Agreement forces car rental companies to make rentals safer for consumers

April 10, 2013 (Press-News.org) Agreement forces car rental companies to make rentals safer for consumers

Article provided by Peter N. Munsing Law Office, P.C.
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Now that spring is finally here, people across Pennsylvania will be hitting the road, many of them in rental cars or rental trucks. Everyone getting behind the wheel of a rental assumes that the vehicle is safe and ready to go. Unfortunately, that hasn't always been the case. There is no formal state or federal legislation in place that requires car rental companies to park recalled vehicles or even notify customers that a recall has been issued. After the tragic death of two California women, several U.S. senators have partnered with the largest rental car companies in the country to draft an agreement that recalled vehicles will be voluntarily parked until repairs are made.

Agreement reached, legislation proposed

The agreement was with Enterprise, Hertz Corp., Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group Inc. and Avis Budget Group Inc. These four businesses represent the majority - about 93 percent - of the car rentals in America. According to a recent Los Angeles Times report, Hertz and Enterprise claimed they already had policies in place to make sure that recalled vehicles were not rented.

Legislation was also proposed by the three senators involved in the agreement to bar rental car companies from allowing customers to take out recalled vehicles. The proposed bill requires rental companies to take vehicles out of circulation as soon as problems related to a recall are identified, no later than 24 hours after the company has been notified.

The tragedy behind the bill

The legislation and agreement were influenced by two young women who died last year in a rental car crash. According to the Los Angeles Times, the sisters rented a vehicle from Enterprise that had been recalled. The safety recall centered around the vehicle's steering column, where a defective hose could leak fluids and become a fire risk.

The proposed legislation is named after the two young women and is called the Rachel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act of 2012. Their mother, who was a major advocate of the Act, hopes this will save other people from suffering a similar tragedy.

As renters, we should be able to trust that car rental companies are providing us with safe, roadworthy vehicles. The recent agreement is a positive first step toward improving safety within the car rental industry. If you or anyone you know has been hurt - or tragically lost a loved one - in a rental car crash or rental truck crash because someone was careless, consult an experienced attorney to learn more about legal options that could ensure that the people or companies responsible will have to account for the damage they have caused.