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 /

Miguel Bernat Castan

June 18, 2025

Destination: Orlando

9It was great

First vehicle smelled that someone had smoke on it. Requested a change and got it no questions asked. Excellent service. I even got an upgrade guess for the problem.

Roderick Crofts

June 17, 2025

Destination: Los Angeles

8Very good

Satisfied

Robert Joseph

Destination: Chicago

10Excellent

A brand-new car with only three thousand miles, hybrid car that's fuel-efficient, spacious, and comfortable to drive.

Hayden Johnson

2Poor

Very bad.

Tammy Macaulay

Destination: Salt Lake City

Overall pretty good, but they still tried to upsell insurance. Rented for 3 days to visit Yellowstone and decided to pay $10 per day for full coverage due to potential uncertainties. Got a free vehicle upgrade. Tip: When renting a car in Salt Lake City, just choose the cheapest option because the rental location usually doesn't have that specific model. They will upgrade you when you pick up the car, so don't waste money on a higher tier. The car was easy to drive and fuel-efficient.

Burnell

Destination: San Francisco

6Average

See comments on pickup and drop-off experiences.

Horace Kennedy

June 16, 2025

Destination: Charlotte

Even though I purchased the domestic additional full coverage insurance, the staff still forced me to buy insurance, including fees like airport parking.

Rupert Sophy

Very satisfied

Isidore Augustine

Destination: Rochester

Alexia Reade

Terrible experience. They demanded to check my daily itinerary and insisted that the return flight must be on the same day as car drop-off. What's their problem? My plans are none of their business. After returning the car, I can go wherever I want and do whatever I please. The staff lady had a sour face like I owed her money. Awful service and absurd company policies!

Mandy Hawthorne

Destination: New York

Miles Bell

Destination: Seattle

Easy to locate, not crowded on the day, quick pickup process.

Enoch Dodd

Destination: Boston

Foreign staff may incorrectly assign insurance to you. If you have already purchased insurance in your home country, make sure to communicate clearly with them about this. When renting cars abroad, although full coverage may have been purchased domestically, language barriers and information gaps might lead to additional insurance being upsold, resulting in poor customer experiences. It's recommended that renters directly purchase insurance at international rental offices as needed to avoid duplicate expenses and unnecessary trouble. I rented a Toyota Sienna but was given a regular business vehicle instead.

Max Adam

4Average

The counter arbitrarily added two extra insurance items and claimed it was standard charges, which felt somewhat deceptive.

Hilda Freeman

Very satisfied. All issues were resolved promptly.

Angela Perkin

There are over 20 counters, but fewer than 10 were open. The efficiency could be improved. Despite fewer than 10 counters being open, I still had to wait about 40 minutes.

Wayne Raymond

Good service attitude, no hidden charges or sales pitches, easy car pickup process.

Perry Lytton

June 15, 2025

The car was in good condition, handed over with a full tank, easy pickup and return, and the service attitude was excellent.

Malcolm Symons

Very good, will choose this company again next time.

Andrea Conrad

Destination: Lihue

Fast service and easy to locate the store.

Bob Stowe

June 14, 2025

Destination: Hawaii - Hawaii Island

Very satisfied.

Ruby Micah

Destination: Hawaii - Oahu Island (honolulu)

It's okay.

Carol Hamlet

Extremely satisfied

Cornell Warner

Overall very satisfied.

Sabina Sinclair

June 13, 2025

The staff were very nice.

Sandra Edison

Natalie Springhall

Very excellent, straightforward and convenient.

Aurora Rhodes

There are hidden charges, such as secretly adding roadside assistance fees. Make sure to carefully review the contract details when signing.

Sam Dewar

1. The vehicle was in poor condition and broke down the next day, forcing me to spend several hours replacing it; 2. I explicitly stated during the rental process that I would not pay for any extra fees, yet the company secretly added a roadside assistance fee (my fault for not carefully reviewing the contract); 3. When returning the car, I had refueled it fully, but they falsely claimed I hadn’t and deducted $170. Fortunately, the platform stepped in and helped me secure a refund. So, make sure to take photos and keep the fuel receipt when returning the car.

Emily Cowper

Destination: Las Vegas

Only had to wait for 1-2 people to pick up the car, quite fast.

Xaviera Swift

The staff recommended a toll package for $15 a day, but Chicago doesn't have many toll highways. I didn't buy it and just set the GPS to avoid toll roads. I drove for three days and visited most of the popular attractions without encountering any toll fees. Near O'Hare Airport, highways are often congested. If you didn’t purchase the full tank package, it’s better to fill up the tank elsewhere before getting on the highway; otherwise, you'll face half-hour traffic jams entering or exiting the highway. Plan your time accordingly.

Jennifer Sapir

June 12, 2025

Fair and average.

Keith Wyld(e)

Very satisfied. Just one request: no additional services needed.

Beacher Leigh

Destination: Kalamazoo

Ira Julia

June 11, 2025

Marcia McCarthy

Great

Veromca Juliet

Robin Darwin

Since the Sienna was unavailable, they upgraded us to a Honda Odyssey.

Gill Christ

Jeremy Rob

June 10, 2025

Agatha MacDonald

Destination: Reno

Omar Eipstein

Overall service was fine, but the staff was not clear about my rental agreement with Zuzuche, resulting in a duplicate insurance charge without informing me.

Leo MacPherson

Destination: San Jose

Very convenient and fast, I will rent again next time I come.

Joyce Funk

Long wait time in line.

Zora Josh

Everything was convenient, but the inability to extend the rental caused significant trouble. With prepaid orders from Zuzuche, the rental company does not allow extensions, and the car must be returned on time, which caused me quite a bit of inconvenience.

Paddy Gosse

Very satisfied, smooth car rental and return process.

Sebastian Acheson

Frederica Anne

Tabitha Webster

Not bad.

Marico Wagner

June 9, 2025

Very satisfied, convenient and quick.

United States Car Rentals