What Should You Know About Renting A Limousine For Your Teen's Prom?
Posted on: 25 January 2016
While the advent of spring can be significant in a number of ways, from the promise of warmer weather to the start of baseball season, for the parents of high school students, spring often means only one thing -- prom. If your teenager is planning to attend prom this year, you may be concerned about transportation, particularly if the prom is planned for an off-site location on a weekend evening. Limousine rental can not only help improve your teen's prom experience, but ensure safe passage to and from the venue. Read on to learn more about some of the prom transportation options available for your teenager's special night, as well as some factors you may want to consider when renting a limousine or other form of transport on your teen's behalf.
What are the safest prom transportation options?
Even if you trust that your teen isn't planning on drinking during (or after) prom, arranging transportation that doesn't involve a teen driver can often be a prudent decision. Between the excitement of prom festivities and the number of other potentially impaired drivers on the road, allowing your child to drive his or her own vehicle could be risky. In fact, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety estimates that nearly one third of all fatal auto accidents involving drunk drivers occur on the weekend, with the highest concentration of impaired drivers found on the roads between midnight to 3:00 a.m. on Saturdays -- exactly the time your teen may be navigating himself or herself home.
One classic mode of prom transportation is the limousine. By renting a limo for several hours -- or even overnight -- you'll be able to ensure that your teen has access to safe transportation. Prom goers can also enjoy the ambiance of a limousine, allowing them to engage in private conversation without a nosy parent or sibling driver within earshot.
If your teen isn't interested in bringing along a bevy of friends, you may opt for the rental of a smaller (but still elegant) town car. These vehicles are less expensive and more fuel-efficient than a limousine, but will still help give your teen and his or her date the "prom experience." Many limousine rental companies also offer town car services, or you can opt to rent a town car through a local taxi company.
Renting a limo or town car can also help you keep tabs on your teen in an unobtrusive way. Because many limo rental companies will require a responsible adult to execute the rental contract, you'll be able to exert some control over the limo driver's actions. If you're concerned that your teen may skip out of prom early to head to a rowdier party, you can provide the limo driver with instructions on permitted (and prohibited) locations. You may even be able to permit or restrict certain passengers.
One option you may want to cross off the list due to safety concerns is transportation by horse and carriage. While this can be a romantic and unique way for your teen to travel, it won't offer many safety advantages over your teen driving him- or herself, and working around feeding and sleeping schedules can make it difficult to rent a horse and carriage for more than a few hours.
What factors should you consider when arranging transportation for your teen's prom?
In addition to the cost and safety concerns you'll want to keep in mind, you may also want to consider your teen's likely timeline. When pricing limo or town car rental, you'll need to ask about additional fees per drop-off or pick-up -- as the price to individually pick up and drop off half a dozen friends or more could add up quickly if these fees are assessed.
You'll also want to inquire about mileage restrictions. If the prom or after-party is held at a fairly remote location, this could increase your out-of-pocket cost significantly. Getting these issues ironed out before signing a rental contract should ensure both you and your teen are satisfied with the service you receive.
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