Andrew Hamilton answers your queries
From John Hall in Co Cork:
On a recent visit to Dublin I was amazed to see the number of traffic lights that have sprung up across the city. To my eye, it would appear that Dublin now has as many traffic lights as it has stray cats and that's more than enough. Many of these lights are erected within yards of each other with the result that the traffic is held in a constant stop-go mode for very long stretches.
As one interested in improving traffic conditions within our cities, is it not time for the Minister for Transport to bring a halt to this madness? Recently in Bandon the traffic lights at the entrance to the town were decommissioned and now the traffic is moving more freely. Similar action has been taken in Dutch towns with positive results.
Might The Irish Times ask Dublin City Council for their views on this matter? In their response, it would be useful if they could reveal the number of traffic lights installed within their area.
We are inclined to agree, and of course many of us have had that frustrating experience of stopping at a pedestrian crossing with a red light and not a pedestrian in sight. Dublin City Council, through Brendan O'Brien, who is head of technical services (traffic) tells us there are 658 traffic lights in the council's area, including junctions and pedestrian crossings. The new installation of traffic signals can theoretically be implemented following a request from a member of the public or a public representative. All requests are considered by a traffic advisory group that takes into account traffic volumes, pedestrian activity and accident history.
If this criteria is met, then the installation is approved. But according to the city council "most requests for traffic signals are in fact refused as they do not meet requirements in terms of traffic or pedestrian flows".
Brendan O'Brien says that the growth in traffic volumes, particularly on surburban streets, has been responsible for the increase in lights: "The good news is that the number of road traffic fatalities in the Dublin city area has decreased substantially as a result . We have had to put up to 20 additional sets of signals in to accommodate the Luas operation."
From David Murphy:
My daughter parked her Audi A3 on a slight slope. She applied the handbrake and when she returned she found it had rolled forward into a wall. There was a small impact mark. I had the handbrake checked and the garage told me it's in perfect order. I was told that in America a while ago, there was a problem with Audis rolling forward.
Please don't try to blame the Audi A3. Any professional driver will know that you should never park on a hill without leaving your car in first or reverse gear. Sadly there are a lot of motorists like your daughter who don't follow this advice.
From Jim Adams:
I bought a second-hand Volvo 440 and have been plagued with a persistent rain leak. A garage said the boot lock was faulty and replaced it to no avail. Could the rear window seal be to blame? I have phoned a Volvo dealer in case it was a known fault. The only leaks their people encountered over the years have been via the rubber boot seal or the rear lights. Any ideas?
Check the boot seal alignment. Here's how you do it. Rub light grease or fat thinly all the way around the metal surface that mates with the seal, then close the boot and re-open it. If you find anywhere that the grease has not been transferred to the rubber, that is the source of your leak.
From James O'Brien:
My 1997 Citroën Saxo was bought new by my brother, and I have owned it since August last year. There is a persistent water leak into the driver's footwell. It appears to be under the carpet as the soundproofing is wet, but the carpet feels dry. I have checked beneath the car and sought advice from a Citroën dealer who said there was a problem with windscreen leaks on this model. I had the screen removed and resealed but to no avail. There is no sign of water on top of the carpet, but it is wet from front to back underneath. Any ideas why?
If water is not coming from the windscreen seal, it could be from a leak at the rubber grommets in the bulkhead, which seal wiring looms where they enter the cabin. You could mention this to the dealer or mechanic. Water leaks clearly are still a troublesome problem in modern motoring.
Michael McAleer is away on leave
Send your queries to
Motors Help Desk, The Irish Times, Fleet Street, Dublin 2 - or e-mail them to motorshelp@irish-times.ie