Motoring

Our special 24 page Champion Motoring supplement is online now. All the news from Frankfurt Motor Show. Sneak preview of the all-new Mazda MX-5. New Mercedes GLC. And much more… Read it here.

The Automobile Association is calling for the Government to scrap windscreen discs for the enforcement of insurance, tax and NCT, and to replace them with an automatic number-plate recognition (ANPR) system. According to the motoring organisation, the paper discs are “obsolete, wasteful and an invitation to fraud”. “In years gone by, the discs may have been a reasonable way to prove your car was compliant but ever since the introduction of colour printers they are a fraudster’s charter,” said director of consumer affairs, Conor Faughnan. “They are of no value in preventing a crime. We need a modern system, as has been introduced in the UK, that will scan registration plates and use databases that already exist,” he added. There are 2.6 million registered vehicles in the State displaying some 6.5 million discs. The AA estimates that this costs €10 million per year in postage and administration, which is ultimately paid for by motorists. Tax discs have been removed from …

An Garda Síochána will conduct an intensive national speed enforcement operation for a 24 hour period, starting at 7am on Friday. This national “Slow Down” day, is supported by the Road Safety Authority and other stakeholders. The objective of operation “Slow Down” is to reduce the number of speed related collisions, save lives and reduce injuries on our roads. The aim is to get drivers to slow down by reminding them of the dangers of speeding, increasing compliance with speed limits and acting as a deterrent to driving at excessive and inappropriate speed. Last year saw another increase in road deaths, resulting in 195 fatalities. Excessive or inappropriate speed is a major contributory factor to road traffic collisions. The higher the speed, the greater the likelihood is of a collision happening and the more severe the outcome of that collision. As a general rule, a 1% reduction in average speed will bring about a 2% reduction in minor injury collisions, …

A PLANNING application has been submitted by Tesco Ireland Ltd for a four-island petrol filling station in Kilrush, which would include a shop and a forecourt and the addition of a three-armed internal mini-roundabout. The planning application was received by Clare County Council on July 29 and also seeks permission for underground storage tanks, a circulation area, “access and egress provisions, advertising signage, modifications and relocation of permitted totem, provision for air and water, landscaping, boundary treatment and all associated site development works”. Additional works that are also listed include the reorganisation of part of the existing car park to accommodate the proposed development. In November 2008, Kilrush Town Council granted planning permission to Tesco to build the four-island petrol station. However, Kilrush traders appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanála. In 2009, An Bord Pleanála refused planning permission for the petrol station because of traffic safety and access concerns. Planning permission had twice been granted by Clare County Council, …

The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) has released its second quarter review, in association with DoneDeal, which shows a significant increase in car sales in Clare. Car sales in Clare have increased by 25.4% for the first half of 2015 to end of June, compared with the first half of 2014. The review revealed that 1,867 cars have been sold in the county so far this year compared with just 1,489 for the same period last year. Mark Boggan, president of SIMI, said, “The figures so far this year have been a massive boost to the industry in Clare and the dual plate has again shown it’s worth to the industry with the July figures. The dual plate has given the industry a means to structure their business better, as we continue the move towards a more stable economy. These figures will mean the motor industry continues to create employment and boost the economy in the area.” The …

Parents in Clare are being urged to have their child’s car seat checked, as research from the Road Safety Authority (RSA) indicates that as many as four out of five child car seats are incorrectly fitted. The RSA Check it Fits service will be visiting locations across the county from Wednesday, August 5 to Friday, August 7, where child car seat installation experts will be available to ensure car seats and restraints are correctly fitted. The service takes between 10-15 minutes, is free of charge and offers parents and guardians reassurance that their child is safe while travelling in the car. Since Check it Fits began in October 2013, the RSA service has checked over 8,000 child car seats and restraints. Of these, 82% required some adjustment. Worryingly, 75% of seats required a major adjustment, of which 4% were deemed not fit for purpose and condemned, meaning they have the potential to cause injury or even death in the event …

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) and An Garda Síochána have jointly launched the August Bank Holiday Road Safety Campaign, as road fatality figures show that over the past five years (2010 to 2014), 12 people have been killed and 27 people have been seriously injured on Irish roads over this period. The focus of this year’s campaign is driver fatigue and to raise awareness of the dangers of driving while tired, the RSA will be screening a new TV ad campaign ‘Signs’ in the lead-up to the bank holiday weekend. It is estimated that driver fatigue is a contributory factor in as many as one in five driver deaths in Ireland every year. Furthermore, tiredness-related collisions are three times more likely to be fatal or result in a serious injury because of the high impact speed and lack of avoiding action. A survey of drivers’ attitudes to driver fatigue conducted by the RSA in 2014 revealed that over one in …

Legislation is being introduced at the end of the month for €40 fines for cyclists who commit road traffic offences. “Following consultations with the Road Safety Authority and An Garda Síochána, I have decided to extend the fixed charge notice system to cyclists for seven of the 36 existing road traffic offences. These include breaking a red light, failure to have a front lamp or rear lamp lit during lighting-up hours and cycling without reasonable consideration.This new measure is intended to promote safe cycling practices and to discourage dangerous cycling,” Minister for Transport, Paschal Donohoe said. The months of May through to September represent the most dangerous months for cyclist injuries and fatalities. Last year 13 cyclists were killed on our roads, while this year to date, three cyclists have lost their lives. Minister Donohoe said, “The introduction of fixed charge notices for motorists has been hugely successful in changing driver behaviour and I am confident that a similar change in …