ALERT: Warning to motorists in Offaly after councillor caught speeding on busy road

An Offaly county councillor has hit out at the lack of signage over the new speed limit on a busy Offaly road after being caught speeding and hit with a fine and penalty points.

Fine Gael councillor Noel Cribbin was travelling from Edenderry to Tullamore when he was caught by a speed van between Ballinagar and Cappincur where the speed limit has recently changed to 60km/h from 80km/h.

Cllr Cribbin said there was only one sign indicating the speed limit was 60km/h on the whole 11km stretch of road and his car's Sat-Nav was telling him the incorrect speed limit. 

Cllr Cribbin explained: "In the recent changes on lowering speed limits on rural roads the road from Ballinagar to Cappincur/ Tullamore was reduced from 80km to 60 km. I have no great issues with this change, however, in their haste to bring in speed changes overnight throughout Offaly, the Council erected only one 60km sigh as you exit Ballinagar.

"This is the only sign on this stretch of 11 kilometres," he added before saying, "to compound issues, most cars have installed technology that tells the driver what speed limit you're travelling in. On driving this road about 1 km after passing the lone 60 km sign, the technology in the car went to 80km, leading me to believe I was in a 80km area.

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"To check my car was correct, I recently travelled to Birr passing at least 40 signs that changed the legal speed from 50km to 60 to 80 to 100 km. Each sign I passed, the car changed accordingly giving me the correct information.

He said the only road he's noticed the car giving him the "wrong information" was the stretch between Ballinagar and Cappincur.

He explained: "A speed van on the road that day clocked me doing 71km/h and I have since received a fine for €160 and three penalty points. I have raised this issue with the roads section who agree that more signs are needed to inform drivers and they will be erected in the coming days.

"I welcome the admission that more signs are needed, however, I feel very hard done by that by misinformation and lack of signs, I and I'm sure many more drivers have been fined for speeding when we thought like me they were doing 70 in an 80 when in fact I was doing 70 on a 60 km road.

"I have looked for a meeting with the superintendent in charge of the speed limits in Offaly where I intend to get all of those charged with speeding on the Daingean Road, Tullamore, to have their fines struck out as the lack of signs and misinformation caused confusion to the drivers concerned," Cllr Cribbin concluded.