BLINDED BY THE LIGHT
Your Nissan Navara Pro-4x review mentions its integrated LED light bar. Are there safety regulations around their brightness? I ask because I suffer from light-induced migraines, and it seems every new car these days has LED daytime running lights. I get blinded by the bright white lights in my mirrors, while LED brake and rear lights make night driving tortuous due to the LED after burn. Do others suffer as much as me from LED lights? I’ve been having sickening migraines.
Heidi Everett, email
The way these lights affect you sounds terrible and unsafe. It would be good to know if other readers suffer likewise? On the legal front, the Pro-4x’s integrated lightbar will only work when high beam lights are turned on – it’s the same for legally fitted aftermarket lightbars. Daytime running lights (DRLS) are very commonplace today, but design rules state they must not use more than 25 watts of power. With all the driving I do, I agree, there are times when DRLS cause enough discomfort for me to need to look away. Not terribly safe.
ELECTRIC NIGHTMARE
I’m sick of electric scooters terrorising our roads and streets. I live and work in Brisbane and as well as privately-owned e-scooters, rental e-scooters have become an unregulated nightmare. They silently come out of nowhere at huge speeds, I often see riders without a helmet or with a child as passenger. The worst is at night when drunk idiots rent them and go racing or jumping off steps, then ditch them wherever they please when they’re bored. I also see many being ridden on the road. People are going to get killed.
Roger Clarke, email
Queensland’s the Wild West when it comes to escooters. The Sunshine State’s speed limit is 25km/h on footpaths – madness when there are pedestrians about. Electric scooter speed limits are 10km/h in Victoria and WA; it’s 15km/h in South Australia, Tasmania and ACT (25km/h on bike paths), while they’re totally banned in NSW. They can be used on footpaths or local roads where the speed limit is 50km/h or less, but not in Brisbane’s CBD. Helmets are mandatory, passengers are banned, but I too have seen these rules ignored and have been almost cleaned up by riders in the city. Why they can be rented after midnight is beyond me – surely the majority of users then will have just left pubs?
WANT IT NOW
You often report about new cars being in short supply, but what if I want a new car delivered right away? Surely some brands are offering immediate delivery? In my opinion pretty
much all cars these days fall into the safe and reliable category, and folk like me just want a car to get from A to B. Every week all we hear is “boohoo, you have to wait a long time for your new Hilux.”
Ian Pegram, email
Some may just want a car to get from A to B, but consider the variables – budget, size, number of seats and planned use (to name a few). It’s not a one-size-fits all. You could try the old-fashioned way of visiting a new-car dealer and asking what you can buy off the shop floor. Hopefully there’s something there to suit your needs. There are plenty of MG3S, Hyundai i30s, Mazda CX-5S, Suzuki Vitaras or, if pockets are deep, Maserati Levantes clogging up dealer forecourts.
LAST MINUTE PRESENT
My Dad loves cars and reading your motoring section and I want to get him a car-type gift for Christmas that isn’t naff. Or over $50. Please help.
Olivia Hodgkinson (13), email
Whatever you do Olivia, no socks, singlets or bar stools with Holden or Ford on them. They fail the not-naff test. If your dad has a favourite brand, visit a large bookshop and choose him a coffee-table book on his preferred car marque. There are plenty for less than $50. For a bit of fun there are some cool Lego car models, while a quality car care kit is hard to beat as a practical present. For huge brownie points, go to his favourite marque’s showroom and check out their genuine accessories. Audi backpack? Porsche mug? Alfa Romeo sports bottle? All meet your budget.