Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY., is proposing a bill that calls for rental car companies to remove recalled cars the way auto dealerships do. This comes after a rental car accident in 2004 that killed two California sisters.

The American Car Rental Association wants rental car agencies to make its own safety decisions. A proposed regulation would allow rental car companies to decide whether it's safe enough to keep a recalled car on the lot.

In the meantime, the Center for Auto Safety says you can protect yourself: 1) Ask the rental agency if you're getting a vehicle under a safety recall. 2) Check for recalls on www.autosafety.org. (Enter the make/model/year of the rental vehicle and you'll see recall info.) 3) If you want to know even more, get the rental car's VIN number. Use it on the automaker's website to learn more about the car's history.