GPS Tracking to Fight Rental Car Abuse
29 Aug 2012If you’re a rental car agency owner or manager, handing over the keys to one of your vehicles, especially a high-priced exotic vehicle — to a customer can evoke feelings of uneasiness. Will the customer treat the rental vehicle with tender loving care or will the customer liken the rental car to a Go-Kart or Off-Road Vehicle? While you hope the former is the case, the latter occurring is certainly not out of the question. Just Google rental car abuse and YouTube videos for a boatload of evidence. Well, there is a solution, and its called GPS tracking.
Common rental car abuse includes the following:
- Speeding
- Bad breaking behavior
- Excessive engine revving
- Bad driving behavior
- Moving violations
- Excessive swerving
- Driving in unauthorized or off-road area
This type of driving increases wear and tear on vehicles, a concept many customers don’t deem importance as they are not responsible for repairs. Rental car abuse can cause grief for the rental car agency. Brakes may need replaced more often, tires may need changed and the transmission may need to be repaired more than once. Not to mention the impact it can have on insurance.
Rental car abuse isn’t a new concept; video sharing sites like YouTube have been showing off the abuse renters do to these vehicles for years. However, what is new is the way rental car agencies are dealing with the problem. In the past, GPS has been used for navigation, but for rental companies, they mean so much more.
Today, rental car companies can worry a little less about rental car abuse now that advanced tracking technology allows for monitoring driver behavior. GPS Tracking is being used in increasing numbers by rental car agencies across the country to thwart offenders of rental car abuse. With GPS tracking technology, rental car customers can be penalized for excessive and poor driving habits of rental cars.
Thanks to GPS technology, rental car agencies now have the ability to track and monitor their rental cars. Installed in rental cars, GPS tracker devices provide for real-time rental car fleet tracking. Reports are then sent to the car rental agency with accurate statistics, such as the speed of the car, the routes it took, and emergency alerts such as signs of a vehicle accident.
Rental car companies aren’t the only ones who will benefit from GPS tracking in rental cars; customers get their own share of perks. Excellent driving is rewarded with discounts on rental rates and insurance, while poor driving will result in the opposite. Currently, driving a rental car that is being tracked with GPS is for the most part optional for customers. Those who are interested in receiving a potential discount, can be given the option to drive a tracked vehicle if the agency participates.
The benefits of GPS devices go beyond reducing rental car abuse; they are also used to provide emergency roadside assistance. If a customer gets into a vehicle accident, the GPS will send an alert to the rental car company and emergency response team. Stolen rental car vehicles are also found more quickly if they have a GPS tracking device installed.
Advanced GPS tracking technology now keeps customers accountable for their driving habits while renting vehicles, while rental car agencies benefit from reduced maintenance as a result of rental car abuse. It’s a win-win for both.
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