Editing Transport in Ireland (section)

===Roads and cars in Ireland===
;'''Total''' – {{convert|117318|km|abbr=on}}
:'''South:''' {{convert|92500|km|abbr=on}} including {{convert|1015|km|abbr=on}} of motorway (2010)
:'''North:''' {{convert|24818|km|abbr=on}} including {{convert|148|km|abbr=on}} of motorway (2008)
::''paved'' – {{convert|87043|km|abbr=on}}, ''unpaved'' – {{convert|5457|km|abbr=on}}

Ireland's roads link Dublin with all the major cities (Belfast, Cork, Limerick, Derry, Galway, and [[Waterford]]). Driving is on the left. Signposts in the Republic of Ireland are shown in kilometres and speed limits in kilometres per hour. Distance and speed limit signs in Northern Ireland use imperial units in common with the rest of the United Kingdom.

Historically, land owners developed most roads and later [[turnpike trust]]s collected tolls so that as early as 1800 Ireland had a {{convert|16100|km|mi}} road network.<ref>{{cite web|title=History of Transport in Ireland, Part 1 |work=About Us |publisher=[[Córas Iompair Éireann]] |url=http://www.cie.ie/about_us/schools_and_enthusiasts.asp#1 |access-date=11 November 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040410110553/http://www.cie.ie/about_us/schools_and_enthusiasts.asp |archive-date=10 April 2004 }}</ref> In 2005 the Irish Government launched [[Transport 21]], a plan envisaging the investment of €34 billion in transport infrastructure from 2006 until 2015.<ref>{{cite web|title =Roads|work =Projects|publisher =Transport 21|date =18 June 2008|url =http://www.transport21.ie/Projects/Roads/Roads.html|access-date =11 November 2008|url-status =dead|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20081208022517/http://www.transport21.ie/Projects/Roads/Roads.html|archive-date =8 December 2008}}</ref> Several road projects were progressed but the economic crisis that began in 2008–09 has prevented its full implementation.

Between 2011 and 2015, [[Diesel engine|diesel cars]] constituted 70% of new cars.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.acea.be/statistics/tag/category/share-of-diesel-in-new-passenger-cars|title=Share of Diesel in New Passenger Cars – Click Ireland|publisher=[[European Automobile Manufacturers Association]]|date=25 April 2016|access-date=24 January 2017|archive-date=2 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202075232/http://www.acea.be/statistics/tag/category/share-of-diesel-in-new-passenger-cars|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2015, 27 new cars per 1,000 inhabitants were registered in Ireland, the same as the EU average.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.acea.be/statistics/article/per-capita-new-car-registrations |title=Per Capita Registrations |publisher=[[European Automobile Manufacturers Association]] |date=1 June 2016 |access-date=24 January 2017 |archive-date=2 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202075217/http://www.acea.be/statistics/article/per-capita-new-car-registrations |url-status=live }}</ref>