AA Blog

If taking your car to France this summer, new french legislation due to take affect within the next few months will mean that you are obligated to carry a personal alcohol breathalyser with you at all times.   If found in breach of this new law you could face a fine of €17.  Click here to read our tips and pointers for driving in France.

Ireland’s penalty points system is undoubtedly working and enjoys broad support but when motorists are caught some are inclined to feel hard done by. In a poll of 4,000 motorists who had received penalty points at least once nearly half felt aggrieved to some extent.

46.4% of respondents felt the circumstances in which they had received penalty points were fair but a similar number, 48.4% had a gripe of some sort about the incident.

AA Ireland has announced that an impressive 17 Irish restaurants were newly awarded AA Rosette Awards during the 2011 inspection season in celebration of culinary excellence.   Of further triumph for the industry and a barometer of the quality of restaurants available in Ireland today, this figure represents a 50% increase on the 2010 season when just 11 of the highly esteemed awards were newly attained.

AA Rosette Awards are assessed as part of an unannounced overnight inspection of a hotel or guesthouse and the 17 new recipients are among just 109 properties in Ireland to currently hold the respected accolade.  Since 1956, AA Inspectors have been awarding AA Rosettes which today are graded on a scale of 1 – 5. 

Here’s something that might restore your fragile ego if you’ve failed your driving test recently!  We came across this article in the UK Telegraph  about an unlucky learner driver who has failed his driving test a whopping 92 times!  Maybe he should just stick to the bus!

Opening up the debate of whether to stop and help or to prioritize personal safety, AA Rescue has today published results of a contentious poll question which asks drivers whether or not they would kick into “good Samaritan mode” or simply keep driving if they came across a stranded motorist.  

The poll question which specifically hones in on motorists classified as more vulnerable such as a lone female, a parent travelling with children and an elderly motorist, shows that an older driver is most likely to illicit a sympathetic response.   60% of the 12,300 drivers polled by AA Rescue indicated they would stop to assist an older driver whose vehicle had broken down.  A figure which increased to 71% among the poll’s male participants.

Owners of Mini Cooper and John Cooper Works models built between 2006 and 2011 will be written to in the coming weeks to ask them to bring their cars to a Mini dealer for a replacement water pump.

The recall is estimated to affect around 235,000 cars around the world – approximately 300 of these in Ireland – and follows reports of the water pump drawing heat from the car’s turbocharger failing.  Mini say a failure of the circuit board controlling the pump may lead it to smoulder and Mini have said they cannot rule out the possibility of such a failure leading to a fire. 

Whether you drive a brand spanking new 2012 car or an older run around regular maintenance is a must. Many of us use our cars daily but can be guilty of putting the car service on the long finger. However having it serviced could be the difference between a minor repair job and a serious and expensive fault down the road.

It’s recommended that you have a professional service every 5,000 kilometers or every 3,000 miles, which may consist of a simple oil change or could involve a full service check of the vehicle including safety checks.

The prices of petrol and diesel have surged upwards at the pumps again in the last month, according to the latest survey of retail prices from AA Ireland. A litre of petrol now costs 154.9 cent, up by a full 7 cent per litre since December. Diesel prices also rose sharply, up by 6.2 cent to an average of 153.1 cent in the last month.

One in eight drivers on Irish roads have either had a near miss or collision with a cyclist within the last two years, a new study by AA Motor Insurance has revealed.  The study which looks at incidents involving vulnerable road users also indicates that 11% of motorists have been involved in similar incidents involving a pedestrian or an animal.

Irish motorists suffered the year from hell for fuel prices in 2011 and as we start the new year the prospects are not good, according to the AA. European wholesale prices are rising as the weak Euro falls against the dollar. Demand for oil products looks flat in Europe because of weak growth forecasts but still prices are rising.

“It may be illogical in a weak economy but European fuel prices are high.” Says Director of Policy ConorFaughnan. “European fuel is refined to very exacting specifications and in recent years refineries are complaining of very tight margins. Three European refineries are due to close shortly because of credit problems*. The upshot for us is that between the unavoidable effects of international prices and the own-goal of super-taxes imposed by the Irish government it will be Irish drivers who pick up the tab.”