Penalty points system to change

Thu, Jul 19, 2012

In a few months the penalty points system will be ten years old. What a quick decade that was. The system was launched in a fanfare by the late Seamus Brennan back in October of 2002. At the risk of sounding old, I remember it well.

I had been personally very involved in the AA’s campaign to have a points system introduced and we had a number of meetings with Minister Brennan to persuade him of the idea. He was terrific, and pushed through their introduction when lots of others wanted to delay.

New Mini Clubvan targets business users

Thu, Jul 19, 2012

The Mini Clubvan is a compact van for business and leisure, and the first premium model in the small car-based van segment.

The Volkswagen Golf van is back

Thu, Jul 19, 2012

Volkswagen has just reintroduced the Golf van to the Irish market, having won the Continental Irish Car Derived Van of the Year 2011 in November 2010.

Stunning new Mercedes-Benz SL arrives

Thu, Jul 19, 2012

Sixty years after the first SL was launched, the latest version of this iconic roadster has arrived in Ireland.

French taking their road safety seriously

Thu, Jul 12, 2012

If you are planning to drive in France this summer then be warned that our continental friends have decided to take road safety very seriously these days. Amongst the things you will need to bring are a hi-viz jacket, a self-breathalyser and a carefully respectful manner, en francais si possible, when dealing with French police.

Every year we deal with drivers going abroad, either for insurance or just for general advice. France is the most common port-of-call, after the UK where the rules are very similar to here.

Jazz is the Which? Car best used supermini

Thu, Jul 12, 2012

The popular Honda Jazz has another accolade to add to its growing trophy cabinet - it has been named best used supermini by consumer champions Which? Car.

New Ford Ranger pick-up is the one to beat

Thu, Jul 12, 2012

The new Ford Ranger pick-up arrived in Ireland recently with an entry level price of €25,194. And Ford boasts that it combines the toughness and capability of a pick-up truck with smart technology, outstanding safety, and the highest standards of quality and comfort.

The new Ranger made history when it became the first pick-up truck to be awarded a maximum five-star safety rating by crash safety testing body, Euro NCAP. The Ranger achieved one of the best overall scores awarded by Euro NCAP; itsfive-star rating reflects a strong performance in adult, child, and pedestrian protection.

Open mobility week at Monaghan & Sons

Thu, Jul 12, 2012

An information week for drivers with disabilities is taking place in Galway this week (July 9 to 13).

Strong Irish sales growth for Land Rover

Thu, Jul 12, 2012

Jaguar Land Rover Ireland has achieved significant growth so far in 2012, writes Padraic Deane.

Should we change Irish reg plates to help the car trade?

Thu, Jul 05, 2012

These are tough times for the motor industry. New car sales are down over 20% so far this year. We all know how the economy is doing and I guess it is not a huge surprise but the trade also blames our registration system for making a bad situation worse.

New Skoda Rapid saloon on the way

Thu, Jul 05, 2012

Skoda is on a roll and and is not sitting back on its laurels. It is resolutely pursuing its model offensive, presenting its new compact saloon, the Skoda Rapid.

Major improvements for new Kia Sorento

Thu, Jul 05, 2012

Kia's successful Sorento SUV will receive a host of significant improvements when the new upgraded model goes on sale later this year.

Inflatable rear seatbelt to debut on new Ford Mondeo

Thu, Jul 05, 2012

Ford tells us that its groundbreaking inflatable rear seatbelt, which combines attributes of an airbag and a conventional seatbelt, will make its European debut next year on the new Mondeo.

Ford’s inflatable rear seatbelt is designed to reduce head, neck and chest injuries for rear-seat passengers, often children and older passengers who can be more vulnerable to such injuries. In the event of an accident, the belt rapidly expands to disperse crash forces across a body area five times greater than that achieved by a conventional seatbelt.

Equality and Fairness are not the same thing

Thu, Jun 28, 2012

If you listen to a lot of media chattering in Ireland you would think that Equality and Fairness mean the same thing. The two words are used interchangeably by occupants of that very crowded space they call the High Moral Ground.

Stylish new Opel Astra saloon on the way

Thu, Jun 28, 2012

The new Opel Astra saloon will go on sale here in September. Opel says this latest addition features a sporting, elegant design and refined build quality, and is set to become a core product in the Opel Astra line-up, writes Padraic Deane.

New BMW models brighten up our summer

Thu, Jun 28, 2012

The stunning new BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe goes on sale this month. And a three-door version of the 1-Series will also debut. More on those in the coming weeks.

Five-star rating for new Seat Mii

Thu, Jun 28, 2012

Seat recently previewed its latest model – the Seat Mii. The city car, which is due to launch in Ireland this month, has just received the maximum five stars in Euro NCAP’s latest round of safety tests, writes Padraic Deane.

Top survey finds Kia Sportage is tops with owners

Thu, Jun 28, 2012

The Kia Sportage is tops with owners according to the latest published JD PowerWhat Car? owner satisfaction survey, writes Padraic Deane.

Motorways a lasting legacy of the Tiger era

Thu, Jun 14, 2012

There is one legacy of the boom that will stand to us for a long time to come. Ireland now has a motorway network. We have over a 1,000 kilometres of newly-built top quality motorway, as good as anything in Europe and better than most.

It is not without its flaws. Perhaps the most obvious is that the network is peppered with tolls. This causes huge problems because traffic diverts away from them in droves. The AA has complained about this many times.

Nissan van range has grown with new NV400

Thu, Jun 14, 2012

The launch of the new Nissan NV400 van here has marked the next step in Nissan's ambitions to grow its presence in the LCV market in Ireland and across Europe, writes Padraic Deane.

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