Whenever something good comes along, it seems a pattern that criminally-minded people want to turn it into something corrupt. Recently, there have been a string of crimes around the nation involving people who pose as ridesharing drivers and then assault their passengers. This raises a whole new issue of safety in ridesharing, as officials at both law enforcement and business levels scramble to find a solution.
Shouldn’t Uber and Lyft have safety features in place to prevent this sort of thing? They do, but the question arises as to whether they’re enough or whether it’s even possible to have high enough security in this field. Let’s check out the ridesharing safety features in place with Uber and Lyft and how you can avoid becoming the victim of a ridesharing assault.
Ridesharing Safety
A new public education campaign has been launched in San Francisco called “Rideshare with Care.” The aim of the program is to educate people about ridesharing safety in the wake of a string of rideshare assault cases across the nation. Whereas we once were told never to get into a car with a stranger, now we order rides with strangers up over the Internet.
When you get into a taxi cab, you’re able to tell immediately that it’s legit — the cab will be marked and the driver’s permit clearly on display. This isn’t the case with Uber and Lyft, who are tasked with background checks and monitoring their own drivers, who act as independent contractors.
Lyft and Uber Safety Issues
In fairness, the issue in question isn’t precisely Uber and Lyft safety issues, but safety risks posed by people who pretend to be rideshare drivers. A man labeled the “rideshare rapist” terrorized San Francisco over a five-year period. A woman in Las Vegas who was abducted by a fake driver threw herself out of a moving car to escape.
It’s vital to make sure that when you hail a rideshare driver, you get into the right car. When you hail a car, the vehicle’s license plate number should come up in your app. Verify the license plate. Also verify the make, color and model of car. Ask the driver’s name and check it against your app.
Public Education Efforts
The sad thing about many of these incidents is that they are preventable, but in a world where we now accept getting into a car with strange people, it’s easy to forget to take the extra care needed. Safety features are built into the Uber and Lyft apps, but these features can’t work unless you’re in an actual rideshare vehicle.
The new Rideshare with Care program seeks to educate people who take one of the over 170,000 rideshares every weekday. When things go wrong with a rideshare, they can go horribly wrong. That’s why it’s so important to be sure you get into the right car. Could Uber and Lyft do more? Perhaps. It has been suggested that requiring drivers to post permits like taxi drivers could be a good start, but for now, it’s on the riders to verify their drivers.
Uber and Lyft Accident Attorney
If you’re involved in an accident or incident involving an Uber rideshare, a rideshare assault, or rideshare safety issues, Gruber Law can help. Give us a call and tell us about your problem; we’re ready to offer a free consultation today.
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