Michael McAleer answers your questions
From W O'F by email:
Can the Gardai use the photographic speed cameras to catch people for not wearing seatbelts?
If so, does that mean that the driver could incur points for both speeding and failing to ensure that everyone is belted up?
First off, let's hope you were not stupid enough to drive without a seatbelt. Hopefully your question is merely a general enquiry.
As to the cameras, the answer is no.
Photographs in these instances are not used to detect seatbelt offences.
In any case, points are only allotted to the driver if either he/she is not belted up or if a passenger under 17 years of age is unbelted. As to the accumulation of points, only one penalty point offence is counted in cases where multiple offences have occurred.
For example, if you have a car full of passengers who are unbelted then there is only two points endorsed on your licence.
Similarly, if you are caught speeding, uninsured and not wearing a seatbelt, the highest points of the three offences would be applied, in this case five points for driving uninsured.
Those are the rules, but if you are silly enough to drive without wearing a seatbelt, then you deserve all the points you can get.
From P Cummins:
Is it safe to buy a car over the internet? I've spotted a lovely Datsun 240Z on a British website. It needs doing up but my heart skipped a beat when I saw it. It seems to be in mint condition and the seller seems to be a specialist judging by the website. The 240Z holds a lot of memories for me.
It's hard to approach something as mouthwatering as a 240Z with dispassion.
Yet before you part with your hard-earned money, you have to ask yourself some serious questions: would you buy a house over the internet even though you hadn't visited it yourself and looked around? That's the same principle that should apply to buying cars. The internet is a fabulous resource for information but you'd be crazy to buy a car on spec without first having driven it - or at the very least having got someone you trust to do so.
Even if you can't get over yourself, there are organisations like the AA which will carry out assessments for you. It may cost a few euros but they are really worthwhile when you consider the potential cost of flying over to test it yourself. That said, I would certainly want to see it for myself even if it gets a clean bill of health from one of these organisations.
This all seems terribly cynical and undoubtedly there are some really honourable and trustworthy online dealers out there. However, they won't mind if you are cautious the first time.
From W Dunne by email:
Should I wait for the new Audi TT or go and get one now? What about buying used?
Personally, I'd wait. Of course, the paint is barely dry on the test cars at present so prices and delivery is a while away yet. In this segment it's often as important to drive the latest version as it is to drive the biggest and the best. For example, BMW will soon be introducing its new coupé version of the Z4 and on looks alone it's likely to leave the roadster version dead in the water in terms of sales.
That said, there will be some good deals on any current model TTs still on the market, though I doubt dealers would be carrying many - if any - in stock. The used models on sale offer perhaps the best deals in the coming months as loyal owners prepare to trade up and the numbers on the used market peak for a few months in early 2007. As with all these image-conscious markets in this image-driven society, premiums may well be paid for the first few cars to arrive.
From H Mc Donald, Cork:
Am I right to be very suspicious of cars with high mileage?
We entrusted your query to our colleague Donal Byrne who writes: "Not necessarily, but it depends. Regular servicing of cars stands them in good stead in the long term and if the servicing has been done by an authorised dealer, all the better. Would I buy a Lexus in good condition with 100,000 miles on the clock and with a full service history? If the price was right, and I was seeing it as a car that would do me for three or four years of average motoring I almost certainly would.
However, if you are offered a car that looks like it has been through the wringer, does not have a full documented service history and past its sell by date then you are probably buying trouble."
Send your queries to Motors Helpdesk, D'Olier st, Dublin 2 - or e-mail motorshelp@irish-times.ie