Safety Tips If You’re Using Uber or Other Rideshare Service This Holiday Season

If you are planning to attend parties this holiday season, it is highly likely that you are going to consume a few adult beverages. Rideshare services are extremely popular and convenient to use during the holiday season when you may not have a sober, designated drive, or if you just don’t want the hassle of finding or paying for a good parking spot.

While this does seem like a good idea, it is also important to understand that these rideshare services do come with a certain degree of danger. Data released in 2016 showed that London Uber drivers alone are accused of sexually assaulting or raping riders nearly three times a month. A recent Buzzfeed investigation found that an internal data search query for “sexual assault” returned 6,160 Uber customer support tickets, with the term “rape” returning 5,827 individual tickets.

These are indeed frightening numbers. If you are planning to use Uber, Lyft or some other rideshare service this holiday season, here are a few safety tips we hope will prove useful:

• Confirm the name of the driver and the make of the vehicle. There have been many reported cases of people posing as drivers. Rideshare services should offer passengers details such as the driver’s name, their photograph and car type.
• Check the driver’s rating. You should make good use of online ratings before your car arrives. If you are not comfortable with the comments about the driver or his or her ratings, cancel your ride and call another.
• Share your trip details with family members and friends. On Uber, you can tap “share status” in the mobile app and share all the details with a friend or family member.
• Do not ride in the front seat. Passengers, particularly women, who ride up front have been on the receiving end of assaults, groping and other inappropriate behavior.
• Keep track of your route on your own maps tool. Remain vigilant for any odd route shifts.
• Whenever possible, share the ride with someone else. Try riding with a friend or use the carpool option some ridesharing services offer.
• Trust your gut. If you sense something fishy do not get in the car. If you are already on the road and encounter an emergency situation, call 911 right away.
• If you are too intoxicated, stay back at your host’s place until you are sober rather than taking a rideshare. You might increase your risk of being victimized.

If you have been assaulted by a rideshare driver or if you have been involved in a car accident in a rideshare vehicle, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact an experienced California personal injury lawyer who can help you better understand your legal rights and options.