Last update:
12-Dec-99

©1996-2003
Mike Todd

Driving your rental car

Please note that the information quoted is as a general guide only!

American cars are generally comfortable, automatic and easy to drive. In most cases you'll also get air-conditioning as standard, and on many slightly bigger models you'll have a cruise control. For British drivers used to manual gears (Americans call them stick shift cars), with poor ventilation and no cruise control, renting in America is the height of luxury. But the ease with which they can be driven hides a few dangers that cause a number of accidents every year.

If you've never driven in America before, it is often advisable to try to have a night's sleep before picking up the car. When your tired after a long flight, and then having been through the hassle of paying all those extras, it may not be wise to get behind the wheel of an unfamiliar vehicle on unfamiliar roads, possibly driving on the right for the first time.

Once you pick up the car, check through the controls including the air-conditioning. But forget about the cruise control until you've driven the car for a while.