Benefits of Black Boxes in Motor Cars

When you hear the phrase black box, you may think of an aircraft accident investigation. But the benefit of retrieving data from a flight data recorder in the Black Box is not limited to airlines. You can now find this technology in cars, where it helps to determine what happened in the critical moments before a crash. Furthermore it is also able to keep a running record of how a car is being operated, including speed, acceleration, breaking, steering and checking to see if you use your seat belt! A recent report by the BBC in the UK suggests that the installation of black boxes in the cars of young people is growing.

Originally the black box for cars was installed by car manufatcurers to monitor air bag activity. Studies have shown that drivers under the age of 25 are involved in 40% of accidents, but they make up just 10% of motorists. It appears that the black box could be a good tool to monitor and control their driving style. Also for parents, who worry that their child is driving carefully, they would derive comfort from the black box because the technology will present them with the cold hard facts about their children's driving.

This new technology could be of interest for insurance companies, because it provides them with all necessary information about the driving styles of their customers. Theoretically, those that drive safely are less likely to have an accident and could therefore have their premiums reduced.

The black box for the car would be of special interest for car rental companies. When a car is returned back to the rental company, any disputes about vehicle damage can be easily resolved by looking at the data from the black box. The subversive practice of car rental companies charging multiple customers for the same damage will be eliminated. Driveaway Holidays receives numerous complaints from their customers

There is no question that a black box in a car will benefit car rental companies, consumers and the car insurance companies, but more importantly, it will reduce the number of accidents by improving the driving attitude of the general public

Car Rental Faqs - Part 1

Q. Why take a 'driving holiday'?
A. A drive holiday gives you the freedom and flexibility to decide on where you travel and what you see and do. You are in charge of how much time you wish to spend at a particular attraction. You have the independence to move around as much or as little as you like. A drive holiday allows you to discover so much more as a car will allow you to drive through the little villages in out of the way places.

Q. How is car rental charged?
A. Car rental is based on 24 hour periods and charged accordingly. If you pick up a car at 9am on Thursday and return at 9am the following day, this is one 24 hour period and therefore a one day booking.

Q. Is it cheaper to pre-book my car rental or should I book when I arrive?
A. Pre-booking will save you money almost every time! With a wholesaler like DriveAway Holidays, you receive the benefit of our purchasing power. Our prices with the major car rental suppliers are considerably lower than walking in off the street in a foreign country to rent a car. In addition you are pre-paying in Australian dollars so the risk of fluctuations in the currency are reduced.

Q. How does a prepaid rental work?
A. The booking is made in advance, paid for and a voucher is issued. The voucher is then used as payment when you go to pick up the car from the supplier.

Q. What additional extras will I have to pay?
A.  It depends on what the rental covers. DriveAway Holidays in most cases include all mandatory charges, like road taxes or airport surcharges. Many optional charges are applicable such as young or additional drivers, Insurance Excess Reduction or extra equipment like child seats. Be sure to check out rate inclusions – first when you are choosing your vehicle online and when you have made your booking (the inclusions will be on your voucher)

Q. What happens when I pick up the car?
A. Present the rental voucher, a valid drivers license and a credit card for a security deposit. Any additional charges will be explained as well as the conditions of the rental. A signature will be required to accept or decline additional charges and to acknowledge that the rental conditions are understood.

Q. What does the supplier do with the renters credit card?
A. It varies depending on the supplier – they may freeze a specific amount as a deposit, an imprint may be taken as a deposit or an amount may be charged to cover the security deposit and then refunded on the return of the vehicle. In some instances the bond can be paid in cash – check with the supplier/broker when you book.

Q. Will there be fuel in the vehicle?
A. Yes, there should be enough to get you on your way. Different companies have different policies regarding fuel – most will supply a full tank and require the car to be returned with a full tank of fuel, otherwise the renter is charged the difference. Some companies provide minimum fuel and is to returned as the renter wishes.

Q. What is a Pre-Paid Fuel Option?
A. Most car rental companies provide a full tank of fuel and will charge you for re-fuelling the vehicle if it is not returned with a full tank. By accepting a Pre-paid fuel option you are agreeing to pay a pre-determined price for fuel regardless of whether you return the vehicle with a full, partially full or empty tank. This means you won't need to search for a petrol station before you return the car, but there is no refund for any fuel remaining in the tank.

Q. Should I check out the condition of the rental car before driving away?
A. Yes, it is a good idea to check the vehicle before you leave the depot. Any damage or unusual dents/scratches should be noted on the contract before leaving.

Look out for our 2nd part of car rental FAQs!

Car Loans Online - Your Guide for Online Car Loans

If you are in a position to get yourself a secured bad credit used car loan then you will more than likely be able to get yourself a used car that you desire within one working business days simply because the financial company that is issuing you the loan in the first place is assuming less risk because you are providing collateral on the face of being bad credit used car the first place.  A secured bad credit used car loan essentially means that you have to put down some sort of collateral that has equity built up into extras a home or another vehicle in order for you to assume the risk of the loan before you can be given.  This means you need to make sure that you have a steady source of income in order to pay down the debt of your Online Car Loans because if you start to miss payments or they have paid in full on time each and every month you also assume the risk of losing the collateral then the first place.  The other option is to get yourself a unsecured version of the back credit used car loan in which you as a consumer will assume less of a risk since you are no longer putting up collateral for the loan, however, the back or used car loan financing company assumes even more risk which means that you need to deal the proof your monthly income as well as more than likely having to pay an additional fee points of interest on the back or used car loan itself in order to make it work. 

 

Additionally, definitely in a position where you really having established credit or you have a bad credit history, getting yourself a Car Loans Online for bad credit is going to give you the opportunity to work on improving your credit lot the same time giving you the vehicle you need to get from place to place.  As long as you make your payments on time and full each and every month your credit score will steadily increase which means by the time your bad credit used car loan is paid off you'll be in a position to get a much better rate of interest on your next used car loan that you decide to go about taking our any other type of financial purchase that you are looking to get for yourself as well.

 

A car loan is simply a way for you to go about paying for the car that you are looking to purchase.  You are going to take out a car loan from a financial lending company and bring it to the car dealership with you.  The reason for going about doing this is because the moment that you bring your own Used Car Loans to a car dealership you are then considered what is known as any cash buyer in that you can buy the car pretty much out right from them just as if you are paying for it in cash in the first place.  You can then you should car finance in order to either buy the car that you want from them or you can also use it to lease a car through them.

Get a New Car Loan

A car loan is simply a way for you to go about paying for the car that you are looking to purchase.  You are going to take out a car loan from a financial lending company and bring it to the car dealership with you.  The reason for going about doing this is because the moment that you bring your own New Car Finance to a car dealership you are then considered what is known as any cash buyer in that you can buy the car pretty much out right from them just as if you are paying for it in cash in the first place.  You can then you should car finance in order to either buy the car that you want from them or you can also use it to lease a car through them.
 

 

When you go about getting yourself a great deal on the type of used cars that is going to last you for a long period of time you might end up thinking that it's something that is based upon a roll of the dice or something to that extent.  The reality is however that it really depends on each exact amount of time and research that you are willing to put in to in order to empower yourself with the knowledge that is required in order to get the best possible deal on a New Car Loan that you can get for yourself.  The bad credit used car loan that you will end up getting for yourself really is going to end up helping you get a very easy to manage and budget priced because the monthly payments are going to be fairly lower than at what you would normally expect from a car dealership as well as the interest rates on it should also be considerably lower than what you would get from used car dealerships.  The reason you and make sure that you do this actually correctly is because you not want to end up having to get locked in to why it is known as an upside down car loan.  This is aware you end up having your New Car Loan being worth more than what the price on a used car but you are trying to purchase or are purchasing it is.  You should not be afraid about this though because there are a few different things you can do that can guide you in finding yourself the best financial deal on a bad credit used car loan.

 

Car Rental & the Environment

With the environment such a hot topic around the world and especially in the transport industry, there are companies that are embracing new environmentally friendly technology. Hybrid Cars and ever increasingly fuel efficient diesel cars are becoming more available to mainstream motorists. I used to work for a corporate travel company and many of the major corporations were requesting the inclusion of Hybrid cars in their contracts. This was more to do with increasing business opportunities by being seen to be green as opposed to wanting to be green!

The question arises when people travel and want to maintain their commitment to the green cause. Car Rental companies will be the ones providing these vehicles... or will they?

I have chosen (for the Australia traveller) major car companies that you can book 'green cars' with. Working for DriveAway Holidays here in Australia, the most common request is for diesel cars. This is driven out of cost concerns and also the occasional environmental concern. (Shouldn't it be the other way around??)

First off the rank is Avis Rental Cars.

In Australia, the group L car will give you a Toyota Hybrid. This car is the favorite for the car rental companies due to it being built by Toyota.

In the UK, there doesn't appear to be any green cars, although there may be diesel cars on fleet, Avis don't make them easy to find.

In the USA, like Australia, the Toyota Hybrid under group XG is available.

Second off the cab rank is Hertz Rental Cars.

In Australia, like Avis, the Toyota Hybrid is the car of choice. Book a group G and you will get this car.

In the UK, Hertz has a range of fuel efficient diesels on fleet but no hybrids. This seems to be a common factor in the UK. Being an expat, I know that Toyota car prices in the UK are reasonably expensive compared to other european manufactured vehicles

In the USA, Hertz has a range of Hybrids, although on some of the cars, I couldn't tell if they were Hybrid or not.

Now, all credit to Hertz as they do promote their green cars as part of their Green Fleet. Avis don't appear to market their green cars in any way, which is a shame.

Third on the cab rank is Europcar Rental Cars.

Again, unlike Hertz, they appear not to promote their green fleet. Looking at their Australia Fleet guide, they have the regular passenger vehicles such as Small, Medium, Large, Prestige, Minivans, Sport, 4WD. Europcar list the green car as part of there regular fleet, however, it does have it's unique identifier (IHAR) in Australia.

In the UK, Europcar doesn't appear to have any green offerings. Maybe it's something you can request at pick up. Personally, if I could book a green car over the internet, I would do so with a company that offered that service.

In the USA, I chose LAX as Europcar have a limited presence. There were no cars I could find that looked green.

To Europcar's defence, in other parts of Europe where they are particularly strong, one is able to guarantee a diesel for an extra few euros per day.

In this brief look, Hertz appears to be the only car rental company that is actively promoting green cars. Avis & Europcar seem to be a bit hap hazard in their approach to a green fleet. Whilst it may be a case of logistics and a supply issue, there is no reason why they couldn't promote their green cars.
I am sure that in 12 months time, the situation will be that every car rental company will be actively marketing green cars. The consumer can currently offset their CO2 emissions in the various transport sectors and I am sure that the car rental industry will follow suit in the near future.

The Environment is a marketers dream and I do think that some of the car rental companies have missed the boat so far. Hopefully their marketing departments will wake up and smell the cleaner air..

Too Old to Drive a Rental Car?

Car Rental Faqs - Part 1