Mayhem's Scratchpad

stfuconservatives:

Two young women senselessly died after a car they rented from Enterprise caught on fire and caused them to crash. The reason? The car had been recalled for a power steering fluid leak that could cause the car to catch fire.

Did you know that rental car companies aren’t required to take recalled cars in for maintenance? More than 15 million cars were recalled last year for safety issues —including mine, actually. I got a note saying some part in the engine had to be replaced, and to bring my car to the dealership and they’d do it for free. And they did! It took five minutes and my car is safer now.

According to USA Today: “Hertz and safety-advocacy group Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety have reached a historic agreement that calls for Congress to give NHTSA authority over the companies’ recall-related practices and prohibit rental companies from renting, leasing or selling recalled vehicles until they are fixed.”

Yay, no more senseless preventable deaths! But naturally, any common-sense law that would save lives is being opposed by regulation-averse corporations:

Though Hertz is one of its members, the American Car Rental Association trade group says there is no need for federal regulation.

“When we receive a recall notice from a manufacturer, we will not re-rent that vehicle until all repairs are completed,” the group says. “If a member makes an exception, it would only be when they are satisfied that the vehicle is safe to operate under the circumstances presented by the particular recall and based on information and direction provided by the manufacturer.”

So if that’s already your policy, why do you care if the government makes it a law? Oh, right, because rental car companies AREN’T doing it and now you could be (even more) liable for your customers’ deaths.

This link goes to a petition to get Enterprise to stop opposing this bill. Until this law is passed, for GOD’S SAKE don’t rent from Enterprise.

-Jess