Ireland needs to “wake up a bit” and make 30km/h speed limits outside schools mandatory, a concerned father has said. 

According to the European Commission, a person hit by a car travelling at 30kmph has a 90% chance of surviving.

If a vehicle hits a person at 45km/h, a person has only a 50% chance of surviving.

In 2021, 30km/h became the standard speed limit in Paris and Jason from Kerry thinks Ireland should do likewise outside of schools.

“I’m calling for the Government and this country to wake up a bit and get with the programme,” he told Lunchtime Live.

“In most civilised places in the world, it’s a 30kkm/h speed limit outside schools.”

A 30km/h speed limit.

Jason said his two kids were nearly knocked down outside their school by a driver rushing to work at 100km/h and feels speed limits are not designed with children in mind.

“An average person of between 30-40 of medium heigh and build, medium sized car is involved in a low speed accident - below 50 - and that’s where they gauge it,” he said.

“It’s not meant for small children potentially being dropped off by elderly grandparents into schools every morning.

“It’s not fit for purpose for outside our school areas.

“I want it down to 30, I want a safe school zone imposed throughout the country, I want proper signage… I want the roads to be of a certain texture, certain colour, I want some type of rumble slip to slow down traffic and I want some type of speed-monitoring as a matter of course.”

Government review

Last month, the Department of Transport published a Speed Limit Review which recommended the default national speed limit on national secondary roads be reduced from 100km/h to 80km/h.

It also suggests the default limit on rural roads drops from 80km/h to 60km/h and in built up areas to 30km/h.

Main image: A group of school children in school uniforms. Image: NorthScape / Alamy Stock Photo