Rental Cars
Secondhand smoke toxins and residue can stay in the tapestry of a vehicle anywhere from a couple hours to a couple of months after initial exposure. When renting a car, be sure to request a 100% smokefree vehicle to minimize exposure to secondhand smoke.
Most car rental companies offer the option of a smoking or nonsmoking vehicle, however, this does not prevent smokers from breaking the rules.
In September 2009, Avis and Budget announced that their fleets in the United States and Canada would be 100 percent smokefree.
Alamo and Enterprise do not permit smoking in any of their vehicles.
Hertz and National offer non-smoking cars upon request.
| Smokefree News |
| Avis and Budget to Offer 100 Percent Smoke-Free Fleet Avis Budget Group, Inc. today announced that beginning next month Avis Rent A Car and Budget Rent A Car vehicles in the United States and Canada will be smoke-free under a new policy that prohibits smoking in its rental vehicles effective October 1. "Tobacco smoke leaves a residue on fabrics, fibers and surfaces of vehicles, which emits odors that many people find unpleasant," said Larry De Shon, executive vice president of operations for Avis Budget Group. "In fact, we receive more customer requests for smoke-free vehicles than any other 'special request.' This new policy is designed to ensure that we are enhancing the comfort of our customers, which is a top priority at Avis and Budget." To ensure compliance with the new smoke-free policy, Avis and Budget have established new inspection processes and will assess customers a cleaning fee if the vehicle is returned with tobacco odor or residue. In addition, the Company has instituted a smoke-free policy for all employees and contractors who drive its vehicles. "When a vehicle must be cleaned of tobacco smoke odor and residue, the process takes considerably longer and requires the vehicle to be removed from the rental fleet until it is odor-free," said Mr. De Shon. "With this new policy, we encourage customers to refrain from smoking in or near the vehicle at all times." ... |