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Road speed limits in Ireland apply on all public roads in the state. These are signposted and legislated for in kilometres per hour. Speed limits are demarcated by regulatory road signs. These consist of white circular signs with a red outline. Speed limits are marked in black with "km/h" below the speed limit. Smaller "repeater" speed limit signs are used along stretches of road where there is no change in speed limit, in order to remind motorists currently on the road and to inform traffic merging from junctions that a certain speed limit applies. ==History== Speed limits in Ireland were introduced in 1876 by regulations made under the Dublin Traffic Act 1875 which prescribed speed limits of for certain vehicles. The Light Locomotives on Highways (Ireland) Order 1896 then set a maximum national speed limit of with a speed limit of for traffic in villages, towns and the Dublin Metropolitan Police District. Vehicles weighing more than 2 tons (unladen) were restricted to in these areas. This situation was updated in 1933 with ''Road Traffic Act 1933'' 〔(Road Traffic Act 1933 ) - Irish Statute Book〕 prescribing an ordinary speed limit of 25 mph (40 km/h) for light motor vehicles or heavy motor vehicles fitted with pneumatic tyres. Lower speed limits were applied for heavy motor vehicles without some pneumatic tyres, or used for pulling another vehicle. Road signage was established by the ''Traffic Signs Regulations, 1956''.〔(Traffic Signs Regulations, 1956 - Irish Statute Book )〕 However, the main piece of legislation responsible for the introduction of speed limits in Ireland was Part IV of the ''Road Traffic Act, 1961''.〔(Road Traffic Act, 1961 - Irish Statute Book )〕 This repealed the 1933 Act and allowed the Minister for the Environment to prescribe a general speed limit through regulations made under this Act. It also allowed local authorities to specify special speed limits through regulations made under this Act. The first regulations made were the ''Road Traffic (Speed Limits) Regulations, 1963'' 〔(Road Traffic (Speed Limits) Regulations, 1963 )〕 which set down a speed limit of for all roads except those subject to a built up area speed limit of or special speed limit of . Throughout the mid to late 1960s local authorities studied roads in their areas and had regulations drafted specifically for their county which prescribed speed limits of and along specifically named roads in their administrative area. On 1 April 1969 the Minister for the Environment through the ''Road Traffic (General Speed Limit) Regulations, 1969'' 〔(Road Traffic (General Speed Limit) Regulations, 1969 )〕 finally prescribed a general national speed limit of on all roads except those subject to special and built up area speed limits of and . This replaced the speed limit in all but a few cases where regulations had been drafted specifically to impose a limit. While the built up area and special speed limits were clearly indicated to motorists by the number 30, 40 or 50 in black numbers on a white circular background with a red outline, there was no such signage for the general speed limit. This was indicated to motorists by a "general speed limit" applies sign which consisted of a circular white sign with a black diagonal line bisecting it. The general limit was reduced to in 1979〔 (【引用サイトリンク】title=S.I. No. 176/1979: ROAD TRAFFIC (GENERAL SPEED LIMIT) REGULATIONS, 1979. )〕 as an energy conservation measure during the 1979 energy crisis.〔 〕 Some drivers remained unaware of this change.〔 〕 A review of speed limits from 1990-92 restored the 60 mph limit.〔 〕〔 (【引用サイトリンク】title=S.I. No. 194/1992: ROAD TRAFFIC (GENERAL AND ORDINARY SPEED LIMITS) REGULATIONS, 1992. )〕 It was not until 1992 that a 70 mph (113 km/h) speed limit was authorised on the State's motorways. This occurred through the ''Road Traffic (Speed Limits) (County of Kildare) (Amendment) Regulations, 1992'' 〔(Road Traffic (Speed Limits) (County of Kildare) (Amendment) Regulations, 1992 - Irish Statute Book )〕 and the similar ''Road Traffic (Speed Limits) (County Borough of Dublin and County of Dublin) (Amendment) Regulations, 1992''.〔(Road Traffic (Speed Limits) (County Borough of Dublin and County of Dublin) (Amendment) Regulations, 1992 - Irish Statute Book )〕 This authorised traffic on the M1, M7, M11 and M50 to travel at 70 mph (113 km/h) where signposted. This was extended to motorways in general by the ''Road Traffic Act, 1994''.〔 (【引用サイトリンク】title=ROAD TRAFFIC ACT, 1994 SECTION 31 )〕 A minimum speed limit of had previously been set in 1974 through the ''Local Government (Roads and Motorways) Act, 1974''.〔(Local Government (Roads and Motorways) Act, 1974 )〕 On 20 January 2005, Ireland adopted metric speed limits. Around 35,000 existing signs were replaced and a further 23,000 new signs erected bearing the speed limit in kilometres per hour. To avoid confusion with the old signs, each speed limit sign now has "km/h" beneath the numerals. Image:Ireland road sign RUS 044.svg| Image:Ireland road sign RUS 043.svg| Image:Ireland road sign RUS 042.svg| Image:Ireland road sign RUS 041.svg| Image:Ireland road sign RUS 040.svg| Image:Ireland road sign RUS 039.svg| 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Road speed limits in the Republic of Ireland」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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