Summer Uber Safety Tips
Summer is the season of fun outdoor social gatherings, family outings, and vacations to new destinations. It’s also the busiest season for rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft, especially in beachy locations, mountain states, and to and from airports and resort areas. Traffic accident fatalities peak between July through September, including accidents involving Uber vehicles. Research shows an overall increase in traffic fatalities by 3% since the rise of the rideshare industry. Traffic congestion peaks in many locations during the summer season, partly due to rideshare vehicles that not only transport passengers but often cruise the streets between passengers while awaiting bookings.
If the warm weather has you out and about and exploring new places, it’s important to minimize the chances of an accident by keeping some summer Uber safety tips in mind.
Understand the Uber App’s Safety Features
The Uber App has integrated safety features that all passengers should use in an emergency situation. Uber’s safety features include:
- Automatic GPS tracking to keep a record of your trip
- An in-app emergency assistance touch button to immediately notify authorities of your location and your request for help
- A “Follow my Ride” feature to let passengers share their ride information and progress through the trip with a friend or family member from their list of trusted contacts
It’s important for Uber passengers to familiarize themselves with the app’s built-in safety toolkit before requesting an Uber ride.
Stay Inside to Request Your Ride
Standing on a curb with your phone in hand while you look around for a vehicle matching the description of your Uber car can make you appear an easy target to those with bad intentions. Instead of standing outside to request and wait for your Uber ride, it’s best to remain indoors and close to others while you use your app to request a ride. Then, use the app’s built-in tracking features to follow the driver’s progress toward your location. Only leave your safe, indoor location to meet your driver when they’ve arrived.
Check Identities Before Getting Into an Uber Vehicle
Instead of announcing your name to the Uber driver, passengers should always ask the driver to confirm their name from their app. You can do this by asking, “Who are you here to pick up?” Then, double-check that you’re getting into the correct vehicle by checking the car’s make and model and comparing the license tag to the one listed in your app. Compare the driver’s appearance with their photo which also appears in your app. Only get inside the vehicle after confirming a match.
Take Reasonable Safety Precautions
Always choose the back seat of the Uber car, rather than the front passenger seat. Statistically, the back seat is the safest location in the event of an accident. However, some Uber passengers neglect to buckle their seatbelts because they feel overly safe in the backseat. It’s still critical to fasten your seatbelt even when you’re riding in the back seat of your Uber car.
Before you get into an Uber vehicle, remember the following:
- Protect your personal information
- Always follow your intuition—you can end your Uber ride or use the app’s safety toolkit to request help at any time during the rideshare experience
- Don’t distract the driver with conversation during your trip
- Even if you don’t use the “Follow my Ride” feature, you should always tell a loved one where you are going, notify them when you get into the vehicle, and again when you arrive safely at your destination.
It’s important to take these reasonable safety measures any time you request a ride through a rideshare app, but be especially cautious during peak travel times, including during the summer months. If your Uber driver ever gets in an accident, contact a Florida Uber accident attorney to navigate your legal options and potential right to compensation.