About the Slower Speeds Campaign

The Government’s Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 seeks to improve road safety in Ireland and make our roads safer, for all road users. The Strategy is being delivered through three phases of action plans and follows international best practice, aligns with EU and UN targets, and is based on the Safe System approach. The Strategy has the target of reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 50% by 2030 and achieving Vision Zero— zero deaths or serious injuries on Irish roads—by 2050.

Road safety continues to be a key priority for Government. Over the course of successive Road Safety Strategies, there has been a significant improvement in safety on our roads. Road deaths have fallen - from 472 in 1997 this reduced to 162 by 2012, with a further reduction to 132 by 2021, the lowest level since records began in 1959. More recent trends are less positive. Last year, saw an increase in road deaths with 183 fatalities on our roads. Unfortunately, the trend so far in 2026 is similar to 2025. It is important that we see an improvement on this trend in the context of achieving the Government ‘s road safety targets.

Full implementation of the Government’s Road Safety Action Plans, including full implementation of the recommendations of the Speed Limit Review 2023, aims to ensure that we see a reduction in the number of fatalities and serious injuries on Irish roads. Currently, we are implementing the Phase 2 Road Safety Action Plan which will run from 2025 to 2027. The Plan has 12 primary actions with the potential for transformative change and also includes a suite of 77 supporting actions. The Plan can be accessed via - https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/20250716_RSS_Phase_2_Action_Plan.pdf

Every single road death is a tragedy for the victims’ families, friends, and community. Serious injuries can also have a life changing impact on the individual and their families. It is important that we see a return to the progress seen previously.

The rollout of reduced speed limits in urban areas is currently underway.

Speed limits in built‑up areas, including housing estates, town centres and urban cores, are being reduced from 50km/h to 30km/h.

The Speed Limit Review 2023 fulfils a Programme for Government commitment and an action included in the Government’s Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030.

The Review was overseen by a working group co-chaired by the Department of Transport and the Road Safety Authority, and included representatives from An Garda Síochána, the National Transport Authority, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, and the City & County Management Association.

Based on modelling and research on international practice, the Review recommends the lowering of speed limits on urban, local, and national secondary roads.

Recommendations from the Review have been incorporated into the Road Traffic Act 2024, which provides the legislative basis for the upcoming changes to default speed limits.

For more information on the Speed Limit Review, visit gov.ie - Speed Limit Review

Ireland's Government Road Safety Strategy adopts the internationally recognised “Safe System” approach, and each Action Plan includes actions under the seven priority intervention areas. The actions included in the Phase 2 Action Plan are defined across seven priority intervention areas, which have been developed and adapted in accordance with the specific road safety needs of Ireland.

Safe Speeds are central to the Safe System approach. The aim is to reduce speeds to safe, appropriate levels for the roads being used, and the people using them. This is because the human body is vulnerable to collisions at high speeds, even when travelling in a motor vehicle. Cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists are even more vulnerable, and at even lower speeds.

Most unprotected road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists, only survive collisions when vehicles are traveling at 30 km/h or less. The risk of being killed or seriously injured is much higher for collisions at higher speeds.

According to data published by the RSA in 2025, close to half (54%) of fatalities occurred on roads with a speed limit of 80km/h or greater compared to 70% of fatalities in 2024.

Prior to 2025, approx. seven in ten fatalities occurred on high-speed roads with a speed limit of 80km/h and above. In February 2025 the speed limit of Local Rural roads reduced to 60km/h from 80km/h.