Michael McAleer answers your queries
DK Henderson, Clontarf:
On reading the query from an AA member in Motors (October 8th), I must say that I totally concur with the AA's stand on the matter.
To have to call out the AA's Rescue Service seven times in one year (which works out at a frequency greater than once every eight weeks) suggests to me that members who do so have an extremely lax approach to keeping their car in a serviceable condition.
Why should AA members like myself, who spend good money keeping their cars in reliable working order, have to subsidise such people?
We can understand your annoyance at those who overuse or abuse the system, but there are instances where a motorist may just be having a bad run of luck. While the quality of cars has dramatically improved over the past decade or so, there remains what are affectionately known as "Monday cars" or "lemons". Owners of such troublesome motors should be able to benefit from a service for which they have paid.
Thankfully, as the AA's Conor Faughnan outlined to us some weeks ago, it is not their policy to penalise members who are clearly suffering such an unfortunate fate. According to Conor, each and every case is judged on its merits before an extra surcharge is added for call outs. The AA, and indeed the RAC, are as much members clubs as modern businesses and it is in the interests of all not to abuse the system. That said, the whole point is to offer a service to those in need.
Patrick Smyth:
I refer to last week's article about the tougher NCT. Do the people setting these tests ever drive on our third world roads?
Don't get me wrong. I'm all for better safety standards but when every pothole you incur (and God knows they are increasing exponentially) jars your car and knocks your headlamps out of alignment it's a wonder any car ever passes the NCT.
Can some sense for once start to prevail in this blighted land? It's no good having first world car safety standards if vehicles are obliged to handle conditions reminiscent of Lagos.
Lets start spending money on road surfaces before we start looking at ways to put more money into the hands of the NCT contractors.
In fairness, the new rules, particularly on headlight alignment are only implementing previous agreements at an EU level and given the number of cars we meet these dark nights with only one working light, any move to crack down on faulty lighting is to be welcomed.
The pressure should be concentrated on politicians to improve our infrastructure (both national and non-national roads) and not simply on reducing the quality of the tests so that they allow for such poor conditions.
As for the rules on number plates (below) that seems to border on the non-sensical and the thought of a garda not being able to understand the letter system and having to instead refer to the smaller print Irish name defies belief.
BP Byrne:
Ian Noctor's article on the matter of the county name in Irish on number plates raised a question in my mind. I saw, some years ago at the main intersection in Stillorgan, a white van with a WW Wicklow registration. The Irish name appeared, but it was not 'Cill Mantain' but 'Loch Garman'. What sayeth the law in this case?
According to the National Car Test Manual, the bible for testers, along with the usual requirements for black letters set against a white background of reflex reflective material" the Irish language name of the City/Council of registration must be shown.
Without sentencing the poor unfortunate white van owner to pillory by NCT inspectiors he is walking a fine line.
Perhaps soon we will see mobile undercover gaelgoir NCT testers roaming the streets testing the Irish on number plates.