Should You Lend Your Car to Others?
3 Answers
You should not lend your car, as it involves significant legal liabilities. Here are the details: Identification of Traffic Responsibility: After lending out the vehicle, the owner still bears the consequences of any traffic accidents. Especially in cases of major injury or fatality accidents where insurance cannot cover all the losses, the owner will be held responsible. Vehicle Damage: After lending the car to someone else, if the driver has poor driving habits and causes damage to the vehicle—such as smoking or littering inside the car, or suffering damage where the third party cannot be identified—it can greatly strain the relationship between both parties.
Last time I lent my car to a relative, it turned out quite awkward. That person drove until the tank was empty without refueling, and returned the car with an extra scratch on the body. The worst part was discovering two red light violations during a traffic check, with penalty points and fines all falling on me. Legally, vehicle owners bear joint liability for accidents involving their cars. Had someone gotten injured, I would have had to cover the medical expenses. I've learned my lesson now—when asked to lend my car, I just say I need it for a long-distance vehicle inspection the next day, and I always keep the keys with me. If I really want to help, I'd rather pay for a rental car for them—it's much less hassle.
I've driven a taxi for over 20 years and seen too much trouble caused by borrowing cars. Novices driving unfamiliar vehicles easily scrape the chassis, and not knowing the location of the defog button when rearview mirrors fog up after rain is even more dangerous. Some older cars have nearly dead batteries, and borrowers turning off the engine to listen to music can drain it completely—the cost of a rescue tow could fill two tanks of gas. It's better to just help them hail a ride-hailing car with your phone; now first-ride coupons cost less than borrowing a car. Remember whose name is on the vehicle registration certificate—that's who you'll need to contact if something major happens.
