Irish Driving Standards - How good are they?
27 Aug 2010
IRISH DRIVER BEHAVIOUR HAS IMPROVED, BUT NOT MUCH…
The AA has conducted a survey of nearly 7000 Irish motorists and the results show that most people feel that Irish driving standards have improved in the last ten years – but not by much.
AA Motorists’ Panel members were asked whether in their view the behaviour of car drivers, truck drivers, bus drivers, cyclists and motorcyclists had got better or worse in the last ten years. Overall the result was positive – most people felt that standards were better now. But the results were far from unanimous and many people felt that Irish drivers had got worse, not better.
43% of respondents felt that car drivers had improved in the last decade, but 37.5% said that they had got worse. 31.9% felt that truck drivers had improved, but 31.2% said they had not. 28.6% said that motorcyclists had improved, but 26.3% said not. Cyclists came out worst in the survey but again only marginally – 28.2% said their behaviour had got better but 30.9% said they had got worse.
"In overall terms, Irish road death numbers have improved greatly, and that’s the most important measure of all." Says Director of Policy Conor Faughnan. "But there is no doubt that we have a long way to go. Our survey showed that Irish drivers still have lots of bad habits, and in terms of everyday discipline on the roads we do not compare well to other countries in Europe, even as our improving road safety record begins to match theirs. In fact foreign drivers in particular seem to find Irish driving behaviour to be poor, based on the comments that we received."
In addition to the main findings, the AA Poll also yielded 894 detailed comments on Irish driving behaviour. Motorists complain of all sorts of crazy behaviour on the roads. The major issued raised were:
- Mobile phone use. Over 100 comments were made stating that mobile phone users are one of the main hazards that we face on the roads.
- Speeding – Motorists complained of a worsening culture of impatience and speed, often blamed on the values that were prevalent during the Celtic Tiger years.
- Aggressive driving and tailgating
- Inability to use motorways correctly – over 50 of the 894 comments received mentioned motorway use, and interestingly many of these observations came from driver who had learnt to drive in other countries, mostly the UK but also USA, Australia and continental Europe.
- The behaviour of cyclists, especially in Dublin city - Cyclists’ behaviour rated worst in Dublin, where 38% of people felt their behaviour had worsened in the naughties while only 25.6% said they had improved.
Article published on AA Ireland website - www.aaireland.ie
The AA Motorists Panel Survey was carried out between 23rd July and 29th July. In total over 7,000 Irish motorists took part.
Irish Independent Leaf Review
19 Aug 2010
Taking a Leaf out of our motoring future
Eddie Cunningham was one of the first Irish journalists to drive Nissan’s new electric car, the Leaf, and he found it drove just like any other family car
Irish Independent - Wednesday August 18 2010
THE first thing to note is it is normal. It is an electric family car that is different only because it doesn’t have a petrol or diesel engine.
Other than the quietness, lack of shunting up the gears, and a reasonably sharp design, you could take it as just another modern motor.
Only it isn’t. The Nissan Leaf is an electric, everyday midsized family car. The version I drove yesterday was left-hand drive.
First right-hand drive models get here in November with sales starting in February. Nissan expects to sell 1,000 here next year – that is as many as they are going to get by the looks of it.
On public ‘tastings’ here to date, onein- four who have sat into it, or been driven in it, have put down a deposit. As something of an electric sceptic, I took it for a mix of driving around Dublin south, city centre and in a big arc out to Lucan and back in along the M50 to Stillorgan.
It looks well with quite an eye-catching rear, but is readily identifiable as a Nissan.
There’s a deep boot with a relatively high ‘lip’ which may or may not be to everyone’s taste. The cabin was nicely subdued, bathed in what I call ‘comfort’ colours (cream, light brown etc), but there was just a little too much plastic across the top of the dash.
The seats were really comfortable and there was plenty of room. I got my driving seat to my preference level and could still sit in behind with plenty of room. Four large adults would have no problem travelling in this five-seater.
Being an electric sceptic, of course, the ever-present worry was range anxiety. They say you will average 160km on a single charge (most commutes in Ireland average 15km to 20km, research suggests).
For instance, at one stage there were 75km left on the range indicator. So I eased off and it nipped back up to 93km.If I turned off the air con I immediately got an extra 23km range. There is also an eco mode which means you drive away from lights and accelerate much more slowly. That, too, adds significantly to your range.
But there was no point in me driving this like an eco-maniac. I drove it as if it were a conventionally powered motor. I mean, what is the point otherwise?
So we drove through Dublin city centre in fairly heavy traffic, out with more pace to the western suburbs and finally gave it a moderate lash on the M50 southbound. The whole thing felt . . . well, it felt normal. No whizzies, fizzies or dizzies, just a normal car being driven at normal speeds on a normal day with the sort of power and feel to it of a 1.6-litre petrol engine.
Only they reckon the electricity to run this costs one cent a kilometre. So get used to it – this is part of the future.
And so to the practicals. How and where do you charge it? At home, at work, at one of the many charging points destined to spring up like mushrooms over the next 12 months.
Did you know that by the end of next year there will be more charging points than petrol stations in this country?
Around 25 minutes will give you 80pc of capacity charge. A little flap at the front pops up for you to connect to the outlet. It is all fairly simple. You can also programme it to charge on the cheaper night rate. In other words, it won’t start charging until the cheap time – even though it is plugged in. You can also programme it to cool down or heat up the cabin (air con) so when you get in there is no need for a massive blast of hot or cold air – you can do this via your mobile as well.
Sat nav will be standard so you can see where the nearest charging point is.
The lithium-ion batteries, mounted under the seats and floor, have a five-year warranty. The truth is that even when the car is ready for scrapping there will be demand for the batteries because they last and last.
Of course, this won’t suit many of us. Even allowing for 200km of a range I’m such a worrier I would not feel easy. All right, all right, there are bound to be myriad places where I can pull in have a cup of coffee and head off 25 minutes later with an 80pc charge. I’m working on getting my head around this. The ESB is fitting for free the first 2,000 homes which have an electric car with charging points. Again, if you have a garage or can park in a driveway, fine. But it may not be so convenient for everyone – especially on a miserable, wet night out in the open.
There will just be one version of the Leaf on sale here. It will have 16in alloys, automatic climate control, sat nav, cruise control, rear-parking camera, 7in colour touchscreen, drive computer (fuel consumption etc) and quick-charge socket.
Of course, safety equipment such as driver, passenger, side and curtain airbags will be standard as will ESC (helps avert skidding).
In other words, everything a normal car should have.
Key points: the low down on costs
- It will cost €29,995 (€34,995 less government grant of €5,000).
- Battery included in price, but dealer-related delivery charges are not.
- Average annual running costs expected to be around €232 a year or less than €20 a month.
- Power comes from an 80kw AC motor.
- Maximum speed more than 140kmh.
- Falls into €104-a-year road tax.
- Low maintenance costs as there are fewer moving parts
http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/motoring/taking-a-leaf-out-of-our-motoring-future-2301359.html?start=2
Take a test drive in the new Nissan 370Z
13 Aug 2010
Michael Sheridan in RTE takes the new Nissan 370Z for a test drive
NISSAN 370Z - Take it for a test drive.....
The Nissan 370Z is an old school, butch, rear-wheel drive sports car. Nissan Z cars are perhaps better known in the US and Japan, where they have a cult status. We Europeans are traditionally snobby about our performance cars. How dare a jumped up Datsun say it can deliver a Porsche-like driving experience! Well, the fact is it can!
Nissan UK's latest advertising campaign takes a pop at its German performance car rivals, claiming it can deliver very capable cars like the 370Z and Skyline GTR at a more affordable price. In the Republic of Ireland, the 370Z starts at €56,795. For the cash you get a serious performer with traditional sports car looks.
The exterior is very similar to the old 350Z but it has trimmed down, making the 370Z look far more athletic. The new 370Z is shorter, has shed weight and been to the gym (it's now a 3.7 litre). It now delivers a truer, purer sports car experience. It really looks the part as well on the outside, with meaty18-inch alloy wheels, cool projector headlights, LED rear lights, UV reducing green glass and a gimmicky-but-good flashing 'Z' emblem indicator repeater. Inside, 370Z is a strict two-seater. You get a parcel shelf and a couple of cubbies and decent boot space under the large tailgate, but you can forget trips to Ikea - the Z is all about U (sorry, couldn't resist!).
Behind the wheel 370Z feels very nimble, tight and eager - but it is loud! There is too much tyre and road noise in the cabin. My only other grumble concerns the seat backs: they are too narrow to give proper lateral support to anyone larger than a jockey.
Those aside, the Z wants to do exactly what you ask of it - as any good sportscar should - but the 370Z also goes on to deliver that bit more. Power is up to 323bhp, which not only means the Z has more poke than its German rivals, but it can also do the sprint from 0-100km/h in just 5.3 seconds. That is faster than a TT RS (268bhp), Porsche Cayman (261bhp) and BMW Z4 sDrive30i (255bhp)!
My test car features the optional seven-speed, paddle-shift, automatic gearbox. It may cost €2,500 but is essential to make the car a true day to day machine as you can simply leave it in auto for an easy life or enjoy the downshifts when you need to blow away a few cobwebs at the weekend. The optional in-built Sat Nav (coupled with a few toys) is ridiculously expensive at €3,500.
The 'Greens' aren't fond of the 370Z as it falls into tax band 'G' for CO2 (€2,100 annual road tax), but then again so do most other performance cars. On the road the Z is a joy. The ride is comfortable and stiff enough for spirited road use without the need to have an osteopath on speed dial. You feel directly connected to the rear wheels through your backside. As you'd expect, there are a host of electronic driver aids like ABS, EBD, Brake Assist and of course VDC vehicle dynamic control (ESP/ESC) and Viscous LSD (limited slip differential) that will help keep you on the straight and narrow.
The 370Z is a very engaging car that ticks lots of boxes: rear-wheel drive, two seats, buckets of power, sharp steering and a meaty exhaust note. Behind the wheel you'll have a massive smile on your face.
CHECK OUT THE NEW NISSAN 370Z FROM MONDAY 16TH AUGUST IN WINDSOR DEANSGRANGE FOR 1 WEEK ONLY - CALL 01- 2896622 FOR MORE DETAILS
Michael Sheridan - http://www.rte.ie/motors/2010/0810/nissan370z.html?f0
Nissan Leaf - Coming soon to a Windsor Dealer new you
09 Aug 2010
Nissan Leaf Roadshow
The all new, all electric Nissan Leaf is on the move. The Nisssan Leaf Roadshow starts 9th August - Don't miss your chance to be one of the first to see the world's first affordable, mass produced electric car.
A car so vastly original it will change the way we build, drive and think about cars for years to come.
Where and when you can see the Nissan Leaf:
- Windsor Deansgrange - 9th August
- Windsor Belgard - 10th August
- Windsor Motorworld, Cork - 14th August
- Windsor Galway - 16th August
- Windsor Liffey Valley - 22nd August
- Windsor Airside - 24th August
Contact your local Dealer for more details
The future of Driving - Arriving 4th August
03 Aug 2010
The Nissan LEAF - Arriving 4th August
The countdown to the launch of the Nissan Leaf, all new, all electric car has begun.
The Nissan leaf will be launched on Wednesday 4th August outside the Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin at 10.00pm.
Don't miss out - it will be a great show. All are welcome.
If you can't make the official launch, don't miss the Roadshow at selected Windsor Nissan Dealers during August - Click here for dates and more details.