Archive for June, 2009
Seven Tips For Staying Safe While Renting A Car
Have you ever found yourself in a bad situation while traveling or operating a rental vehicle? It’s not fun, but many bad situations can be prevented with a little preparation. Renting a car should be a fun and safe experience for you and your family, and we do everything we can to ensure the best possible rental car experience. Unexpected events do happen, so here are a few tips to help keep your rental car experience as safe and enjoyable as possible.
- Maintain A Low Profile. Do not tell strangers that you are operating a rental vehicle, and make sure your rental vehicle does not have any obvious symbols to indicate that it is a rental vehicle. Keep all of your luggage in the trunk so it does not look like you are traveling.
- Know your route before you start driving. If you are unfamiliar with the area you will be driving in, ask for directions or map out your route before you start traveling. Many E-Z Rent-A-Car locations offer GPS systems for rent to assist you with directions and planning your route. Looking down to read directions from web services such as Mapquest or Google Maps is not a good idea, because it takes your eyes off of the road. If you are traveling with a partner, ask them to read the directions to you or voice record the directions for playback while you are driving.
- Be cautious about suspicious activity. If it appears that someone is trying to intentionally bump you from behind or flag you down from the side of the road, do not pull over on the side of the road or get out of your car. If you are involved in an accident or your car fails to operate properly, try to pull over in a well-lit, heavily populated area.
- Take Valuables With You. Do not leave valuables like jewelry, cash, or expensive sunglasses in the car. If you do not want to take the valuables with you, lock them in the trunk where they are not visible to criminals. It’s also a good idea to lock up your valuables before you park the car, because criminals might be watching you once you leave the vehicle.
- Park in well-lit parking lots or garages. If you are in a big city where parking is hard to find, choose an affordable parking garge or a parking meter located on a busy street.
- Never drive while under the influence of alcohol or prescription/illicit drugs. This is obvious, but there is a fine line that many people do not know when to draw when it comes to drinking and driving. The best policy is to never drive if you drink, no matter how much or how little you had.
- Drive Safely. This is also obvious, but many people drive rental cars with the mentality that it’s not their car, so they drive a little faster and/or more reckless. Drive your rental car as if it was your own car. Speeding, running red lights, and not wearing your seat belt are leading causes of car accidents. When you are driving a rental car, know that you are representing the company that owns it, and they trust that you will operate it properly.
If you follow these tips, your rental car experience will be much more enjoyable, and the likelihood that you have a problem will be greatly reduced. Do you have any more tips to share with us? Do you have any real life experiences that you have learned from? We’d love to hear them. Write a comment below!
Tags: discount car rental, Driving Tips, rental car safety tips
New Location! St. Lucia Car Rentals
photo credit: nanpalmero
We are pleased to announce that E-Z Rent-A-Car has added an affiliate on the beautiful island of St. Lucia!
We will be offering a full range of fleet products from economy size cars to eight passenger vans. Our affiliate, Drive-A-Matic, will be set up to take your St. Lucia car rentals at the St. Lucia international airport (SLU). St. Lucia is a beautiful island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, and it is located near St. Vincent and the Grenadines islands. St. Lucia is a world-class spot to vacation with wonderful resorts and beautiful tourist attractions. Some of the key tourist attractions located on the island are the world’s only drive-in volcano, Sulphur Springs, the botanical gardens, the rain forests and Pigeon Island National Park, which is home to Fort Rodney, an old British military base.
Location and Hours of Our Affiliate:
St Lucia Airport
Rodney Bay, SL LC
(758) 452-0544
(758) 452-0630 (fax)
Open 7am – 11pm, 7 days a week!
Before you book a reservation at our St. Lucia location, please review the policies and procedures for this location. If you are ready to book, go ahead and make your car hire reservation in st. lucia today!
Tags: caribbean cheap car rental, Rental Car, St. Lucia
Join Us On Facebook and Twitter
E-Z Rent-A-Car will now be serving you on Twitter and Facebook
Do you Tweet and/or use Facebook? If so, join us on Twitter and Facebook. Social media is a fun and efficient way for us to communicate with you, our valued customers. We want to engage with you and your feedback about our company. We want to hear your suggestions about how to improve our service. Had a great experience doing business with E-Z Rent-A-Car? Let us know!
In return for your participation, we will periodically post the latest news about our company and fleet products, current discounts and rate drops, and upcoming promotions.
So, what are you waiting for? Follow us now @EZRENTACAR and become a fan of the E-Z Rent-A-Car Facebook Page.
Tags: e-z facebook page, Rental Car, social media, twitter
Advantages of Renting A Hybrid Car
photo credit: Fristle
When gas prices reached an a high last August at more than $4.00 a gallon, the hybrid car became the center of attention for Americans searching for fuel efficiency. Oil has become a scarce commodity, and the United States is now realizing that we must make every effort to conserve energy and fuel. Here at E-Z Rent-A-Car, we responded to the desire from our customers to offer green, hybrid car rentals. As of June 8th, the Orlando, Florida locations will carry a fleet of new 2010 Honda Insight hybrids. We are very excited about this new fleet of hybrids, and we believe that it will benefit our customers and the environment. Why should you rent a hybrid from E-Z Rent-A-Car? Here are a few reasons:
Save Money On Your Vacation or Business Trip.
The Honda Insight averages 40 mpg in the city and 43 mpg on the highway. You will spend less time filling up your gas tank and spend more time on your vacation or doing business. The average mid-size rental car will offer about 20 to 25 miles per gallon, so you are automatically saving money at the pump with the Honda Insight. Gas prices hit a low in December and January at $1.50 per gallon, but since March, they have risen back to between $2.50 and $2.75 per gallon. Given the price track record of oil, we can expect to see gas prices continue to rise throughout the summer.
Helping The Environment.
The Honda Insight is a hybrid, so it combines gasoline and the charge of the battery to power the vehicle. The result is less carbon emissions and better fuel efficiency. By renting a hybrid for your next vacation or business trip, you are contributing to reducing our carbon emissions on the environment. The Honda Insight has a built-in feature called “Eco Assist”, which helps you drive in a more environmentally friendly manner.
Increasing Demand For Hybrid Car Rentals.
Consumers drive our economy, and if rental car companies see an increase in the demand for hybrid rental cars, more companies will offer hybrids as a rental car option. When the demand for hybrid car rentals goes up, the price to rent them will eventually go down. Your desire to rent a hybrid car will directly affect the car rental industry and the products and prices they offer for hybrid car rentals.
Features of the 2010 Honda Insight
- Fuel Efficiency: 40 mpg in the city / 43 mpg on the highway.
- Engine Type: 4 cylinder, 1.3 liter i-VTEC
- Safety Features: Front and side airbags, ABS brake system, and traction control system.
- Econ Mode: At the touch of a button, you can control the way your Insight’s transmission and engine operate. When Econ Mode is disabled, the Insight boasts a little better performance, when activated, it runs more efficiently by sacrificing a bit of performance.
- Econ Assist: The Insight comes with built-in feedback features that assist you in driving more environmentally friendly. When the lights on the speedometer are blue, you are driving the car hard, when they are green, you are driving it for optimal fuel efficiency. The Insight even awards you with green leaves for consistent, efficient driving.
E-Z Rent-A-Car is committed to being good stewards of our planet and offering you discount car rentals with great customer service. We believe that offering you a hybrid car rental option will improve your experience as a customer with us.
Make a reservation today for a hybrid car rental in Orlando, Florida.
Tags: cheap car rental, discount car rental, environment friendly rental cars, green rental car, hybrid rental car, Orlando Discount Car Rental