AAA Members Use Child Safety Seat for Free with Hertz Car Rental Through End of 2004

ORLANDO, Fla.--May 10, 2004--AAA members can get free use of a child safety seat when they rent a car from Hertz anytime during 2004, a deal that helps keep kids safe and saves members as much as $45 on a weeklong rental.

"Keeping children safe is a top priority for AAA; helping our members save money at the same time is icing on the cake," said Bella Dinh-Zarr, PhD, AAA Director of Traffic Safety Policy. "Being on vacation doesn't mean that safety should take a break."

The deal can save families from the inconvenience of lugging bulky booster seats through airports and from the stress of trying to install their usual car seat into an unfamiliar vehicle during a busy day of travel.

"Hertz's trained child seat installers can have a properly-fitted child seat waiting for travelers when they pick-up their rental car," said Joe Kidd, Hertz Division Vice President of US Rent A Car Operations. "This saves travelers time, hassle, and stress, while helping to keep our youngest travelers safe."

Renting a child safety seat or booster seat works best for vacationing families with children who no longer need a child safety seat on an airplane, according to AAA. Safety groups generally recommend that children younger than two-years old use an FAA-approved car seat while riding in planes.

"By renting a car seat, parents of these older children avoid the hassle of removing their child safety seat from their family car, hefting it through the airport, installing the seat in the rental car, then repeating the process for the return trip," said Dinh-Zarr. "Even families that use a child safety seat on the plane will find the going easier by having a seat waiting for them at their destination."

Hertz's trained installers will put the seat in for travelers. AAA members can rent infant restraints, convertible seats for toddlers, and booster seats for older children, but need to make a reservation at least 24 hours in advance and ask for promotion #945276. They will have to show their AAA membership card when they pick up the rental car. The offer is valid through Dec. 3, 20031, 2004.

The offer supports AAA's award-winning Seated, Safe & Secure child passenger safety initiative, which aims to raise public awareness about the need to use child safety seats while closing loopholes in all states' child occupant protection laws.

For more information on child safety seats and Seated, Safe & Secure go to www.aaapublicaffairs.com, then select "For Kids' Sake."

As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides its 47 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers.

The Hertz Corporation, the world's largest general use car rental company, operates from approximately 7,200 locations in more than 150 countries.

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