Rental Car Safety Features
T
he final leg of a journey can be the
trickiest to navigate for employees
on a business trip. Many travelers
want the flexibility of an on-demand ride
and the ability to save their company money
by using a service at an average lower cost
than taxis. Ridesharing is the top expense
for business travel, appearing in over 16% of
expense reports, according to Certify’s 2019
SpendSmart Report. But because of Duty
of Care obligations, many corporate travel
policies expressly forbid their employees from
using alternative suppliers, or the “sharing
economy,” for transportation while they’re
traveling on company business.
Duty of Care Concerns
Both major rideshare services screen
potential drivers, including conducting
criminal background checks, and they
also provide liability insurance. But drivers
with ridesharing services don’t have the
state licenses that are issued to taxi and
limousine drivers, and they use their own
private vehicles. There is no guarantee
that a vehicle in the “sharing economy” has
been subjected to the same maintenance or
regulation as a rental car or licensed taxi.
These issues could cause a conflict with Duty
of Care, the policies that place obligations
on employers to ensure the safety of their
employees while they’re on company
business, including travel.
Besides issues surrounding Duty of
Care, ridesharing services can also cause
headaches for travel managers who are
trying to control costs and negotiate rates.
Ridesharing services base their prices on
supply and demand, and that price rises
sharply during peak travel times. Employees
may not be aware of surge pricing until it’s
too late and there are no other options to
get where they’re going.
The other common ground transportation
choice is renting a car. National Car Rental
was the most-used rental car company,
according to the 2018 Certify survey
followed by Enterprise Rent-A-Car and
then Hertz. The newest safety features that
manufacturers are putting into their vehicles
are making their way down market to the
most commonly rented mid-size vehicles.
Even base-level rental cars have a lot of
technology built into them to protect drivers.
ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance
Systems) are now standard equipment in
many vehicles. These systems include:
» » Lane assist to keep you within your lane
» » Collision avoidance to alert you if
you’re about to hit something
» » Blind spot detection systems using sensors
» » Adaptive cruise control to regulate
your speed in traffic
» » Automatic braking to reduce the severity
of high-speed collisions
Maintenance Issues
A key differentiator between ride-share cars
and rental agency cars is maintenance. Car
rental companies are legally obligated to
shelve a car that’s under a recall until it has
been repaired. But with a ride share vehicle,
you can’t be sure whether it’s been serviced
or not. Rental car companies manage a
diverse fleet with an average age of only
8 months.
Regardless of a car’s age, there is a
maintenance schedule for parts and
service based on the manufacturer’s
recommendations. A car that’s due or
overdue for service gets set aside so it can’t
be rented. Once a car goes over 25,000
miles, it gets a brake check, a measurement
on the tread on its tires, and fluid
replacement among other safety checks.
Finding the balance between safety and
convenience can be delicate. Keep in mind
that your personal safety is your company’s
highest priority while you’re traveling.
Elevating the Art of Business Travel
23