The huge wave of sexual assault reports covered Uber. The company officials claimed over 3,000 cases that took place in 2021 alone. Of course, this number is just a small part of the total number of rides, but the statistics are still quite scary. Below is a guide that will help you to stay safe and avoid potential assaults.
1. Order a Ride to a Secure Location
When you order an Uber while standing next to the road, you can be an easy target for driver impersonators, who aim to catch you when you don’t have time to spot the wrong vehicle. That’s why we highly recommend ordering a ride from indoors or in a well-lit crowded area where CCTVs and pedestrians can easily see you getting into the car.
2. Make Sure The Vehicle is Right
Once your car has arrived, you are still exposed until you match the car model, driver’s avatar, and, most importantly, the license plate of the driver. The next step is to open the door and ask who the driver came for. If you get the right answer, the ride is most probably 100% safe.
3. Announce Where You Are Going
If you use Uber or Lyft, you are offered to share your trip status along with the driver’s information. If you feel worried, you should not only post this status but also tell the driver that you enabled tracking. If you do so, a malicious driver would not attempt to assault you under the fear of getting caught easily.
4. Pretend Someone Waits for You
Another good safety habit is to threaten the driver from doing something wrong by making a fake or a real call and saying something like “I just took a ride on a black Ford. Meet me in 15 minutes.” This will give the driver an idea that you’re less vulnerable than it’s needed for an assault.
5. Watch The Driver
When you get in the car, sit at the back and seat on the passenger side to have a clear view of the driver. You should also try to open the door once you’re inside to ensure the child lock isn’t enabled. If a driver asks you to sit in a certain place, it’s better to get out quickly and take another ride. It’s never too much security!
6. Stay Together
Share a ride with friends and family if you have such an option. If you need to stop at different locations, say out loud that your ride is being tracked. If you have to ride late, it’s probably better to stay at your friend's place until morning.
7. Don’t Ride Drunk
Even if you’re slightly intoxicated, chances are high that you don’t ensure that everything is ok and the ride is safe. Ask a sober friend to accompany you and do the same to your friends if you see that they’re too jolly to take security into account.
8. Don’t Allow Aggressive Driving
Many people don’t say a thing if a driver is riding too fast or aggressive, but they have the full right to ask to slow down. It’s a service, after all, and it’s up to you to control the driver.
9. Don’t Underestimate Your Instincts
If your guts tell you that something isn’t right, you need to ask the driver to stop at the nearest busy spot or send your location to the emergency dispatcher right from the app. You should also refuse to take water or snacks from the driver as they can be stuffed with drugs to make you more vulnerable.
10. Always Send Feedback
If the ride appears to be dangerous, you must leave a negative comment to warn other passengers. Positive reviews have the same power, by the way.
Keep Safe!
Now that you know the safety rules, you have no choice but to follow them. Even though the chances of being assaulted are quite low, you should always stay attentive when taking a ride with an unknown person. Do you know any other safety tips that can improve ride-sharing safety? It would be great if you shared them in the comments below and sent this guide to your friends and family.
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