Car rental services are becoming quite popular among travelers and tourists and slowly taking over the transportation industry like a wave. Due to its advantage over conventional means of transportation, renting a car in Morocco has been made easier than ever before. Several car rental companies like OneClickDrive are dedicated to providing customers with Agadir airport car rental services without any hassle.
As much as renting a car provides flexibility, convenience and helps save on transportation costs, it also has its various pitfalls which you must be aware of before you proceed to rent a car in Agadir or any other vehicle of your choice.
One of the worst experiences you can have when you rent a car is to get it damaged either via accident or reckless handling. However, driving a car that is not yours and on unfamiliar roads, you cannot ignore the possibility that a car accident could happen to you.
Here is what to do if your rental car gets damaged from an accident:
- Stay calm and make sure everyone is okay: If you are involved in an accident or your rental car is damaged, don’t panic. Try to remain as calm as possible, take a deep breath if necessary. Remember that only a clear mind can act straight under pressure therefore you can’t afford to panic especially if you are the main driver. Confirm the passengers’ safety and make sure no one is injured. If you find any casualties, call 911 immediately.
- Contact the rental company: After ensuring everyone is safe, the next thing is to call the rental company. You can easily find their contact information in the rental agreement or on the rental car keychain. They will direct you in the next steps to take but be sure to narrate the incident to them in detail.
- Take notes and pictures of the incident: Make a thorough documentation of the accident, including every detail. Write notes (using the note feature on your phone), take pictures from every angle. Don’t focus only on your vehicle, also capture details of every vehicle involved in the accident. Details to keep in mind are; the year, make, and model of every car involved; the exact location of the collision including street names and lane in which the accident occurs, and how the accident happened. This will be important for insurance purposes and to ensure that you are not held responsible for someone else’s mistakes.
- Exchange contact information: It is also necessary to collect the contact information of all the parties involved as soon as you confirm the scene is safe. If there are any witnesses, exchange contact information with them too.
- Check your insurance coverage: Thoroughly scrutinize your insurance coverage to understand your responsibilities and liabilities. Know what your insurance company might cover and what the car rental company might cover. If you used a credit card that offers rental car coverage, then that may also cover for some damages in the case of an accident.
- Prepare yourself for charges: Your insurance may or may not be able to cover for all the damages incurred so you must be ready to pay for some charges. These charges may include repair costs and loss of rental income while the car is being repaired.
- Learn from experience: While an accident can happen to anyone regardless of your expertise or carefulness, you can still use this opportunity to learn from your mistake. Consider any preventive measure that you could have taken to escape the situation and keep that in mind for future purpose.
Conclusion
Accidents are one of the most terrible things that could happen to road users and it could be anyone’s fault. When interacting with other parties involved in an accident, be sure to remain calm always but avoid taking the blame for the accident (even if you believe it was your fault). Never say things like ‘Im sorry it happened’ or ‘I could have been more careful’ as these statements could mean you initiated the accident and therefore be used against you sometimes resulting in no protection from your insurance company. You can use more polite phrases like ‘are you okay’ ‘do you feel injured anywhere’. These are sufficient in showing empathy without admitting fault.
