A rental car is at the end of the day just that – a car. It carries along with it all the risks that an ordinary vehicle carries. So many car renters however, are much more careless when it comes to their rental cars as compared to their personal vehicles.
Safety first applies in every sphere of life, including in renting cars. The following tips should help you be as safe as possible while using a rental car.
Do not rent a flashy car in a dingy neighborhood
If you are going to be driving in an uptown area, where Mercedes’ and Cadillac’s are the order of the day, then no one will have any problem with you for going for a high-end car. It beats logic however to pick such a vehicle when you are going to be driving through dingy neighborhoods.
You will literally be making yourself a walking target.
When it comes to renting cars make sure you rent one where you can easily blend into the environment. You do not want to stand out like a sore thumb to criminals. Even if you are being offered awesome airport car rental deals, save the flashy cars for your Beverly Hills vacation.
Source: flickr.com via Adam on Pinterest
Inspect the car before you drive it out of the parking lot
You do not want to hit the highway in a car with faulty brakes or other such troubles. Inspect the car thoroughly so that you can be confident that it will not fail you on the road leading to serious accidents. Make sure all the parts that need to be functioning are fully functional.
While inspecting you should also familiarize yourself with the car. Learn how to control the simple things such as the automatic car locks and other safety features. If you are going to have children in the car then ensure the safety locks are working and you know how to operate them. Take some time to get used to driving the car before you go on a long trip.
The normal ‘little’ things
Experience has proved that it is the little things that make the difference between life and death, in most dangerous situations.
Simple precautions such as always buckling your seat belt while in the car, reduces the chances of fatalities in accidents by an impressive margin. Other ancient tit bits of knowledge such as not picking up hitchhikers, especially at night can save you from potential carjacking. Keep the little things in check as well as you take your safety precautions.
When renting a car in an unfamiliar neighborhood keep these three tips in mind and you’ll feel more worry-free during your travels.
