Dublin City Council is reviewing speed limits and we want your views on the proposed expansion of the 30km/hr speed limit zones in certain residential areas in the City.The Council proposes to continue its rollout of 30km/hr speed zones which were first introduced to Dublin in 2005 with a further expansion in 2010, by the adoption of the Special Speed Limit Bye-Laws 2016. A Public Consultation process will take place from 13th July to 24th August, 2016 whereby the public are invited to view the proposed Bye-Laws and make submissions on their thoughts and ideas.According to Ciarán Cuffe, Chairperson, Transportation Strategic Policy Committee, Dublin City Council:“Speed is a major contributory factor to road deaths in the Republic of Ireland. 21% of all road deaths every year are caused by excessive speed with 54% of those fatalities being pedestrians. London has already introduced 20 mph speed limits in wide areas and Edinburgh has begun to roll out 20 mph speed limits this summer to cover 80% of the city. A number of other European cities are progressing to introduce speed limits similar to our 30km/hr proposal such as Paris, Lyon, Manchester and many cities and towns in Switzerland and Spain. Lower speed limits save lives and improve the quality of life in our cities.”The Council is also looking for feedback in relation to identifying possible additional roads and streets for the next phases of the proposal. Expansion details can be viewed at: www.dublincity.ie/speedreview The website includes graphics, stats and interesting facts and FAQs.Currently there is a 30km/hr speed limit in the City Centre in Dublin 1, Dublin 2, Marino in Dublin 3 and Irishtown and Ballsbridge in Dublin 4. These areas can be located on a map available at the link previously mentioned. The map will also show the proposed expansion of the 30km/hr speed limit in yellow and light blue ( Phase 1 and 2). These phases will not affect the arterial roads in and out of Dublin City Centre.“Ireland as a nation needs to stand up and except that speed is a huge problem in road safety. The number of cars, blind spots and the population of Ireland is growing, so if this is an issue now can you imagine it again in 5 to 10 years. We need to act now for prevention of more senseless deaths. We ask you to support Dublin City Council’s proposal to reduce the speed limit from 50km/hrs to 30km/hrs in residential areas. It adds a little time to your journey, but trust me, that’s a lot better than a life sentence of knowing you took an innocent life. Whether you’re a driver or not, just witnessing someone getting knocked down and lose their life is enough to change your life forever, believe me, I know firsthand. It’s been proven time and time again that less speed , means fewer injuries. A massive thank you to Dublin City Council for what they are trying to achieve”, said Roseanne Brennan, founder of Jakes Legacy, and mother of an innocent life taken on our roads due to speeding.“Dublin City Council is committed to assessing the appropriate speed limits for our roads and streets. The overriding principle that must inform any decision to change a default speed limit should be Road Safety. In addition, to be effective, a speed limit should be self enforcing and regarded as appropriate by road users and should not be imposed on a road unless there is a clear justification for doing so. By self enforcing we mean that the road layout and the behaviour or mindset of motorists must complement each other and support any introduction of a revised speed limit, such as additional 30km/hr speed zones”, said Declan Wallace, Director of Traffic, Dublin City Council.We would really appreciate your views and comments on these proposals as your thoughts and opinions are vital to the success of the Bye-Laws. Submissions should be made by 17.00hrs on Wednesday, 24th August. 2016. All details including how to make submissions are available at www.dublincity.ie/speedreviewPage last updated: 12th July 2016