New York Car Rentals and driving in Queens

Driving in New York City is a daunting task at first, thanks to crazy cab drivers and gridlocked rush hour traffic, but don’t worry, it’s really not that bad. If you’re planning to hit the roadways of Queens in your New York car rental you can breathe a quick sign of relief – navigating traffic here is much less stressful than Midtown Manhattan! Still, it is important to understand that New Yorkers have a very different driving mentality which often comes across as rude or unsafe to unprepared visitors. When you’re driving your New York car rental through the borough of Queens it is important to keep a few vital points in mind:

New York City has fast-changing yellow lights! The warning light or yellow traffic light is only 4 seconds long in NYC, including all of the intersections in the borough of Queens. Chances of you making the amber light in your New York car rental are pretty slim, so don’t even bother trying! Every true New Yorker understands that yellow means slow down and stop, so don’t worry about angering the locals the first time you safely stop on the yellow!
Right turns are not allowed on a red light! Unless otherwise marked there are absolutely, positively no right hand turns allowed during a red light. Right hand turns are illegal and extremely dangerous thanks to the high volumes of New York City traffic, so be patient and simply wait for the light the change.
Tow Trucks are very fast at picking up Parking Violators! If you’re planning on parking your New York car rental at a meter while you run into the drugstore make sure to feed it plenty of coins. The City of New York makes thousands of dollars off of parking tickets every year off of Queens alone so be sure to watch out for that meter maid! Spending an extra quarter at the meter is way better than paying a hefty fine, so make sure to always keep some loose change in your New York car rental at all times.
- All Car Rent A Car Hint – “Standing”
  If you’re running a quick errand, like dropping of a package or mailing a letter “standing” is permitted in most no parking areas. “Standing” is when a licensed driver sits behind the wheel of an idling vehicle while you quickly run into an establishment. Although this is normally acceptable don’t be surprised if a traffic or police officer kindly asks you to move out of the way. In this instance simply have your friend drive your New York car rental around the block, coming back to the same spot. Chances are the officer is far enough away for you to resume “standing”!
Don’t do any sightseeing while driving! Queens is full of interesting attractions and monuments but please, PLEASE, do not gawk at these while driving in your New York car rental. You’re just asking to get rear-ended or honked at by impatient drivers. If you need to look for an address, window shop, or even look at a map, please pull over.
Watch for vehicles that change lanes without signaling! Although it’s the law to signal before changing lanes in New York City no one does it. Be sure to watch for tailgating vehicles as your driving down the busy streets of Queens, as chances are this impatient driver is waiting for an opportune moment to switch lanes.
Pay attention to Green Lights! Many people get in the habit of applying makeup or riffling through their purse during a stop light. If you’re planning on doing this in the boroughs of NYC you better do it FAST! Drivers will start blaring your horns if you don’t start moving the second a traffic light changes from red to green so don’t dally!
- All Car Rent A Car Hint: Wait for the Green! The green light in Queens and the other four New York City boroughs are on a one second delay. Don’t try and guess when the light is going to change by watching the cross-traffic light. This will eventually result in an accident or a ticket, so don’t bother trying it.

By following these few simple rules All Car Rent A Car is confident that you and your travel mates will have a safe and easy time accommodating to driving in Queens!