What is an insurance excess?

The excess is the amount you'll only be liable for in case of damage (under Collision Damage Waiver) or theft (under Theft Protection) of the vehicle. Information about the excess will be clearly stated in the price inclusion when you reserve a car on QEEQ.

How can I add an additional driver?

You are advised to make a request upon your arrival at the rental counter. Additional charge per day will incur unless '1 Additional Driver Included' is stipulated on the rental. Please note that the same licence and age requirement applies to the additional driver. The additional driver is supposed to present the required licence document along with the main driver at pickup.

The United States traffic rules and self driving car rental tips

The Complete United States Driving and Rental Guide

The United States is usually more suitable for automobile compared to public transportations. Travelling by car is thus a good way to get around to see sights of the country, whether you are planning a complete road trip, or just using a leg of your trip by taking a car to visit the cities. Here is a guide we have prepared to help you familiarized yourself with driving in the USA.

Speed Limit and Traffic Signs

Driving is on the right with the steering wheel on the left-hand side of the car. Since traffic rules differ from state to state, it is better to review the regulations for each individual state in which you are planning to drive. Pedestrians have the legal right of way in all states.

Speed Limit

The speed limit varies from state to state, butis of 65 miles per hour (equals110 km p/h) in the majority of the states. Speed limit is frequently monitored by radar guns.

Traffic Signs

Many US states comply with the same road signs standard, but some of the states and large cities such as New York City have adopted an extent of localization or a supplement.

Although there is a variety of regulatory signs throughout different states, they are usually self-explanatory, with explicit wordings marked on the signs.

Stop

Yield(Give Way)

United_States_of_ America_Traffic_Sign__Yield_to_Pedestrians

Yield to Pedestrians, New York City

Passing Zone Ends

Passing Zone Begins

No Parking

No Parking; Here to corner

No Parking; Except Sundays

Among regulatory signs, there is one category which indicates ‘No Standing’, and may be unfamiliar for foreign visitors or international travellers. ‘No standing’ signs indicate that stopping temporarily to load or unload passengers is allowed, while parking is not allowed. The signs are also usually red on white, but local variations exist.

No Standing Any Time

No Standing Any Time New York State

No Standing Cars Towed Away, Baltimore

Warning signs feature yellow background colour and black pictogram, with a few exceptions.

Road Slippery When Wet

Curve With Speed Advisory

Stop Ahead

Yield Ahead

Railroad Crossing(Crossbuck)

Railroad Crossing Ahead

Information signs provide guidance and feature rectangular shape.

Toll Road Pass Only

Toll Road Pass or HOV 2+

Toll Costs at Intersections or HOV 2+

Hospital Sign

You may refer to this for the unified standard that is used by the states.

Seatbelt and Child Safety

Seatbelt Laws

All drivers and passengers are regulated by law to wear seatbelts. A fine applies if a driver or passenger is caught without a seatbelt on.

Booster Seat Laws

Even though regulations vary by state, almost all states require children to be in a child seat facing backwards in the front of a car, or facing forward in the rear. As a minimum guide, children should use a booster seat until they reach 36kg to 45kg or 145cm high.

For a specific guidance regarding child safety rules, you may click here.

Parking, Fuel and Toll

Parking

You must always park in the direction of the traffic flow on the near side of the road. Often, parking spaces are diagonally aligned and ‘head-in’, which means the front of your car must be facing the pavement (sidewalk).

· Parking Restriction

In some cities, parking restrictions are indicated by the kerb colour; for example, a red kerb indicates no parking at any time, a yellow kerb may signify a limited truck loading zone, a green kerb indicates a limited parking period, a blue kerb for disabled parking only, and a white kerb passenger loading and unloading. No parking areas, for example, at street corners, may be indicated by yellow lines. Therefore, you should always read all pavement markings carefully.

United States Red Kerb No Parking (Image from aarestriping.com)

United States Yellow Lines No Parking (Image from merchantcircle.com)

United States Yellow Kerb Loading Only (Image from timeout.com)

· Paid Parking

Parking in most cities and towns isn’t usually a problem and on-street parking is usually metered, along with permissive parking signs specified with a restricted amount of time. It’s advisable for you to estimate your parking time and reserve a bit more parking fee as a precaution to avoid the fine for overtime parking.

The signs are green and white, and local variations do occur with additional information or slightly different designs.

Parking with Time Restrictions

Parking With Time Restrictions New York City

Fuel Prices

The average price for USA gasoline and diesel during July to October 2017 is US$0.74.

Toll

It has more than 5,000 miles of toll roads in the USA. From bridge and tunnel tolls to express and high occupancy lanes, most states have some sort of toll road system.

Nowadays most tolls are collected electronically via transponders that are typically placed on the windshield of the vehicle. As many toll roads no longer accept cash. It is recommended to check the individual websites of each state's toll system to inform yourself about the payment options along with your route.

If you are hiring a vehicle from Enterprise, National or Alamo in the USA, you can review and pay the tolls online via Highway Toll Administration site; if hiring from Avis or Budget, you can check the e-toll site. For Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty and Advantage, toll charge can be checked on PlatePass.

Traffic Violation

DUI Laws

Depending on states, drivers are charged with a fine or a crime with 0.08% or 0.05% BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) limit by volume.

Traffic Fines

Extra care should be applied to abide speed limit when driving in the United States, as speeding fines can be ranging from $36 to $1000 for first-time breaker states by states. A Nation-wide average speeding ticket is US$150.

Failing to understand and follow the parking signs will potentially result in a hefty fine. This is especially the case for big cities like San Francisco, New York City and Chicago. For example, stopping, standing or parking where signs, road markings or traffic control devices do not permit you to do so will incur a fine of US$115 in New York City. In San Francisco, obstructing traffic without a permit in San Francisco will result in a fine as high as US$1000.

Failure to pay traffic infringement fines will likely result in your car rental company collecting the fee from you, with an additional administration charge. These policies are generally illustrated in the terms of the contract on which you signed at the rental desk. For any further questions concerning these matters, you are welcomed to contact QEEQ’ 24/7 customer service team for assistance.

Driving Licence and Age Requirements

To drive in the United State, the driver must have a valid driving licnece that has been held for at least 1 or 2 years(according to different car hire company). The licence must be valid at the time of rental, and remain valid throughout the rental period.

The minimum age to rent a vehicle in most locations in the U.S is 21 years (age may vary by state and car category), and the driver must have a valid driver's license held for at least one year. For certain specialty and larger-sized vehicles, the minimum age of 25 years of age applies. If you're 21-25, you are likely to have to pay a young driver fee which is about $25-per-day to $50-per-day.

Guest reviews

1 /

Cliff McCarthy

August 5, 2025

Destination: Ontario

10Excellent

The service attitude was excellent.

Susan Gissing

Destination: San Francisco

2Poor

The accident claim process is too inconvenient.

Herbert Ted

Destination: Boston

Satisfied.

Tiffany Carl

Destination: Los Angeles

Since Budget has merged with AVIS, I'll address both in my feedback. First segment of the trip: I rented a car in Dallas and returned it in Houston with Budget, booking a Ford Edge, a midsize SUV, through Zuzuche. However, the staff gave me a Honda compact car instead, which was incredibly frustrating. After communicating with the staff, I swapped for the originally booked Ford Edge, as shown in the pictures provided. So, the store actually had the Ford Edge available but didn’t give it to me right away. One key issue to note is that due to the time difference, Zuzuche’s customer service was unavailable when I tried to report the issue. Even when they responded later during business hours, it was meaningless by then. Second segment of the trip: I rented a car in Los Angeles through AVIS. Upon arrival, I waited nearly 40 minutes for vehicle coordination. In the past, if the reserved model wasn’t available, they would upgrade free of charge; now, you're lucky if they don't downgrade you. During the return, they charged me for roadside assistance insurance, miscellaneous fees, and fuel costs—around 70 dollars. Although I refueled the car completely, I unfortunately lost the receipt, and the credit card charge's posting date was after the payment date, hence unusable for filing a dispute. Imagine if all tourists went through this—they could refund the ones who successfully disputed and profit from those who didn’t keep their fuel receipts. This could amount to considerable earnings for them. In summary, think carefully before choosing these two rental car companies, as this likely stems from management-level policies.

Asa Peg

8Very good

Very satisfied.

Ann Brewster

Destination: Chicago

Very satisfied!

Ursula Landon

Destination: Seattle

Very convenient, with no hidden tricks.

Cynthia Clemens

Satisfied

Nelson Jerry

Destination: Portland

Very satisfied with the excellent service and high efficiency!

Tyrone Kelsen

August 4, 2025

Destination: Indianapolis

Very good

Leopold Chapman

Destination: Orlando

4Average

Mandatory promotion of toll service, charged at $15 per day. The pre-authorization amount is too high, $2500.

Cecilia Arnold

The waiting time for picking up the car was too long. Other than that, everything else was fine. The processes for picking up, exchanging, and returning the car were all simple and convenient.

Ellis Abbot(t)

It was a great experience.

Monroe Henley

Overall service was satisfactory, no time wasted.

Edith Henry

Destination: Las Vegas

Excellent service.

Woodrow Jenny

There was upselling during the car pickup process.

Forced insurance and fuel upselling failed, made customers wait two hours to pick up the car, and tried to mislead by suggesting a downgraded vehicle pickup.

Ruth Moore

The car pickup process was pretty fast.

Pamela Douglas(s)

Destination: Berkeley

Very efficient with great service attitude! The condition of the car was excellent!

Luther Bruno

Despite paying in full and confirming the reservation, the entire pickup process took 3.5 hours. First, there was a two-hour wait in line, then the car was not ready, and finally we received a car that was dirty and smelled terrible.

Samuel Woolley

August 3, 2025

It took over two hours of waiting in line to pick up the car. There were many service counters, but most were not assisting customers. Since we had 5 people and 5 suitcases, we specifically requested a vehicle with a large trunk. The front desk staff said the original JEEP we booked wasn't available and offered us a larger GMC instead. However, when we went downstairs to pick up the car, the attendant, who was African-American, was extremely unfriendly towards Asians. They blatantly gave the vehicle that had been assigned to us to a white family and pointed to a smaller Dodge, saying that was all they had, take it or leave it. When we asked other staff about it, we were told that this location operates on a first-come, first-served basis, and earlier arrivals get to choose first. Their attitude was horrible! It was infuriating. The service is far worse than in Europe.

Nigel Jane

The service attitude was quite good. I picked up the car around 9 pm and there was no queue. The customer service did not mention insurance, but when I proactively requested full coverage, they added it. After picking up the car in Los Angeles and driving to Irvine, I felt the car was a bit old, so I went to their branch there and exchanged it for another car that was more attractive and newer. It was very comfortable to drive. The car exchange in the San Francisco Stanford area took about 30 minutes in line. The service attitude there was also excellent. They said I could leave after handing over the keys, but I insisted on receiving a receipt on-site. They calculated the fuel cost for the exchange on the spot, and I signed the documentation. The deposit was refunded very quickly, within two to three days. Afterwards, I received toll and service fee invoices gradually.

Maria Felix

Highly satisfied

Christ Austen

Dishonest company with overcharging practices. Before returning the car, I made sure to fill the tank completely. I drove approximately 270 miles and spent over $50 on gas (hybrid vehicle). Then, I drove about 25 miles to the airport to return the car. The attendant checked the vehicle and said everything was fine. However, later I received a bill stating that I was charged for 3 gallons of gas at a cost of over $40. Driving 270 miles used just 13.3 gallons of gas, but they claimed I needed 3 gallons for a 25-mile drive to the airport. This is truly a dishonest company.

Zero Bulwer

Destination: New York

Short waiting time, and you can simply drive in for the return.

Rita Galsworthy

Very satisfied. I forgot to take photos when picking up the car, but AVIS confirmed the scratches were pre-existing when returning it.

Georgia Stuart

Destination: Hawaii - Hawaii Island

Hertz is a well-known brand with affordable prices and much better service compared to smaller companies.

Miriam Lily

This car rental experience was excellent. The service was great as well. The car was personally delivered to the terminal, and the return was conveniently arranged at the hotel. The overall experience was outstanding. I will definitely rent again next time.

Will Harper

Very satisfied, quick and timely responses to any issues.

Gerald Gray

Destination: Dallas

Very good.

Ivan Keppel

Overall very satisfied, brand new car with 300 miles, smooth pick-up and drop-off process, no upselling. Hertz is indeed trustworthy.

Emily Cowper

The pickup time was relatively long. The vehicle was very new, but the one I got seemed to be smaller than a Camry, roughly the size of a Corolla.

Ella Baldwin

August 2, 2025

Rory Walpole

The service reminders were timely.

Ansel Blume

Very satisfied, using QEEQ is very convenient.

Jeff Cronin

Destination: Reno

Simple and convenient.

Jack Yeates

Destination: Sacramento

Great service, hope the deposit is returned soon.

Colby

Destination: Cambridge

Genevieve

Excellent

Joanne Spencer

Destination: San Jose

6Average

Not a California local license plate.

Page Rhys

Destination: Minneapolis

I rented a mid-size or large car, but they gave me a compact car. Speechless.

Trista Cromwell

August 1, 2025

Destination: Newark

Very satisfied, convenient and quick, no time wasted.

Evangeline Den(n)is

Very nice

Tiffany Emma

During our car rental experience at San Francisco Airport, we encountered a male staff member with a very poor attitude. The vehicle provided was smaller than expected. We needed to add two additional drivers—one of whom had already been prepaid, and we only needed to pay for the other on-site. However, the staff insisted on charging fees for two additional drivers. Furthermore, he refused to communicate with us over the phone or involve the customer service of the rental platform. After an hour of back-and-forth, the bill was finally corrected.

Isabel Jim

The service of AVIS entirely depends on the staff at the specific location. The service at the New York City downtown location is quite good, but the Boston downtown location is much worse. When the reserved car model is unavailable, they claim to contact an emergency service specialist, but in reality, no one reaches out. The reserved minivan model is often not available in most cases, even if you prepaid the full amount and showed up at the designated time. The front desk will reject you with reasons such as 'the car is under a safety recall,' and then they'll offer you an SUV. However, an SUV cannot compare in terms of passenger comfort and luggage capacity.

Vivien Pritt

Audrey Turner

Highly visible signage.

Barret Sander

Destination: Harrisburg

Phyllis Morgan

Very satisfied

Lionel Johnson

Destination: Bellevue

The process was very simple, with hardly any issues. You just fill out the information, sign, and you're done. The staff were quite nice as well.

United States Car Rentals