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I’m not aware of motorway speeds other than 120km/h except on the M50 and near tool booths. That seems appropriate and broadly in line with the rest or Europe.

I’m not aware of motorway speeds other than 120km/h except on the M50 and near tool booths. That seems appropriate and broadly in line with the rest or Europe. (edit: and It's not like everyone is cruising along at or above the limit. I pass a lot of cars in free flowing traffic when driving with cruise control on at 120) The 80kph roads that are double track with grass down the center are a ... fixture of the Irish rural environment.

jiofj 3y ago
A limit of 120km/h in a good motorway is a bad joke. The only purpose is to be able to give tickets to take money from people.
- panki27 3y ago
  Sure, the reduced rate of accidents and emissions is just a useful side catch.
- wiredfool 3y ago
  There are 2 countries I've driven in in Europe with higher limits, France (130 in good weather) and Germany (unlimited in some sections). UK is 70mph. Max I've seen in the US is 75mph. Most traffic in Germany, even in the unlimited sections, tends to max out around 130. France tends to hit that 130 and not go above it. I stand by 120 as a generally reasonable speed for a motorway with a speed limit.
  - koolba 3y ago
    There’s some 85 mph in the USA in Texas. Mostly 65 mph in the rest of the country though.
  - hulitu 3y ago
    > There are 2 countries I've driven in in Europe with higher limits, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Croatia, Italy all have 130 km/h speed limit on highways.
  - jiofj 3y ago
    So basically you are saying that you have seen 130, that it works well, but you still stand by 120. Makes no sense. Where I live the upper limit is 120. If you drive at 120 people won't stop overtaking you. It's done this way because they have those mobile car radars to give people tickets when they need money.
    - wiredfool 3y ago
      What I'm saying is that the natural speed is around 120km/h, even on the far nicer roads in Germany and France. If the limits there are higher, and the bulk of drivers still aren't driving faster, then maybe 120 is just fine for what we have here.
  - whelp_24 3y ago
    The speed limit being 70 in the us is a bad joke. A relic from the gas shortage we had once that must have proven lucrative. Our roads are long wide and straight, it shouldn't be so low. (though Texas has some 85mph sections)
    - wiredfool 3y ago
      That was 55.
      - whelp_24 3y ago
        Yeah, but the hard speed limits existence in the first place was from this. There used to be roads with limits, and the limits also took a long time to go up, they are still low, and most backroads are still like 55 or lower
        wiredfool 3y ago
        No, it wasn't. At least, anywhere other than Montana. The limits were higher, then Carter made then 55, nationally. Montana used to have "Safe and Reasonable" as a daytime speed limit. During 55, it was forced to be that, but it was widely ignored and there was a $5 fine for "Excessively Utilizing Natural Resources". People would hold a $5 bill out the window when pulled over.
        mikestew 3y ago
        Yeah, but the hard speed limits existence in the first place was from this. I don't even have a rebuttal for a statement so demonstrably untrue. Speed limits were in place for decades before the 70s gas shortages. And the limit on backroads is reasonable considering that oncoming traffic is passing by you mere feet/meters away.
- davewritescode 3y ago
  Excuse the rough conversions but here where I live in the US (New England) the speed limit is generally ~105km/hr on highways but isn't enforced below 130km/hr unless there's some other violation in play. It seems entirely reasonable
- master-lincoln 3y ago
  Looks like apart from Germany there is no country in the world that allows more than 140km/h https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_by_country https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_by_country
  - croes 3y ago
    Some german politicians have an interesting "logic". There are highways with speed limits because of they high accident count, after the speed limit the count dropped, therefore the speed limit isn't necessary anymore.
fsniper 3y ago
I was directly pointing to m50 on that count. It's not even an even limit on the whole m50. Some parts are 100km/h some parts are 120km/h. And I can agree that part is not much of a problem. But most of the rural 80km/h road strands are too dangerous.

jiofj 3y ago

A limit of 120km/h in a good motorway is a bad joke. The only purpose is to be able to give tickets to take money from people.

panki27 3y ago
Sure, the reduced rate of accidents and emissions is just a useful side catch.
wiredfool 3y ago
There are 2 countries I've driven in in Europe with higher limits, France (130 in good weather) and Germany (unlimited in some sections). UK is 70mph. Max I've seen in the US is 75mph. Most traffic in Germany, even in the unlimited sections, tends to max out around 130. France tends to hit that 130 and not go above it. I stand by 120 as a generally reasonable speed for a motorway with a speed limit.
- koolba 3y ago
  There’s some 85 mph in the USA in Texas. Mostly 65 mph in the rest of the country though.
- hulitu 3y ago
  > There are 2 countries I've driven in in Europe with higher limits, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Croatia, Italy all have 130 km/h speed limit on highways.
- jiofj 3y ago
  So basically you are saying that you have seen 130, that it works well, but you still stand by 120. Makes no sense. Where I live the upper limit is 120. If you drive at 120 people won't stop overtaking you. It's done this way because they have those mobile car radars to give people tickets when they need money.
  - wiredfool 3y ago
    What I'm saying is that the natural speed is around 120km/h, even on the far nicer roads in Germany and France. If the limits there are higher, and the bulk of drivers still aren't driving faster, then maybe 120 is just fine for what we have here.
- whelp_24 3y ago
  The speed limit being 70 in the us is a bad joke. A relic from the gas shortage we had once that must have proven lucrative. Our roads are long wide and straight, it shouldn't be so low. (though Texas has some 85mph sections)
  - wiredfool 3y ago
    That was 55.
    - whelp_24 3y ago
      Yeah, but the hard speed limits existence in the first place was from this. There used to be roads with limits, and the limits also took a long time to go up, they are still low, and most backroads are still like 55 or lower
      - wiredfool 3y ago
        No, it wasn't. At least, anywhere other than Montana. The limits were higher, then Carter made then 55, nationally. Montana used to have "Safe and Reasonable" as a daytime speed limit. During 55, it was forced to be that, but it was widely ignored and there was a $5 fine for "Excessively Utilizing Natural Resources". People would hold a $5 bill out the window when pulled over.
      - mikestew 3y ago
        Yeah, but the hard speed limits existence in the first place was from this. I don't even have a rebuttal for a statement so demonstrably untrue. Speed limits were in place for decades before the 70s gas shortages. And the limit on backroads is reasonable considering that oncoming traffic is passing by you mere feet/meters away.
davewritescode 3y ago
Excuse the rough conversions but here where I live in the US (New England) the speed limit is generally ~105km/hr on highways but isn't enforced below 130km/hr unless there's some other violation in play. It seems entirely reasonable
master-lincoln 3y ago
Looks like apart from Germany there is no country in the world that allows more than 140km/h https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_by_country https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_by_country
- croes 3y ago
  Some german politicians have an interesting "logic". There are highways with speed limits because of they high accident count, after the speed limit the count dropped, therefore the speed limit isn't necessary anymore.

fsniper 3y ago

I was directly pointing to m50 on that count. It's not even an even limit on the whole m50. Some parts are 100km/h some parts are 120km/h. And I can agree that part is not much of a problem. But most of the rural 80km/h road strands are too dangerous.