Michael McAleer answers your questions
From Fiona Wyse, Co Meath:
Can you tell me how long it takes for alcohol to leave your system? For example, having a bottle of wine with a meal, followed by four or five vodkas. How do you know when you are safe to drive the next day?
Being a learner driver, I feel that we are sure to be targeted when the new Road Traffic Bill comes into operation with the random breath testing. I am very against drink driving but I am aware of the fact that the alcohol will still be in your system the next day and that you could be prosecuted.
And finally one last question: the speed limit on the N2 Ashbourne bypass which I use every day is 120km/h. If it's the same limit as the M50, why are learner drivers exempt from using it?
I have been a passenger driving on the M50 many times before and the only difference that I can see with the two roads is that there is a toll on the M50. I would even go so far as to say that people speed more on the N2 than on the M50 as there is less traffic.
First on drink-driving: there are a lot of factors involved in alcohol absorption by the body - such as weight and whether you were eating along with drinking - but the general medical view seems to be that the body absorbs one drink every hour, so if you keep your consumption down to this level then you should be okay in the morning provided you don't finish drinking at 3am and get behind the wheel at 6am.
As for the N2 bypass, we are as puzzled by these discrepancies as you are. According to the Department of Transport the reasoning behind it is that there are "certain driving factors" on motorways that do not feature on shorter dual carriageways. The example given to us was that you can't stop on the hard shoulder of a motorway and that, while dual carriageways are generally short stretches, motorways involve longer periods of driving.
Quite frankly, it makes little or no sense, apart from the fact that if provisional drivers were banned from these routes as well, then they would be forced on to more dangerous secondary roads.
It could be argued that the problem is only theoretical in any case. When was the last time you heard of a provisional driver being prosecuted for driving on a motorway? Every day I'm on the M1 I come across plenty of L-plates.
From K N, Dublin 2:
We recently purchased a '04 Ford Focus and filled in both our names on the Transfer of Ownership form. (We're not married). We wanted both names for two reasons:
Firstly, because we both paid for the car and secondly because my insurance company wouldn't allow me to insure my partner's previous car under my own policy (last August), as the car was in her name only. They said the car would have to be in my name or in both names.
I've just received a call from the Vehicle Licensing Department in Shannon telling me that the car has to be registered in one name only.
Can you throw any light on this problem for me?
The rules were recently changed in this regard. Previously it was permitted to have multiple ownership of a car, but after a judicial comment during a court case at the end of last year, the rules had to be changed as there were legal questions over whether the Garda can bring charges against more than one owner in the instance of penalty points etc.
It's up to the insurance companies to keep abreast of these developments.
From K Mullen, Co Longford:
Someone told me there is a new Fiat Stilo on the way. I thought it was a relatively new car?
The Stilo hasn't sold well for Fiat so they have brought forward development of a replacement.
In fairness the new model is more of a facelift than a fully-fledged new car. It's likely to be here in time for the new year sales blitz.
• Send your queries to Motors Helpdesk, The Irish Times, D'Olier St, Dublin 2 - or e-mail motorshelp@irish-times.ie