Requires, upon request of the customer, that rental vehicles be equipped with a full sized spare tire.

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S2045-2011 Actions

• Jan 18, 2011: REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION

S2045-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S2045

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the general business law, in relation to spare tires for
rental vehicles

SUMMARY:
This bill amends � 398-bb of the
general business law to require car rental companies to make available
full-sized spare tires.  Upon request, the car rental company must equip
a rental vehicle with a full-sized spare tire.

JUSTIFICATION:
Currently, car rental companies are required to equip each rental
vehicle with a small "space saver" tire which, if needed, can be
inflated to fit the vehicle. "Space saver" tires are designed to
function for 30-40 miles on the open road, at a rate of approximately
45 m.p.h. Once beyond these prescribed limitations, it may become
hazardous to operate the vehicle. This is neither convenient nor
practical in many instances. Often vehicles are rented for use on
long-distance trips. In such a case, the vehicle may be driven on
remote roads with few or no service stations readily accessible or,
late at night when service stations are not open for business. If a
person renting a vehicle is forced to use his "space saver" tire
under either of the above conditions, it is very possible that the
individual will be stranded and left to the mercy of a sympathetic
passerby. This would result in lost travel time as well as a
potentially dangerous situation. This bill would require rental
companies to make available full-sized spare tires. In so doing, the
renter has the option of requesting a full-sized spare tire. This
would not impose an unduly harsh burden on rental companies given
that they are only required to make available full-sized spa
res and must only equip such vehicle with said tire, upon request.

FISCAL IMPLICATION:
Minimal cost to rental companies.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become a law.

S2045-2011 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                    2045

                         2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                              January 18, 2011
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sen.  KRUGER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
    printed to be committed to the Committee on Consumer Protection

  AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to spare tires for
    rental vehicles

    THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section 1. The general business law is amended by adding a new section
  398-bb to read as follows:

    S 398-BB.  SPARE TIRE IN RENTAL CAR REQUIRED.  A CAR OR VEHICLE RENTAL
  AGENCY  MUST  MAKE  AVAILABLE  FULL-SIZED  SPARE  TIRES  AND  MUST, UPON
  REQUEST, EQUIP A RENTAL CAR OR VEHICLE WITH A FULL-SIZED SPARE TIRE.
    S 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
  have become a law.







   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD07436-01-1