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3 Important Safety Tips for Driving a Hire Car for the First Time

A Food Fun Travel Guest Post

If you are renting a car, there can be some pressure involved when it comes to driving the car itself. After all, not only do you need to avoid an accident but if you do run into some trouble while in the rental car, someone else is involved whenever the damage bill is added up.

 

So in order to avoid the mess that can make for you, instead you need to try and follow these safety tips.

  1. Inspect The Car First

You don’t want to be held liable for damage to a car that was already done before you drove it off the lot, so whenever you are looking at a hire car, make sure to thoroughly inspect the vehicle and look for both small and big problems. Take some photos of any blemishes or markings around the car, and “kick the tires”. If you can notice and document any problems that have happened to the car before you get into it, then you are keeping yourself safe.

 

This includes keeping your wallet safe from being charged for damage that was not your fault, and also making sure that you aren’t driving a car that could put you in danger. Doing a safety check inside of the car of the wipers, fuel level, lights, brakes, and turn signals can be a good idea as well.

  1. Follow The Rules Of the Road

This might seem like a no-brainer, but sometimes when we are in our own cars we get a little fast and loose with speed limits and lights; after all, it is our car, and we are comfortable inside of it. However, whenever you are in a rental car, you need to ensure that you are following the rules of the road.

 

Use your turn signals, obey speed limits, keep a distance between you and the other vehicles, and be more cautious than you normally would. While it might be fun to hit the gas and cruise down the road in your new rental car, you might want to refrain from doing that.

  1. Take Some Time To Learn The Car

If all you have ever driven are minivans and you are given a smaller or larger car as your rental, then it might take some time for you to learn what the car can do. Don’t be afraid to drive around the parking lot or in an open area to see what the capabilities of the car are before you go onto a busy highway.

What to Do if You’re Involved in a Car Accident

Of course, no matter how safe you are, an accident can happen. It might be your fault, it might be someone else’s fault, or it might have just happened. However, if you are involved in a car accident in a rental car, what to do isn’t that different from getting in an accident in your own car.

 

You still need a good car accident lawyer to smooth things out both with the defendant and the rental company, and turning to a service like the legal services of Dolman Law Group can help you out. Their team has been helping people recover from the legal side of car accidents, and they can help you.

Be Careful With Your Rental Car

Driving in a rental car shouldn’t be a challenge, but it should be something that you focus on and you should be doing what you can to keep yourself safe. Then you can return the car to the rental company without a single scratch.