Black cars may soon be a thing of the past in California.  According to the Washington Post the reason is due to cooling issues:

The California legislature is considering regulating the color of cars and reflectivity of paint to reduce the energy requirements to cool them. A presentation on the proposed legislation by the California Air Resources Board is below.

The problem isn’t the color per se, but the reflectivity of the paint overall. And dark colors just don’t reflect well, so they are likely out. “Jet black remains an issue,” says the report.  

I simply find this to be amazing.  I have no problem with people wanting to “save the planet” by torturing themselves with soy bars and forsaking delicious meat products, but banning black cars?  Really?  Where are we living here?  Is this communist China?  Well, I suppose it isn’t communist China, because they are actually productive where we are falling apart.  I blame our decline on legislation like this.  I find it to be insane that we live our lives worrying about such things as car color.  We need to focus on the bigger issues like developing a car in this country that people actually want to buy!  Maybe at some point in the future we will start to get our priorities in line.

For more information about how to rent a car during 2009, contact Triangle Rent a Car today!

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DriversEd.com and Cars.comhave created a list that ever young driver should see.  The list includes the top 10 mistakes that young drivers make.  If you are concerned about your teenage son or daughter’s driving habits then perhaps it would be a good idea to go over this brief list with them, perhaps it might inspire them to be just a little more cautious on the roads.

• Being distracted behind the wheel, which contributes to 80 percent of collisions involving new drivers, such as talking on cell phones, text-messaging, listening to CDs and eating. 

• Not wearing seat belts. Roughly one in five teens admit to not buckling up. Many think they don’t need belts if they’re in the back seat. Wrong.  
• Taking risks like ignoring signals or school zone signs, or changing lanes without checking blind spots.  
• Speeding, too often on residential roads that teens think are safe because they haven’t had any close calls there.  
• Overcrowding. Teens sometimes cram five or six friends into a car, and this can lead to driving aggressively and fooling around.  
• Drinking.  
• Tailgating.  
• Driving while drowsy. This affects an unlikely group, such as straight-A students or those with a full plate of extracurricular activities. Overachievers have a lot of pressure. If they’re playing varsity sports and also preparing for an AP exam, and if they’ve been going since 7 a.m. and now it’s midnight and they have to get home, they don’t realize they may be too tired to drive.  
• Choosing the wrong car. Some new drivers opt for a cool-looking sports car rather than a car that’s really a safer choice.  
• Not being able to handle emergencies, such as how to drive out of a skid or apply brakes properly.

For more information about how to rent a car during 2009, contact Triangle Rent a Car today!

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Image nydailynews

In an episode of the Simpsons the family took a trip to EPCOT center and described the place as “what people in 1965 thought life would be like in 1987!”  Add to this the dream of flying cars.  It has always been one of those ideas that has remained eternally ”out there,” a possibility of new frontiers, something that has always been just over the horizon (if you will excuse what is somewhat of a pun), the dream that is so close we can taste it.  Well the dream has become a reality according to

http://www.nydailynews.com/ who are reporting that a company has indeed created a flying car:

“The “Transition Car” built by Terrafugia Inc. (Latin for escape from land) cruises up to 450 miles at more than 115 mph, tools along on land at highway speeds and has fold-up wings that allows parking in standard household garages.

And you can fill ‘er up with unleaded at your local gas station.”

The article goes on to talk about how this car with wings is a “breakthrough” in the world of “personal mobility.”  Breakthrough or not, I think people sometimes fail to see the practical side of the flying car.  For instance, the only thing more dangerous then people propelling multi-ton objects at speeds of 75 mph is the idea of propelling objects at speeds of over 100 mph…while in the air.  Interesting.  Yes.  Dangerous. Extremely.  Practical.  Meh.

For more information about how to rent a car during 2009, contact Triangle Rent a Car today!

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Not that I should have to give you the advice “don’t carjack anyone,” but just in case you are the type of person that needs that bit of information, here’s another tip: Don’t carjack anyone in Tennessee!  The reason; it might be lethal.  According to http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ Tennessee is considering whether to allow drivers to carry loaded shotguns and rifles in their cars so they can use lethal force if confronted with a carjacker:

“Proposals to allow loaded shotguns and rifles to be transported in vehicles and for people to respond to carjacking attempts with deadly force are among several gun-related bills headed for floor votes in the Tennessee House.

Other gun bills that cleared the House Calendar Committee on Tuesday include measures to give current and retired judges the right to carry guns wherever law enforcement officers can, and to prohibit the state Safety Department from collecting information about weapons used in handgun training courses.”

My predictions are coming true!  Life in the United States is starting to look more the the set to Mad Max!  Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the idea of being able to defend yourself if someone is trying to deprive your life, liberty, or, in this case, property, but I get the feeling that the general public and members of the law enforcement community might be a bit put off by the idea of gut toting car drivers.  The votes are schedualed to take place today (March 18th) so perhaps we will be back with the outcome on this.  And f.y.i, you can always just rent a car…there’s no need to carjack!

For more information about how to rent a car during 2009, contact Triangle Rent a Car today!

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I’m hoping to step away from the major news in the car market…the economy, for today to focus one something else: Gadgets.  Thinkgeek.com has some really interesting car gadgets for sale including the emoting face for your rear car window that can tell whoever is behind you how you are really feeling.  The site says the gadget offers 5 different faces, but I really only see 2 as being necessary: “angry” and “I have now picked up the baseball bat in the back seat.”  I suppose for those not as deeply troubled as me, you can give a smiley face, a stuck out tounge, and a heart (adorable.) 

There are many other interesting gadgets to check out, incuding the power inverter that looks like a cup of Starbucks java.  This handy device turns your car’s power outlet or cigarette lighter into two normal outlets that you could use for, say, a food processor or popcorn maker…quite frankly I don’t know what you would need one, let alone two normal outlets in your car, but that’s just me. 

Another interesting little tool is the Kiwi fuel saving device that, according to thinkgeek:

“The Kiwi is a simple to use plug-and-play device compatible with all 1996 vehicles and up. Kiwi plugs into your existing on board diagnostic port (OBDII), located near your steering column. From this port, Kiwi is able to obtain detailed sensor information about your vehicle.  This sensor data including vehicle speed, RPM, engine load, and oxygen sensor readings are all analyzed to determine your vehicle’s optimum driving efficiency.”

Neat.  Check out these interesting pieces of modern technology, and better yet, slap them in your beautiful new rental car after visiting any Triangle Rent a Car location!

For more information about how to rent a car during 2009, contact Triangle Rent a Car today!

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This is very cool news.  You can find speed traps in your area by going to http://www.speedtrap.org/.  All you have to do is plug in your state and whatever town you want to find speed traps in and then review the information.  The site works by having readers plug in speed traps onto a mapping system which you can then view, or even add your own if you choose. 

Another site, http://njection.com/ actually allows you to plug this information directly into your car’s GPS system, for a fee of course.  That download link can be found here: http://njection.com/files/.  It doesn’t appear that it works with all systems, but what a great bit of information to have if it does work.  According to blog.wired.com:

Now, the information can be downloaded directly to portable navigation devicesfrom Garmin, Mio, TomTom and others via Njection.com so that drivers can pinpoint speed traps on a given route. Atkinson says the identity of Njection’s many speed-trap tipsters is kept confidential, and they include more than a few police officers who like the site because what “they’re mostly interested in is getting people to drive safely.” 

As a former police officer I can tell you that there are certainly hot spots that cops will wait at to catch speeders.  These maps should really help to put a little edge on your side, but of course the best advice is to just attempt to follow the speed limit.

For more information about how to rent a car during 2009, contact Triangle Rent a Car today!

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In Idaho a proposed tax on rental cars was struck down.  The plan was aimed at adding money to support local highways according to http://www.idahostatesman.com/”

“Gov. Butch Otter spent much of last year canvassing Idaho to generate ideas and support for his plan to increase funding for Idaho’s highways. The result: six proposals that in five years would generate $174.5 million.

But Otter’s plans have struck a pothole in the Legislature, which on Wednesday defeated the second of his six proposals.

His plan to add a 6 percent tax on rental cars was defeated in the House Transportation Committee, 11-3. The proposal would have generated $2 million annually.”

Rep. Bob Nonini made sure to point out that it was a bad idea to start taxing an industry that has seen several bumps in the road of late.  While the rental car industry isn’t exactly GM or Ford it certainly does benefit from a healthy automobile industry, so Rep. Nonini’s comments are generally on target.  Other taxes, such as a gas tax and vehicle registration fees have apparently also hit snags.  i suppose now is just not the time to be taxing your citizens.  So where will the money come from to fix these problems?  The printing press is the most likely source.  The government is going to have a hard time taxing citizens who are already strapped for cash, but with more and more people asking for a handout from Uncle Sam, the money has to come from somewhere.

For more information about how to rent a car during 2009, contact Triangle Rent a Car today!

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The US auto market is a strange place right now.  One example is the recent 2nd quarter numbers posted by AutoZone, who exceeded expectations and posted impressive numbers.  This is of course based on the need for parts driven by people holding onto older cars longer.  Another interesting thing happening in the car market is the rise of America’s Car-Mart, according to Reuters UK:

“Auto retailer and financer America’s Car-Mart Inc (CRMT.O) posted a 6 percent rise in third-quarter profit, boosted by higher selling prices and interest income, and a strong business model that continues to resist the economic downturn.

Shares of the Bentonville, Arkansas-based company rose 18 percent to $11.60, before paring gains to trade up 22 cents at $10.08 Tuesday afternoon on Nasdaq.”

America’s Car-Mart makes loans to people with questionable credit history.  The company has been running a deferred payment plan where customers make payments around the same time they get their tax returns.  This all sounds mighty sketchy and more then just a little bit troubling to me.  If you have to wait to get your tax refund before making a car payment, maybe it would be a good idea to wait on that new car.  Since so much of our economic troubles have come from people buying things they couldn’t afford on credit, all I can say is that I hope that America’s Car-Mart doesn’t turn out to be another big money loser for the American people.

For more information about how to rent a car during 2009, contact Triangle Rent a Car today!

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A bit of odd news out of the cold, cold north.  It seems that Minnesota has decided that it might be a good idea to ban smoking in cars when a child is in the vehicle.  The law is not a new idea, other states have adopted similar measures already.  According to http://www.forbes.com/ the matter will come before a vote in the future:

“The Minnesota bill comes before legislators about a year and a half after a statewide smoking ban took effect. The ban prohibits smoking in just about every workplace, including company cars carrying more than one person.”

What do you think about this legislation?  Do you live in a state that already follows such a policy?  Is this to much of an intrusion into our personal lives by the government?  I often find that I wish smoking was banned in all cars, when I am cruising down the boulevard and that little ball of flame shoots out the window of the car in front of me,  or when I am driving behind someone smoking like a chimney and I can actually smell the smoke in my car.  Those situations aggravate me a good deal, but does the government have any right to tell drivers that they can’t smoke in their own vehicles?  Certaily it could be considered to be protecting the lives of the children who otherwise would not be able to get out of the smoke, but I must admit I have mixed feelings?  Where do you stand on this issue?

For more information about how to rent a car during 2009, contact Triangle Rent a Car today!

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When you think about the future of the automotive industry the first name that comes to mind might not be Kia (of course looking at things as they stand currently you might not be thinking Ford, Gm, Chrysler, or Toyota either).  Kia, however, may be looking to change your conceptions with a new Euro concept model.  http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/ has all the latest info on a car that seems to be making some serious waves in the automotive industry:

“Currently dubbed the No. 3 Concept Car, the multipurpose vehicle features a striking glass roof canopy that extends the windshield almost all the way over the roof of the vehicle, interrupted only by a diagonal support. The Korean automaker plans to unveil the vehicle at the Geneva auto show, which opens March 3.”

The Kia really is pretty interesting to look at.  Picture a Ford Focus with an F-16 canopy and you are pretty much on target.  Not much is said about the fuel economy of the Kia, but from the looks of the vehicle you can guess that the model is most likely based around getting good gas mileage.  Will the Kia make a big splash?  Hard to say, if gas prices kick back up and people get the fever to purchase more small cars then it seems likely that this concept could easily find a niche, assuming of course that it comes in at a price that seems reasonable to consumers.

For more information about how to rent a car during 2009, contact Triangle Rent a Car today!

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