Safety Tips

Whether driving a cargo van or a passenger van, the cargo inside the van (including the driver) is precious. Safe driving procedures should be followed carefully and at all times while driving a van, including a rental van.

Whether driving a cargo van or a passenger van, the cargo inside the van (including the driver) is precious. Safe driving procedures should be followed carefully and at all times while driving a van, including a rental van.

The driver of a vehicle should be comfortable, but not too comfortable. When the driver seat is reclined too far, a driver may become too relaxed. It is important to have the driver seat in an upright position, so the driver will be more alert. When adjusting the seat of a rental van to fit the comfort of a driver, the legs of the driver should be only slightly bent. A driver should not be reaching for the gas and brake pedals, but they should be far enough away that the drivers’ legs are not scrunched up.

When renting a van, a driver must first adjust all of the vital components of the van to his or her own comfort, as the last driver most likely had a different height and line of vision. The mirrors are one of the components in a rental van that must be adjusted properly before attempting to drive. The rearview mirror should not be relied on when changing lanes in a rental van. Using the outside mirrors is more important, and when switching into a lane on your right side a driver should also ask a passenger if it is clear, to verify that another vehicle is not in their blind spot. When driving a large van, outside mirrors are the ones that will be used.

Other drivers may not be aware that the driver of a large van can only see them using their outside drivers’ side mirror, and that the rearview mirror can almost be useless when driving a rental van. If a vehicle is following too closely behind you, or tailgating, this is unsafe. However, it is your job as the driver of a van to know when a car is behind you, even if they are in your blind spot. Therefore, when driving a rental van in Los Angeles it is vitally important to pay very close attention to what other drivers are doing around you. If you were forced to slam on the brakes because of a driver in front of you, and a driver behind you did not have enough time to stop before hitting you, a van rental company in Los Angeles could still hold you liable as this could have easily been avoided by paying close attention to other drivers.

When backing up a rental van, a driver needs a “spotter”. This is a person who can communicate clearly to the driver to “stop”, “slow down”, and “keep coming” using hand gestures. The driver must be able to follow the spotters’ directions, and the spotter must know to stand in an area where the driver can easily see them.

When driving a rental cargo van, cargo should be stored low to the ground and distributed evenly to balance the weight. The weight of the cargo should not exceed the guidelines of that particular van. When driving a rental passenger van (or a rental cargo van for that matter) there should only be enough passengers as there are seatbelts. In a cargo van, there should only be a driver and a single passenger. Nobody should ride in the back if there is no passenger seating available.

In an LA rental passenger van, there are options for 12 passenger rental vans and for 15 passenger rental vans. While these are a guideline to follow, the number of passengers that can ride safely and comfortably in a passenger van may vary based on the size of the passengers. Nobody should ride on another passengers lap, and everybody should be able to buckle up with their own seatbelt. For example, if you have 12 passengers but 2 or 3 of those passengers are of larger size, you may be safer renting a 15 passenger rental van than a 12 passenger rental van.