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Here’s a nice freebie, get a free tyre gauge here: http://tyresafety.eu/order to easily check and keep your tyre pressure at the correct levels!
Watch in HD here!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh3WEUWL0kM&fmt=22
4 New Nokian W+ tyres, driven less than 40 miles/60km and a risky blowout!
After fitting, I didn’t adjust the pressure from what the fitter prescribed and drove from Sandyford, to Dun Laoghaire, then from Dun Laoghaire to the applegreen on the N7 just passed Rathcoole (less than 50km total) where I got fuel and checked the pressure and adjusted to the recommended pressure for my Opel Astra G 2004 Van. 2.3bar at the front and 3.2 at the back, but I put in 2.5 at the front.
I then drove another 10 or so KM when all of a sudden the above happened.
The tyres themselves came from eiretyres.com and are Nokian W+ 175/70 R14 84T M+S marking (Wi), one for each corner. I received them around the 27th of September and got them fitted the 29th of October, in the time between they were stored in a shed in a pile of 4 and weren’t rotated in this time.
I’m not sure how it happened, brand new tyres (less than 40 miles on it when it happened), pressure checked 5 minutes before it happened and a speed within their rating. I called the AA as soon as I pulled in, I took the tyre off and waited for the AA to arrive to just check to make sure everything on the axle was ok. Took the rest of the journey handy enough but I did notice there is a considerable noise increase from the tyres when you go from 110kmph to 118kmph.
Quite disappointed after taking so long to decide on which winter tyres to go for and these were supposed to keep me out of trouble for the winter, not get me in trouble 😛
I’m also a bit apprehensive about going any kind of speed with them, overtaking etc in fear of it happening again so I’m not sure if I should buy another of the same type, or replace the whole set. I also don’t know how far I’d get with getting a refund/replacement. Did I do something wrong or are the tyres themselves not safe I wonder?
Truck Overturned on M50 Flyover Spills Sand to Southbound lanes
Quick post just publishing a video taken today with my dash cam on the M50 after a truck overturned on the N7 outbound with a load of sand. The sand spilled over onto the lanes of the M50 southbound below. It’s just lucky it wasn’t a load of bricks or something that could have cause any major carnage!
Google Street View is now Live on Irish maps, after a bit of browsing, I’ve already seen the same van twice, in two completely different locations! Some are concerned about privacy but it will have some great uses like familiarising your self with a destination location etc before you even leave the house!
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From the Irish Times it appears that Revenue are clamping down to cut out the trick of getting a vehicle into Ireland with the minimum VRT price by converting to a commercial and then back to a passenger vehicle.
DAVID LABANYI
Changes to Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) rules for commercial vehicle to be introduced next year are set to end the common practice here of converting passenger cars and SUVs in order to benefit from lower tax.
The planned changes will effectively remove the discretion from car buyers or local garages to convert individual vehicles.
The Revenue Commissioners and Department of Finance are planning to introduce a “type approval” system.
This will mean that only vehicles with prior approval for commercial use can be registered as such.
A Revenue spokesman said the change was designed to bring the State into line with a number of European Directives on vehicle classification and would come into force on January 1st.
Provision for the change was included in the Finance Act 2010.
It is hoped the move will largely eliminate the practice of converting high-value passenger SUVs to commercial vehicles before purchase or importation, with some people then converting them back again to passenger vehicles, having benefitted from the VRT savings.
A major reason for the popularity of conversions is the significant differences in the VRT rates between passenger and commercial vehicles.
VRT on a passenger car can range from 14 per cent up to 36 per cent depending on the vehicle’s emissions.
However for large commercial vehicles VRT is charged at a flat rate of just €50 and for other commercial vehicles the rate is 13.3 per cent.
It is vehicles in this latter category, particularly some bigger-engined SUVs, that would qualify for substantial savings when granted the commercial rate, which are often converted from passenger formats after arrival here.
To date this year there were 6,624 vans and lorries registered, generating €331,200 in VRT while 523 other commercial vehicles registered generated €1.6 million.
Over a two-week period in April this year Revenue officials seized more than 323 vehicles as part of an investigation into VRT evasion.
The officials also challenged more than 3,279 vehicles – a process whereby they contest the whether it is a commercial vehicle – resulting in 384 warnings.
This led to 185 vehicles subsequently being registered.
Last year Revenue examined over 22,000 unregistered vehicles of which, just under 5,000 were found to be non-compliant.
Of these, 1,952 were seized leading to 50 prosecutions.
Alan Nolan, chief executive of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (Simi), said the industry broadly approved of the changes but was in talks with Revenue and the department about some minor changes to the new criteria.
The Finance Bill proposes three VRT categories; M1 or passenger car, an N1 type or commercial vehicle with a 13.3 per cent VRT rate and an N2 type with VRT rate of €50.
“What we are concerned about is that certain types of commercial vehicles, such as small panel vans, which are essential to the small and medium enterprise sector may fall into the N1 category. These vehicles have always being in the €50 group.”
“We will have to wait for the Budget for confirmation but I think progress has been made on this and that some modifications may be introduced.”
He said while there were a number of bona fide vehicle conversion firms, the issue was with operators “on the fringes of the industry”.
“There have also been cases where the definition of a commercial vehicle has been challenged.
“For example, the definition of a car with no back seats and two doors is also a sports car. The changes will simplify this.”
A spokeswoman for the Department of Finance confirmed the changes are planned to be introduced on January 1st.
As long as the €50 VRT for large commercial vans stays the same then I’m ok 😀
Two great clips taken from the brilliant show “Trigger Happy TV”. I think a police man actually went over to the guy at the lights in the original footage 😛
Last night, the drink driving limit was lowered in the Dáil.
From RTE.ie:
Thursday, 24 June 2010 08:42
The new lower drink-driving limit was passed in the Dáil last night.
Provision for a new acceptable blood alcohol limit of 50mg, replacing the current 80mg, is contained in the Road Traffic Bill.
The Bill passed through the Dáil last night but was not actually voted on as agreement on its contents was reached on all sides.
The Bill now moves to the Seanad where it is due to be dealt with next week.
The limit for learner and professional drivers has been cut from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 20mg and from 80mg to 50mg for other drivers.
Drivers caught over the limit would receive three penalty points and a €200 fine, if they do not challenge the conviction in court, but they would not receive a driving ban.
As a non drinker, this doesn’t effect me personally at all, but if I was a drinker I don’t think I’d ever be tempted to just have “the one”. It’s good to see it’s not an absolute ZERO though as I’d hate to say no to a lovely meal if it had a nice white wine sauce or even a bit of desert with an alcohol/vanilla flavouring 😀
Will it stop those who knowingly have far too much anyway? Probably not 🙁
On Sunday the 6th of June 2010, after a night of adventurous and whacky dreams, I woke up with a familiar face staring at me out of the bottle of water I keep beside my bed. Bruce Springsteen had appeared! When my eyes cleared, I realised my vision was not but a remnant of a dream, but t’was reality, happening before my very eyes!
See for yourself in the full size version here and the video here! 😀
Will keep the bottle if anyone wants to buy it for a few thousand!
After touring with Block Party in 2009 throughout Ireland and the UK, VanTasks have once again been called into action for 2010. With shows so far in Longford and Bray, Co. Wicklow and more to come including Spain and Italy.
After touring with Block Party in 2009 throughout Ireland and the UK, VanTasks have once again been called into action for 2010. With shows so far in Longford and Bray, Co. Wicklow and more to come including Spain and Italy.
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For ramblings and news on events, transport, motoring and just about anything!