Michael McAleer answers your questions
From Brian Cahill, Sligo:
Do you have any advice regarding tail-gating? What action can a driver take while being tail-gated at a distance of maybe one metre at a speed of 100km/h?
We all know what we'd like to do to tailgaters, but that would usually end up with us spending more time with the gardai than the offending driver.
The best advice in these occasions is to try and quickly get out of the way of the vehicle behind.
There is always a temptation to speed up or alternatively touch the brakes so it frightens the driver behind into leaving a little room, but both of these should really be resisted. The former may well put you in danger and can get you points while the latter can cause a rear-end shunt which might prove you were right to the driver behind but will be little consolation while your car is in the garage.
Tailgating is a common feature of Irish roads and it is actually a penalty point offence, incurring two or four points depending on if it goes to court. Unfortunately it's an offence that is not being strictly enforced at present.
The advice from advanced driving instructors seems to be to gradually slow down - again I strongly advise against hitting the brakes here - and open a space ahead of you, giving the tailgater the opportunity to pass.
The main aim of tailgaters is to intimidate you out of the way. By slowing down and leaving the gap in front they will most likely pass you and move on to the next unfortunate driver in the line of traffic.
From PR:
The converter in my car was replaced recently. What is the average lifespan of a catalytic converter and when does it really need to be replaced?
Catalytic converters should generally last the lifespan of the car, unless they become contaminated due to another engine problem.
These are usually caused by contamination from a misfire or the wrong fuel being put in the car. As there are no moving parts in the converter - it's largely made up of a honeycomb material that creates a chemical reaction to reduce exhaust emissions - a damaged converter in itself should not cause a car to break down, but it will fail emissions tests, particularly at the NCT.
If you have to replace a converter then it probably was a symptom of another problem in the engine.
From K O'Neill:
I'm a little confused over the rules regarding tinted windows. Are they illegal or not? The car I'm considering buying has a dark tint on the rear windows.
As the law stands at present it is not illegal to have tinted windows in your car, provided the driver's view of the road is not obstructed.
I can, however, understand your confusion on the matter, particularly after comments from various politicians over the last six months regarding the issue.
For now there is no such ban in place and as a recent judge made clear, it could be very difficult to introduce one given the number of executive cars that come with tinted windows as standard. A change in the rules could prove very costly for motorists and the car industry as well.
From R Williams:
There has been a spate of attacks on cars in the car park use when at work. The damage is largely punctured tyres and the odd scrape. Are there any alarm systems that will go off when a car is scratched?
The short answer is yes, but the problem with such sensitive alarms is that they will also go off when a cat sits on your bonnet or someone leans against the door of your car while passing on the street. I've come across such sensitive alarms on extremely expensive sports cars but they really make no sense for general use. The best advice would seem to be to get a new car park.
• Queries to Motors Helpdesk, The Irish Times, D'Olier St, Dublin 2 - or motorshelp@irish-times.ie