eli5: How do countries just allow tourists/visitors from places where they drive on the other side to just rent a car and get behind the wheel without any sort of test?

Question

I just saw a headline about an American tourist in the UK who hit a cyclist because she drove on the wrong side of the road. I’ve always wondered why it is so easy for one to just rent a car and drive in a country where the road laws are all backwards from what they’re used to. Seems like there should be some kind of test involved but it feels like most countries will just give you the keys and let you take to the streets without any worries. I’m learning to drive and the thought that I could just go to England and rent a car seems crazy to me

In: 29

Answer 1

There are four major ways to respond to a risk: accept it, avoid it, mitigate it, and share it.

A country could avoid the risk by banning all car rentals to foreigners. It solves the problem of visitors driving badly, but isn’t very popular because of the adverse effects on tourism, foreign workers, etc.

Accepting the risk and doing nothing is an option as well. If the local driving situation is safe enough, they could possibly absorb some of the risk from crazy foreigners.

Mitigating is one of the best options. Most rental car companies have a minimum age of 25; anyone younger has extremely heavy surcharges or an outright ban from renting. This ensures that people renting a car are fully grown adults with (most likely) a few years’ driving experience. A driver’s license from the country of origin (and/or an International Driving Permit) is also required, to ensure that *someone* certified your driving skills.

Sharing the risk is another solid option. Countries share risks with rental car companies – they rely on rental car companies to rent to safe drivers so the country doesn’t have to micromanage. Rental car companies share risks as well – the credit card on file to pay for damages, the mandatory insurance coverage in many countries, etc.

Overall, the system relies on the renter trying to save money and avoid stress. People who can’t drive well enough need to filter themselves out, and people who do rent need to do a bit of homework on the local rules of the road.