Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
safety statistics. A visit to its website (
www.asirt.org/index.htm
) is highly rec-
ommended.
VEHICLE PREPARATION AND SELECTION
When driving abroad, the absolute first step to take is to make sure that
whatever car you drive is reliable. Most parts of the world do not have AAA
(Automobile Association of America) or roadside assistance. Your vehicle
must run well and reliably. Maintenance is an absolute necessity and
becomes far more important than it is in the United States. You must be
sure that oil is changed, belts are changed periodically before they exhibit
excessive wear, and that your car undergoes frequent engine inspections.
If you are renting a car, select one with low mileage and from a reputable
company. Rent a make and model common to the country. Avoid choos-
ing a vehicle that would clearly mark you as being affluent or a tourist,
but do select one with the best crash rating available. Since, as we've said,
more Americans abroad are killed in traffic accidents than are the victims
of terrorism or street crime, you need to make sure they are equipped with
seat belts and air bags as well.
Is there anything about the rental car that will identify it as such to an
interested observer? In the past it was common in the United States to
issue license plates that clearly identified the cars as being rentals. (The
situation is less common today.) Are there markings of that sort on the
vehicle you are renting? Recall our earlier discussion about the way preda-
tory criminals in the United States looked for the license plates that indi-
cated that the vehicle was a rental. This is equally true, and perhaps even
more so, abroad. As we have repeatedly noted, to a criminal in a devel-
oping country, an American tourist or resident is far more likely to have
something worth taking than a local citizen. In many countries, most
locals cannot afford to rent a car; affluent tourists and foreigners are the
predominant car renters.
In certain parts of the world, cars that are available for rental lack
many desirable options. From a security standpoint, it is a good idea to
have power locks and windows, because they afford greater control over
access to the car. Not all cars have this feature; try to rent one that does.
Drive with the doors locked and, whenever possible, with the windows
closed. Make sure the climate control system works. If you are in a country
in Southeast Asia with no air conditioning, you will be miserable. You will
