What is driver distraction and how serious an issue is it?
Is it time to put the brakes on in-car entertainment systems asks Geraldine Herbert How significant a factor is driver distraction to road collisions? Every year, almost 25,000 people lose their lives on European roads and more than 135,000 are seriously injured. It is estimated that driver distraction is likely to be a factor in 10% to 30% of all road collisions. Drivers who text are twice as likely to crash as those who have been...
How to declutter your car
Is your car disappearing under the weight of all the family clutter? Use our easy hacks to clear and organise writes Geraldine Herbert Is car clutter driving you round the bend? Steer things around and get on the road to lasting cleanliness with our tips and tricks. Here’s where to start: Clean First job, clear out all rubbish. Start from the front and work your way to the back, including under the seats. Organise items...
Aoife Raftery ready for “demanding and tricky” Galway International Rally
Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy member Aoife Raftery will get her 2024 season underway on her home event this weekend as the Women in Motorsport ambassador for the Corrib Oil Galway International Rally. Last year the Craughwell-based driver recorded an impressive debut season in the FIA Junior European Rally Championship. She was the first Irish woman to commit to an internationally recognised rally championship since the late and...
Ten things to know about the iconic Rosemary Smith
We remember the iconic Rosemary Smith writes Geraldine Herbert Rosemary was born in Dublin in 1937, the youngest of three children. She was smart but hated her strict convent-school education. Her father John Smith, an amateur racer himself, taught Rosemary to drive when she was only 11 and at 16 she secured a driving licence by pretending to be a year older. She attended the Grafton Academy of Fashion Design where she was awarded top...
Car Chat with Rosemary Smith
Still motoring through life at full speed we talk, cars, gadgets and more with former Rally Champion Rosemary Smith. Who taught you to drive? My father, when I was 11 in a big old fashioned Vauxhall in a field. I had to sit on a cushion. What do you drive and what does it say about you? A Ford Focus which is my driving school car and it says I love teaching youngsters to drive. Do you have a favourite car gadget? The radio, if...
What does Budget 2024 mean for the motorist?
Finance Minister Michael McGrath and Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe have presented the 2024 Budget. From fuel price increases to VRT, here’s everything motorists need to know… There were no real surprises in the budget and the key takeout for motorists is that excise will not be restored on fuel prices as planned on Oct 31st and VRT relief will continue on EVs until the end of 2025. Here’s our summary of...
