Everything You Need to Know About Renting a Car During Coronavirus

Although rental car companies have faced a tough market in the last few months, this may be an ideal time to rent a car. Many New Yorkers are afraid to fly, while others are trying to avoid crowded public transportation. In general, it’s easier to drive alone or with family members than risk infection from strangers. And many families may be considering planning a family road trip this summer. But what if you don’t own your own vehicle? Are car rentals safe for either short- or long-distance travel? We did some research to find out. 

Is it safe to rent a car during the coronavirus pandemic?

As long as you’re not sharing a car with someone who may be infected, there’s not a huge risk in driving a rental, according to many experts. "Remember that most of the transmission of the coronavirus is respiratory—it's not through inanimate objects," says Thomas Russo, M.D., chief of the infectious disease division at the University at Buffalo. 

"Even if there's an area you touch that wasn't properly wiped down and might have been contaminated, as long as you don't touch your mouth, nose, and face, and have good hand hygiene in between, you should still be protected," he adds.

What precautions are car companies taking to prevent the spread of coronavirus?

“All rental car companies have instilled a protocol to protect their customers and employees from the virus,” according to Lauren Fix, an automotive expert known as The Car Coach®. “Each employee wears gloves, masks and wipes down anything they may have touched both inside and outside the car with a disinfectant.”

Brian Haggerty, auto-pro and owner of Cross Island Collision on Long Island, agrees that most major companies are taking adequate safety measures. “I deal mainly with Enterprise and they are sanitizing each car before pickup and using a hang tag to let the people know it’s been sanitized. They are wiping down all points of contact and washing the car before use.”

Alamo, National, and Enterprise, have informed their customers they are committed to COVID-19 cleaning regimens, which include vacuuming, sanitizing more than 30 high-touched areas and, if necessary, keeping a car in quarantine until germs have been eliminated. The sanitizing process includes a thorough cleaning and wiping of a car’s interior—including the dashboard, instrument panel, steering column, wheel, accessory panel, center console, cup holders, compartments, and seats, as well as the doors, door pockets, and the areas between the seats and the console and doorjambs.