Rental Car Safety Tips

Not everyone has a reliable car and now as the weather warms and vacations increase, more people start renting cars. Rental cars are a convenient addition to a vacation, but before you cruise that car off the lot, be sure to follow the following tips to keep the car (and yourself) safe.

• Before reserving a rental car, check your insurance coverage with your provider. Most insurance companies include some level of rental car protection, but you can also add supplemental car rental coverage if needed.
• When you pick up the car, ask about the maintenance history for your specific vehicle. Rental car companies should be able to produce a list of recent maintenance.
• Make sure you know what to do if the rental car breaks down or if you lose the keys. Most rental car companies provide a customer service number for emergencies, but be sure to ask who the best person to contact is.
• Take pictures of the exterior and interior of the car before driving it off the lot. If there is a dispute about damage or mileage for any reason, you can easily refer to these photos to help plead your case or clear your name.
• Check to see if the car has more than 25,000 miles. It doesn?t necessarily mean that the car is unsafe to drive, but cars with higher mileage are consider ?senior? rental cars and should come with a discount.
• Do a quick inspection of the car before driving it off the lot?check the fluid levels, make sure there is a spare tire and tools to change it, and make sure the gas tank is full.
• Even if you have driven the same type of car before, take a minute to familiarize yourself with where the controls are located and to make sure everything, including headlights, windshield wipers, windows, etc., is working properly.

Taking a few minutes before booking and driving your rental car can help keep you safe and prevent serious safety and liabilities issues down the road.