Ride Sharing Safety

Ridesharing Safety

Over the past few years, the use of applications such as Uber and Lyft has skyrocketed. This method of ordering a taxi has many benefits, such as: calling for a ride at any time from your phone; tracking the location of your car; and splitting the fare between friends. However, using apps such as Uber and Lyft has presented users with its fair share of dangers. Although not often, incidents involving assaults, lewdness, and battery, have been popping up across the country.

Here are some tips in order to protect yourself before you get into a rideshare vehicle. Make sure to check your driver’s rating. Drivers make hundreds of trips per week, with many people rating their driver after their trip, so these ratings are a good barometer to judge them. If your driver is unsafe or has made multiple people feel unwelcome, this is likely to show in their rating. You should also sit in the backseat as opposed to the front, as those who sit in the front passenger seat are more likely to be victims of assault. Do not forget to make sure you have an idea of the route to your destination to ensure your driver is transporting you to the correct location, and not an alternate place. Before getting into the vehicle, check to make sure the license place matches that of the one stated on the app. No matter what the driver says, if the license plate does not align with the one provided from either Uber or Lyft, do not get in the car and immediately call 911. If you feel unsafe or uncomfortable during any part of your ride, please be sure to ask the driver to pull over to drop you off or immediately dial 911 to call the police, if necessary.

If you or a friend in the New York Metropolitan Area has had a legal issue with a ridesharing service, contact Calano & Culhane for legal assistance.