Michael McAleeranswers your questions
From Keith Cunningham:
Regarding the article on the upcoming World Rally Championship, I want to go to the Arigna stage on Friday, November 16th.
My question is: Bob Montgomery's article states that the special stages close to the public three hours before the first car is due.
Does this mean spectators have to be there three hours before, or are the roads the rally is on closed three hours beforehand?
If it's the road, I take it we can still get to the spectator areas?
Bob replies: "In answer to your query, the stages close to traffic three hours before the first car is due to arrive on the stage.
"Spectators will only be allowed in designated areas on each special stage and will still be able to get into position for some time after the road is closed.
"However, spectators will not be allowed to walk on the stage after the passage of the first safety car. Given the level of interest in the event and the likely number of spectators, my advice is to get in position as early as possible, choose a stage that's run twice, and stay there for the second time the cars come through. Have an enjoyable event."
From Julian Finnerty:
We are looking for a car capable of transporting two adults, a small baby, a three-year-old and a seven-year-old - with occasional friends of various ages. However, the car will do at least 20,000 miles per year - mostly with just the driver and no passengers - driving between Galway, Dublin, Belfast and Cork - so drivability is essential.
At present, we drive a 2001 BMW 320d touring - it is very difficult to fit a baby-chair and two booster seats in the back, but it's a great driver's car.
Currently we are thinking of a used (around 2004) Volvo V70 - the budget is around €25,000 to €30,000.
The Volvo seems to be perfect with the integrated booster seats, the flexibility of having rear facing kids seats in the boot and it is a fine car to drive.
Are there any other options worth considering, which marry such flexibility for accommodating kids of various sizes with the drivability essential for country-wide driving?
The Volvo is a good car, but you should be aware that the integrated booster seat was only introduced on the new version launched earlier this year and doesn't feature on older versions. My suggestion would be to bite the bullet and opt for a seven-seater if you plan to carry three children and their friends. Allowing for the fact that your small baby may not have a wide social circle as yet, it only takes one friend each for the other two and you will need all seven seats.
Staying within the Volvo family, you should consider the XC90. A used D5 diesel version from 2003/2004 should be available for about €30,000. It does mean entering the ranks of SUV owners, but it's a good all-rounder, even if the steering gets a little light at higher speeds. A nice mile muncher if you are on long journeys.
From Patrick Murphy, Mullingar:
Can anything be done about the appalling habit - which has become so prevalant in this country - of using foglights when it is completly unnecessary to do so?
Foglights by their very name are only to be used in special circumstances - in dense fog in unlit areas.
However, people insist in using them in clear daylight and in urban/city areas. Do they not realise that they are, in some circumstances, more annoying than full lights, especially in wet conditions?
There are two reasons why people use foglights when there is no fog. First, they don't know they are on because they don't understand the symbols appearing on their dashboard. Secondly, because they are cretins they think it looks cool and rather menacing to drive around with foglights on. For this latter bunch of motoring morons, the foglight is a modern equivalent of the enormous spotlights that used to feature on "pimped up" hatchbacks in the 1970s and 1980s. In defence of the Hella spots, at least these were usually covered over during the daytime.
The sad truth is that neither of these groups clearly couldn't care less about the other motorists on the road. One group couldn't be bothered to learn the functions of the various switches in their car, while the other regards their image as far more important than others' safety.
The only way to combat this is for the Garda to take the issue seriously, and punish offenders when they come across them at checkpoints and the like.
However, given the low number of learners on first provisionals who are prosecuted for driving unaccompanied, I would not hold out much hope that this is going to be a priority in the near future.
o Send your queries to Motors Helpdesk, The Irish Times, Tara St, Dublin 2, or e-mail motorshelp@irish-times.ie