With a noticeable increase in sexual assaults across platforms such as Uber, Bolt, and Lyft, find out how you can safely navigate the waters of ride-share trips.
Women have always needed to be vigilant and wary when traveling anywhere in South Africa. Uber, Lyft, and other ride-sharing services are often notorious in the news, with staggering figures of sexual assault and other violent incidents.
The Daily Maverick reported that “the company released its second safety report that showed it received 3,824 reports of the five most severe categories of sexual assault in 2019 and 2020,” and is currently being sued by more than 500 women across the United States.
We’ve helped cultivate the best advice from all the Pros, providing a few essential tips for navigating Uber safely.
7 ways to make your Uber ride safer
1. Check Your Ride
With every trip you take with Uber, ensure you’re getting into the right vehicle by doing the following:
Check the driver matches the photo in your app
Make sure the license plate matches
Check the car model and make are correct
Never enter a car that doesn’t match up all the details in your app.
2. Have the driver confirm your name
After checking the driver’s details, it’s recommended for additional safety to have the driver confirm your name before starting your trip and entering the vehicle. It can be a quick exchange, as Uber drivers are aware of the Uber Safety protocols.
An example of such an exchange would be: “Who are you here to pick up?” The driver may also ask you to confirm their name for their peace of mind.
3. Request your ride inside
When ordering any ride through Uber and other lift-sharing apps, wait inside if you can until your driver has arrived. Minimising any time standing outside with your phone will drastically reduce any chance of an incident occurring while you wait.
4. Be a back-seat rider
It’s always best to sit in the back seat - and most Uber drivers have a policy now where no passengers can sit up-front. It gives you and the driver a little personal space and feels less risky.
5. Share your trip details with loved ones
Within the Uber app, use the “Share trip status” to send your driver’s name, photo, licence plate, and location to a friend or family member. It will come through as a text or push notification and track your trip and ETA.
You can also share a screenshot of the driver's details and send the image to a family member or loved one before your trip.
6. Protect your personal information
When you use the call and message function through the Uber app, your phone number is anonymous and your pickup and drop off addresses in the driver's trip history are masked and deleted. Keep all communications with your driver within the Uber app.
7. Follow your intuition
Most importantly, trust your intuition. Never feel foolish about declining a ride based on your gut feeling.
If you ever feel that you are in an urgent situation while riding with Uber, you can use the Emergency Button within the app, which will provide your real-time location and trip details when calling for assistance. And remember, if you feel unsafe, you can end the ride at any time.
The vetting procedure for all drivers is thorough according to Uber policy, with checks for Possession of a valid Professional Driver’s Permit (PrDP) and a clear background check using the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), among other checks.
With the rise in crime and reports of assault against women increasing, you can never be too safe. Keep an eye on our News and Blog to keep updated with the latest insights and tips in the industry and on safety-related topics.
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