Tag Archives: AA

In advance of the October Bank Holiday weekend, AA Ireland is warning motorists to exercise additional caution while driving, as conditions worsen over the coming weeks. While there is little risk of significant weather events currently, the changing of the clocks and the start of the winter season represent an increasingly dangerous period on Irish roads. “With the clocks going back this Sunday motorists will notice increasingly dark conditions when driving, particularly during their post-work commute. To make matters worse, as we move into winter we can expect an increase in hazardous weather conditions such as heavy rain and fog which can greatly affect visibility, so it’s important that motorists react accordingly by taking extra care on the roads in the coming months,” said Conor Faughnan, AA director of consumer affairs. “While it’s important that cyclists and pedestrians do their part by donning hi-vis vests, motorists must take the greatest share of the burden when it comes to keeping our …

Gardaí in Clare are encouraging the county’s motorists to take the pledge and help make this Thursday European Day Without a Road Death. An Garda Síochána, the Road Safety Authority (RSA), and the AA are some of the organisations that are getting behind the Project EDWARD safety initiative project. Project EDWARD takes place for the second year in a row on Thursday. According to a spokesperson for An Garda Síochána in Ennis, “There’s no excuse not to exercise safety on the roads anytime you get behind the wheel, but drivers throughout Ireland and the continent are being urged to be particularly careful this coming Thursday. The long-term aim is to spearhead significant and sustained reduction in death and serious injury on roads across the world.” Motorists are being urged to get behind the initiative by taking a road safety pledge and promising to take the following measures later this week. Road safety pledge: I promise that I will: · Remind …

WITH quite a number of road deaths since the beginning of the new year, new research from AA Ireland has revealed that some Irish motorists are still too heavy on the accelerator. In an AA Motor Insurance survey, 21.07% of more than 7,000 admitted that they had broken the speed limit within the past month. Meanwhile, a further 8.76% and 10.13% admitted to speeding within the past 6 months and within the last year respectively. Despite the increase in traffic on Irish roads, there was some positive news as the survey found that over a third of motorists, 35.06%, have never broken the speed limit. However, male drivers were significantly more likely to have broken the speed limit while driving, with just 28.11% stating they had never sped compared to 40.08% of women. Over a quarter of male drivers surveyed admitted to breaking the limit within the past month, almost 8% higher than the number of female motorists who had …

With schools reopened, the AA is urging parents to take all precautions necessary when travelling with children, after 9% of drivers admitted to having been involved in collisions or near-misses while attending to a child in the car. An AA survey of almost 11,000 motorists found that 7.5% of drivers had been involved in one collision or a near miss as a result of a child’s behaviour while driving, with almost 2% of drivers experiencing multiple incidents. Drivers aged 36-45 are most likely to have been distracted by a child while driving, with just under 13% reporting involvement in at least one collision or near miss as a result a child’s behaviour. While female drivers are more likely to be involved in one incident as a result of being distracted by a child, they are slightly less likely than their male counterparts to be involved in multiple incidents. Misbehaviour, sudden, unexpected illnesses, and issues with car restraints were among the …

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 …

With the severe dip in temperatures over the past few days, the Automobile Association (AA) has issued a timely reminder to  motorists to ensure batteries and tyres are in order. Drivers being assisted with jump lead starts in the morning is a common sight in cold winter conditions, such as we are having now. According to the AA’s annual breakdown review, worn out or faulty batteries are still the number one cause of breakdowns in Ireland. A review of their extensive data highlights how flat batteries accounted for nearly one quarter of all the AA’s call outs in the last 12 months. The countrywide analysis of over 100,000 AA rescue assignments also revealed that tyre failures top the agenda for distressed Irish drivers. Over 15,000 road users experienced defected tyres, up one percent from the last commissioned review, which according to the AA, is often avoidable. “Tyre failures can arise for any number of reasons such as poor road surfaces but …