Michael McAleer answers your queries
From E. O'Connor:
The announcement by Hibernian Insurance that it is to introduce discounts for learner drivers who complete a new provisional Ignition is to be strongly welcomed.
It would seem to be stepping in to fill a gap which every previous Government - and this one - has been guilty of ignoring.
Further good news comes with Nissan offering a year's free insurance.
However, Nissan's stipulations for the provisional drivers highlight the dire state of driving training here.
It identifies as its criteria: "provisional drivers with five years experience and less than six penalty points".
The fact that they reckon there are enough unqualified motorists out there with that much experience and who have clearly failed the test several times speaks volumes about the state of our driving system in Ireland. Of course it could simply be an unsurpassable hurdle to keep out provisional drivers, but the fact is I know at least one person who qualifies!
Never mind giving these drivers insurance, they should not be on the road in the first place.
Of course every government we've had is to blame for the state of our driving test and the ridiculous backlog at test centres.
But that is only part of the problem. People seem to have no problem in driving away from test centres having failed the test yet continue to keep on motoring.
Does it now mean that the Government-run test is really losing its relevance? Should we simply let the insurance companies run tests to see which drivers they will cover?
Those that don't get any cover then can't drive, as is the current state of play, but simply take the Government out of the loop.
The principle here seems entirely based on the idea that everyone is entitled to drive.
There should be 1) compulsory basic training before anyone puts a tyre on the public road 2) if you fail you must start again with compulsory training 3) if you fail three times on potentially serious issues you should not be allowed to drive on the public road again until you've passed a special test.
The fact that people find it acceptable to fail the driving test and head back onto the road is anathema to any suggestion that passing the test means something other than cheaper insurance.
While Hibernian's scheme is to be strongly welcomed, it does set a dangerous precedent whereby the failings of the current Government-run test is forcing insurance companies to set up a separate test procedure to judge who to cover.
Perhaps it's the only way to get competition into the insurance market for younger drivers and if so then well done to Hibernian.
However, it is merely a sticking plaster for a problem countless Governments have failed to remedy, namely the inadequacy of the current test and the lack of compulsory basic training for provisional drivers.
Driving is not a God-given right, it's a privilege and if some people can't master it then we shouldn't just shrug our shoulders and accept that they should be let to carry on driving alongside the rest of us until they get it right in the end. When they get it wrong it can prove fatal.
From Paul Hughes:
Is it worth spending the extra money on a multiple CD changer if future cars are going to be using iPod technology (Motors, November 10th)?
You can already get an accessory that allows you to use your iPod through the tape deck of a normal car stereo. We can't seem to find a similar device to use on CD players.
There's no doubting that the CD - like the video and the DVD in the near future - will come to an end.
The problem will then be that unlike the heyday of the tapedeck in the car, stereos these days are more likely to be factory fitted and an integral part of the car's central console. As such cannot be replaced by an independent system without destroying the look of the interior. (Just look at any Hyundai for an example of how a retrofit stereo doesn't work aesthetically).
However, the new technology could be five or more years before it becomes a common feature in a car. Can you wait that long?
Smart are already working with iPod technology on a couple of special edition models. Others will undoubtedly follow suit. In short, the future is going to be different from the CD player, but in the meantime if you like music you might as well opt for the changer in your car. If its value you are worried about, don't bother. Most extras like CD changers have lost their value through depreciation after three to four years. The only real effect accessories have on resale is you should have the sort of equipment and interior that one expects on a car in its class. So a changer in a Fiat Panda won't earn extra cash, but not having one in a Mercedes S-Class may cost you.
Send your queries to
Motors Help Desk, The Irish Times, Fleet Street, Dublin 2 - or e-mail them to motorshelp@irish-times.ie