Reputable car rental companies generally help renters purchase relevant accident insurance at the time of renting a vehicle. Besides vehicle damage insurance, some are for the safety of the driver themselves. These must be purchased, but it is recommended that renters take a look at this policy, pay attention to leaving evidence, and clarify basic information such as the insurance company, claim scope, and policy number. If you feel the premium is too low, it's best to spend your own money to buy more coverage. After all, self-driving tours, especially on unfamiliar roads, carry relatively higher risks. A single policy usually costs only dozens of yuan, but it can provide more protection, which is worth it.
There was an incident where Shenzhen backpackers rented a car to travel on the Sichuan-Tibet route and experienced a rollover accident, resulting in two backpackers missing and two severely injured. One of the survivors later posted a memoir on a forum, which was heart-wrenching. It was understood that these Shenzhen backpackers rented a car and hired a local driver in Sichuan to drive them along the Sichuan-Tibet route to Lhasa. After the incident, the travel company that rented them the car could not be contacted, and they realized that the company was just an intermediary, making it impossible to seek compensation. Nowadays, more and more backpackers rent cars for self-driving tours, and to prevent such tragedies from happening again, besides carefully selecting a car rental company, one must also be vigilant during the journey.
It is important to carefully examine personal and vehicle accident insurance. Last year, a car friend named Leo rented a car in Chengdu to drive in and out of Tibet. Although he and his companions had 10 years of driving experience and had rented cars for self-driving trips to Hainan and Hunan, they did not dare to be careless before each trip. Leo said that last year, he made contact with several car rental companies more than half a month in advance through introductions from friends in Chengdu and information found online. After inquiring about models, conditions, and prices, they selected two companies. After arriving in Chengdu, they specifically spent a day inspecting the vehicles' conditions at the car rental companies before finalizing all procedures and hitting the road. "Car rentals for self-driving should not be measured by price alone; it’s better to spend more money to choose cars and car rental companies with good conditions and guarantees," Leo advised.
During the journey, keep an eye out. When renting a car, conduct multiple inspections for assurance. An experienced driver named Old Zhang, who has driven solo from Guangzhou to Tibet, reminded car friends to inspect vehicles based on their own experiences. The inspection includes not only the exterior condition of the car but also its age, mileage, etc. Old Zhang told reporters: "Some car rental companies will inquire about the route beforehand, and if they consider it too risky, they generally require a local driver to accompany the car. If a driver must be provided, then the qualifications of the driver should also be reviewed."
According to several self-driving friends I consulted, when evaluating car rental companies, first verify the credentials of the car rental company, such as its business license, operating years, legal representative's ID, etc. It's best to choose large chain car rental companies, as they are more reliable. Additionally, don't be lazy and let the car rental company deliver the car directly to a designated location; instead, go to the office location of the car rental company for peace of mind.
Nowadays, with the increasing demand for self-driving car rentals, the car rental market is also becoming more prosperous. However, due to the lack of standardization, apart from larger-scale car rental companies, there are also many car rental companies operating under various names like clubs or car enthusiast groups. For travelers coming from afar, they usually can only make preliminary selections through online inquiries, phone consultations, and word-of-mouth recommendations from other car enthusiasts. However, the most crucial part still lies in conducting multiple inspections upon arrival at the destination.
Moreover, many self-driving enthusiasts usually travel in groups. In such cases, it's best to equip the car with walkie-talkies to transmit individual situations at any time, allowing for immediate assistance in case of an accident.
On self-driving journeys, poor road conditions, unfamiliarity with the roads, and long-distance fatigue driving can easily lead to traffic accidents. Furthermore, some car rentals require the rental of a driver as well, ostensibly for safety reasons. However, as evidenced by the incident of Shenzhen backpackers rolling into a river on the Sichuan-Tibet route, even after passing through the most dangerous sections, accidents can still occur. Post-accident police investigations revealed that excessive speed was the cause. Therefore, during self-driving trips, always remind the driver to maintain appropriate speed limits, whether it's yourself or a friend driving. If someone feels the speed is too fast, don't hesitate out of politeness; prioritize safety first.
Many people have the habit of purchasing insurance, but many believe that personal accident insurance bought on regular days is sufficient, so they don't buy travel accident insurance when traveling. In reality, some accident insurances may not necessarily cover self-driving tours. Therefore, before departure, it's best to carefully review the policy to ensure it includes provisions related to self-driving tours.
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