Is it safe to rent a car during the covid-19 pandemic?

Nov 2020

Today, many governments are advising us to keep our social distance by avoiding public transport and driving, cycling or walking instead. It makes sense. Cars in particular are a very private type of transport: a socially distant way to get where you’re going.

When it comes to hire cars, rental companies have committed to the highest standards of hygiene. They’ve brought in all kinds of measures to minimise the risk of transmission at every step – from the moment you reach the rental counter to the moment you drop the key off.

Rental companies are working hard to keep you safe

At the rental counter, they’ve brought in the kind of health and safety measures we’re now used to seeing in shops, banks, supermarkets and so on. PPE for customers and employees, social distancing reminders, protective screens at the desk, frequent cleaning with approved sanitising products, etc.

In the car, cleanliness has always been important – but today, rental companies have taken it to a whole new level. They’re disinfecting cars after every rental, especially the ‘high touchpoints’ such as seats, gearsticks, door handles and steering wheels. And they’re quarantining any car that may have come into contact with Coronavirus.

The car rental industry is also doing everything it can to help customers who need to change an upcoming booking, or who fall ill during their rental.

And as time goes on, rental companies are changing their protocols based on the latest updates from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and local governments around the world.