It’s all too common of a scenario. A travel rents a car at their destination fails to take out the extra insurance and manages to crash the car. It happens more often than you might think, and the consequences are incredibly expensive.
In addition to being an expensive event, crashing your vacation rental car can also be fatal. It’s in your best interest to avoid getting into an accident if you can. Here are some of the most common reasons for rental car collisions, and what you can do to prevent them.
Distracted Driving
Unfortunately, one of the biggest causes of accidents is distracted driving. When you fail to pay attention to the road, you’re not only putting yourself at risk but everyone else who is sharing the road with you.
Distracted driving isn’t limited to texting, either. You shouldn’t be doing anything other than focusing on the task of driving. That means no eating, no applying makeup, no adjusting the radio or talking to the person in the back seat. Your eyes should be on the road ahead of you and your hands on the wheel.
Speeding
Some travelers find themselves in a snazzy sports car that they were able to rent from the agency while on vacation. They get so excited that they may drive a little faster than usual.
This is a recipe for a potential car accident when driving in a destination that you’re not familiar with. All it takes is a swift turn of the wheel too quickly for disaster to strike.
Always familiarize yourself with the local speed limits so that you can avoid an accident.
Driving Under The Influence
For many people, vacation means drinking. Getting in your car after having a few drinks may seem innocent; however, it’s not only illegal but dangerous.
You should never operate your vehicle after having any amount of alcohol. Take a cab and avoid a deadly situation!
Rain
While you can’t control the weather, you can control when you drive in it. Driving in adverse weather conditions is tricky enough as it is. However, when you combine being in a new destination and an unfamiliar vehicle, it’s even riskier. If it’s raining, you should wait until it clears up.
Following Distance
There is no reason to drive too closely to the car in front of you. Regardless of their speed, you should always keep at least several car distances between the two of you.
If a car in front of you suddenly stops or turns, you should have enough time to react without risking hitting their vehicle. However, if you are tailgating them, you won’t have enough time to steer clear of their sudden maneuver.
