With the coronavirus pandemic halting many businesses and modes of transportation, it has become harder to get around. People who still need to attend to their duties and essentials without a vehicle need to find a way to commute safely.
With the safety of Uber, Lyft, and other ride-hailing platforms still unsure, experts suggest that renting a car is an option. One, they are a lot cheaper nowadays because many operators are waiving fees, reducing prices by as much as 57% in some countries. While it is pretty convenient and cost-effective for car users, there must still be safety precautions in place. Here are some to check out:
Check Sanitation Practices
Before committing to a car rental agency, make sure that you verify their sanitation practices. This is important because you don’t know who might have used the vehicle before you. This person can be infected with COVID-19 and has left infectious virus on the car’s surfaces, especially on high-touch areas such as the steering wheel, doors, windows, stick shift, and entertainment system. It is important to know how often the car rental agency cleans their vehicles. Knowing what products they use is important so you can verify if they are certified as effective ones to eliminate the virus.
You will also want to make sure that no one who will use the car after you did could contract the virus, in case you turn out to be a carrier of COVID-19. As we know, there are asymptomatic cases that are still infective.
Wear Masks
If you are riding with someone, even if they are your close colleagues, it would still be best to wear your masks. Like a seasoned driver, your thinking should always be about being defensive. This is especially true if you are unsure of the person’s exposure risk. For example, you are riding with a co-employee on a business trip to various cities in the U.S., Canada, or India – wherever you may be. You are all at risk of getting exposed to someone who might have the virus and riding in an enclosed space increases the risk of transmission.
Bring Sanitizers and Rubbing Alcohol
Generally, most car rental agencies have now provided these essentials as part of a “COVID-19 car rental package.” It is part of their protocol to provide their clients with an accessible disinfectant to protect themselves during their travels. As a matter of precaution, it would be wise to bring your own just to be sure. Having rubbing alcohol and sanitizer in your bag should be part of your essential travel buddies.
Clean High-Touch Areas
If you are planning to rent a car for an extended period, it is a good practice to clean the interior of the vehicle. Put particular focus on high-touch areas that would most likely transmit the virus, such as the steering wheel, dashboards, dashboard panels, and armrests – everything that your hands came into contact with.
Maintain Hand Hygiene
Whenever you are traveling using your rental car, think about hand hygiene at all times. Make sure that you use tissue paper when you need to touch your face. Sometimes, these little things can have a big impact on your protection against the virus.
Practice Defensive Driving
COVID-19 or no COVID-19, it should be part of your driving safety to always drive defensively. You can never know all the dangers on the road. Anticipating them is your best bet against it. This is a stressful time to require medical attention or hospital care. If you end up injured in an accident because of a negligent driver or you receive negligent medical care for treatment of your injuries, consult with personal injury law firms like Tario & Associates (http://www.tariolaw.com/) to help you with your concern. That said, drive safely.
Carefully Plan Your Vacation Trips
It’s essential to carefully plan your vacation by checking the current travel protocols where you’re planning to go. You can easily find this information online by typing the country’s name and ‘travel protocol’ on search engine boxes. Moreover, you can also ask the travel and tour company or check the country’s official tourism government website.
You might want to avoid booking your vacation during peak seasons when many travelers want to take selfies and tour famous tourist sites. The less crowded places you go, the better, especially if you’re abroad.
If you’re planning to have a vacation, you can take advantage of airport car rental services instead of commuting to avoid being exposed to more people. Airport car rental companies pick up clients on time and bring them safely to their hotel or desired destination. Click here to learn more about airport car rental in Sydney, Australia.
Hiring chauffeur rental services is also a good idea to avoid traffic jams. You’ll also have peace of mind because an expert driver knows the area well to ensure your safety. Furthermore, you’ll enjoy your entire vacation without worrying about the best route to get to the next destination in your itinerary.
The COVID-19 virus has already taken so many innocent lives. In a world where survival is a must, knowing these safety tips help a lot.
