Michael McAleer answers your queries
From Liam Kennedy:
In last week's column you complained about the annoyance of having to stop at pedestrian lights when there are no pedestrians waiting.
Even more annoying is having to stop at red lights late at night when there is no other traffic waiting at the junction.
Traffic lights tend to have the effect of improving traffic flow for two hours a day and making it worse for the other 22 hours.
Maybe we could adopt the system I saw in Holland, where the lights are either turned off or switched to flashing amber late at night.
From Michael J Walsh, Glenageary, Co Dublin:
John Hall of Co Cork (Motors Helpdesk, July 7th) might temper his amazement at the number of traffic lights in Dublin with some recognition that people on foot also need to be able to move around safely and that "freely moving traffic" is not always compatible with pedestrian safety.
It may be that switching off the traffic lights in Bandon facilitated traffic flow, but can people cross the road with security, especially the elderly?
From observation, lower speeds, especially on urban roads, together with traffic calming [not necessarily the dreaded ramps] can also contribute to pedestrian safety without recourse to traffic lights. There are other road users, especially in cities, but not all motorists seem to be able to get their head around this difficult concept.
We understand your concern for the pedestrian and recognise the need for traffic lights to aid their way across the busy streets.
Not that they actually use the lights, of course, for most Irish pedestrians seem to regard a red light as nothing more than a suggestion to up their pace or make that mad dash in front of the oncoming truck.
There's also the issue of planning. Surely there must be better co-ordination of street planning than having a forest of lights spring up every couple of yards.
It's not just in the cities either. Take the small picturesque village of Slane. It lies on the busy N2 and the tragically high number of fatalities that occur in the surrounding roads certainly warrants traffic management. But at the crossroads in the centre of the village stand 14 sets of traffic lights. Yes, 14.
On aesthetic grounds alone it looks horrendous, never mind the trouble it causes motorists new to the area who slow to a crawl as they try to work out just which set of lights apply to them.
There needs to be some co-ordination in locating traffic lights at logical intervals to aid pedestrians but also to keep traffic flowing.
From Jim O'Connor, Midleton Co Cork:
As the proud owner of a Land Rover Defender I took grave exception to the comments of Kilian Doyle in his article on 4x4s. His categorisation of 4x4 drivers as ostentatious, rich etc is ignorant to say the least. Needless to say some drivers are rich and ostentatious etc but so are the drivers of some Mercedes, Volvos, BMWs etc.
Banning 4x4s is a total cop-out. There are many cars wider, longer and more thirsty. On the same supplement there was an article on the new Porsche 911 and the Bentley.
More power to whoever can afford these, but in both cases it could be argued these cars are totally wasteful from the point of view of speed and also are far more expensive to run than my Defender. Ban this, ban that, more of the nanny state. Where is it all going to stop?
The issue with SUVs seems to be over their size and their fuel consumption. As you point out, there are several other cars on the market with similar dimensions and consumption figures.
Yet the campaign against SUVs is gathering pace and opposite voices need to be heard. The industry has been particularly silent, probably hoping it will all blow over and also aware that for most companies if the governments do act against this form of vehicles the car firms will simply move to other areas to sell.
However, one voice has been raised in the debate, that of true car fan Bob Lutz, vice-chairman of General Motors. He has reportedly described the attacks on SUVs as being totalitarian, questioning how any vehicle that passes emissions and safety rules could be banned.
From John Bell, Co Tipperary:
I'm looking for an old banger and I've about 800 to spend. Is it worthwhile visiting a dealer, or should I go to an auction instead?
The short answer is that you could get your car at either. The days of the old banger are slowly passing, thanks in part to the National Car Test (NCT). That's good news for you, as the car you get for your 800 will be in far better condition than prior to the introduction of the test.
With 800 as your budget you should be able to pick up a good bargain, either on the Internet or by shopping around your local dealers. Auctions work well but are normally populated by professional traders and you may find yourself out of your depth. If you're an auction virgin, then the dealer is probably your better choice. But don't rule out the small ads where you can pick up some very good deals through private sales.
Send your queries to
Motors Help Desk, The Irish Times, Fleet Street, Dublin 2 - or e-mail them to motorshelp@irish-times.ie