Hurrache wrote: »

No, you won't.



What do you mean I'm pissed officer, sure I'm not agreeing with that particular law.

Let me quote a definition of hybrid for you below....


of mixed character; composed of different elements.

Experience_day

Seth Brundle wrote: »

You're obviously too busy keeping your head in the sand to see what many drivers are actually doing.

You're literally making an argument about something you just made up??? :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:


Where did anyone mention looking at their phone before you did??

Seth Brundle

Experience_day wrote: »

You're literally making an argument about something you just made up??? :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:


Where did anyone mention looking at their phone before you did??

You accused people of being bootlickers to authority.
I simply pointed out that I do not wish to share the same space as speeding drivers, many of whom are looking at their phones.

Broadly in favour of this in residential, built up and school zones.

I would hope some traffic calming is introduced alongside this. No sense in relying on fines and points to enforce safe speed limits. If the roads are designed in a way that speeding is discouraged it is better for everyone.

Stark

Experience_day wrote: »

You're literally making an argument about something you just made up??? :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:


Where did anyone mention looking at their phone before you did??

People driving around looking at phones is "made up"?

Also "bootlickers", hah. You sound like a first year university student who just signed up at the Ógra Sinn Féin stand.

magicbastarder

ronoc wrote: »

Broadly in favour of this in residential, built up and school zones.

that pretty much includes all the roads in question.

the school up the road from me is on a road which is not affected though, it's currently 50km/h and no plans to change it.