Is satnav anomaly causing speeding in Kilkenny?

A call has been made for extra speed limit signage to combat a ‘sat-nav anomaly’ that seems to be giving motorists the wrong information.

Councillor Deirdre Cullen has called for the new signage on the Bennettsbridge to Kilkenny road to alert drivers to the 50kph speed limit on that stretch.

At the recent meeting of district councillors she highlighted ‘an anomaly’ she has noticed that may be contributing to speeding on that road.

Newer cars that show the local speed limit on dashboard displays are showing the speed limit as 80kph, she said, telling the meeting she has noticed this in her own car.
Cllr Cullen has also surveyed a number of people who report the same issue.
“It’s an unusual one,” she admitted, suggesting a few extra speed limit signs might alert drivers to the correct speed limit.

Area Engineer, Declan, Murphy said that in light of new speed limits being introduced by the government, where rural roads will be reduced from 80kph to 60kph and urban roads will potentially be reduced from 50kph to 30kph, he is reluctant to do anything about signage until information is confirmed. After that they can certainly look at the signage, he said, because it is a ‘fast road’ coming into Bennettsbridge from Kilkenny.

Annamult
Cllr Cullen also raised an ongoing safety concern for the junction of the Annamult Road and Danesfort Hill, in Bennettsbridge.
You can’t blame drivers coming down the hill for coming out too far across the junction, she said, because road markings are worn away and there are buildings on both sides of the hill road.
However, she said, for oncoming traffic from the Annamult side she fears there is going to be a collision.

Locals know of the issue and swerve to the side, but drivers unfamiliar with the road would not know to do this, she said.
“We might need to look at new road markings and anything you think might help there,” Cllr Cullen said to Area Engineer, Mr Murphy.

The council engineer told the meeting that the L4201 road at Annamult is on the works plan for next year. Kilkenny County Council is looking at resurfacing from the Nicholas Moss pottery premises up the hill. The plan also includes an anti-skid surface and new junction markings, he said.