Calls for urgent action following 'noticeable uptick' of incidents on busy Limerick road

A CLARE TD has called for urgent action in addressing the number of crashes taking place along the N18 dual carriageway and M18 motorway in recent months.

Cathal Crowe made this demand following a collision on Friday, October 24 which left the northbound lane closed for several hours during peak traffic. This resulted in significant congestion along surrounding road networks.

According to the Fianna Fáil TD, the N18 and M18 is a "vital" piece of road infrastructure but there has been a "noticeable uptick" in crashes along this route in the last number of months. 

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Deputy Crowe said, “While the obvious clear priority is the safety of those travelling our road network, collisions also have a significant impact on all of those who are commuting to and from school and work and who can be delayed as a result of incidents along the network. 

“The N18 stretch between Shannon and Limerick in particular can be a bottle neck of cars, where you have a large amount of cars merging and exiting the dual carriageway along successive junctions. I drive this road daily and have personally seen many near misses involving cars merging or exiting the road, particularly during morning or evening rush hour traffic. I have also received a lot of phone calls, emails and texts from constituents, particularly within the last week, who also want to see action taken to reduce the number of incidents," he added. 

The Clare TD has written to the Minister for Transport, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and to An Garda Síochána, asking  for an investigation into measures that could be taken to alleviate the pressure on the road, in an attempt to cut down the risk of collisions.

In particular, he believes that "strong" consideration should be given to the trialling of a variable speed limit during peak hours, as implemented on the M50 in Dublin. This would see the speed limit reduced during rush-hour times to safely accommodate a large number of vehicles. This is communicated very on large digital signs which can also warn road users in advance of obstacles or dangers on the road. 

Continuing, Deputy Crowe said, “When the N18 is busiest and traffic is bumper-to-bumper in both lanes, it could be safer for the speed limit to be reduced slightly to allow more reaction time for drivers when vehicles are merging or exiting, or when there is a sudden stop or incident ahead. The speed limit could also be lowered to allow those approaching a road incident to do so at a safer speed.

“One death on our roads is too many and any measure that can improve road safety and reduce the risk to drivers and passengers should be thoroughly examined," he concluded.