Introduction
Ridesharing is a transportation service that allows people to drive passengers around in their own cars. Drivers usually join rideshare companies through a mobile phone app. Passengers can request a ride through the apps and connect with local drivers.
Ridesharing isn’t like driving your own car. You have people coming and going on your personal space, you’re responsible for keeping track of customers and their belongings, and you need to maintain an air of professionalism above all else.
Many news stories about ridesharing drivers getting robbed while on the job. These crimes are both tragic and frightening for the drivers involved, but there are steps you can take to ensure that your ridesharing career is not short-lived.
Confirm the passenger’s identity.
Before driving a passenger:
- Confirm that the person who requested the ride is actually the person in your vehicle.
- Ask for the passenger’s name and make sure it matches what is listed on their ridesharing app profile.
- If it does not check, ask them to confirm their name before you begin driving. You can also ask your passenger to verify their destination before starting the trip.
You should always be cautious when picking up new passengers. Precautions can be taken to ensure that the person getting into one’s car is the actual person, and is someone with whom you feel safe.
If you don’t feel comfortable with a passenger for any reason, you have the right to decline their trip request. It’s essential that you feel safe while driving.
Trust your instincts, and don’t take any unnecessary risks.
Whenever you are driving, make sure you always know what is going on around your car. Do not take unnecessary risks, and make sure to have a trusted companion with you. If you feel uncomfortable in any situation, find a safe place to pull over and let your passenger out of the car.
The average driver will encounter many different types of people in a day, some of which are not who they seem to be. Unfortunately, there have been cases where drivers were robbed by fake riders and attacked by intoxicated riders.
Drivers need to take precautions when dealing with customers to safely return to their families at the end of the day.
Don’t take risks for the sake of a tip. If you feel uncomfortable or unsafe at any time, end the ride immediately and call 911 if necessary. Trust your instincts, and don’t take any unnecessary risks.
Keep your doors locked until after you have matched a passenger.
This is one of the most important and simple tips you can follow. Keep your doors locked once you have opened the app and wait to accept a ride request. Even if it is hot out and all of the windows are down, keep your doors locked.
This protects both you and any passengers who may be in the car before you’ve matched with the passenger on an ridesharing app. You can never be sure who may be walking by your vehicle, so keeping it locked is just a good idea in general.
This tip will also prevent people from jumping into your car as soon as they see it pull up, thinking that it’s their ride without checking the license plate number or driver’s name first.
Choose to drive in well-lit areas with lots of other people around.
The increase in the popularity of ridesharing services has resulted in a surge of new jobs for those looking to make extra cash.
But the fact that the job entails driving strangers around can be a cause for concern for some. If you work as a rideshare driver, you want to make sure you get home safely every night.
To stay safe as a ridesharing driver, choose to drive in well-lit areas with lots of other people around. You also want to make sure you know where your next passenger is coming from so that you can avoid driving through unfamiliar neighbourhoods.
Use common sense when it comes to personal safety. If a situation makes you uncomfortable, end the trip and contact support in-app as soon as possible.
Choose to drive in well-lit areas with many other people around, like large public parks and busy shopping centres.
Take note of the type of vehicles that come through your neighbourhood. Avoid driving late at night if you see an unusually high number of unknown or sketchy cars in your area.
Remind yourself that being alert and aware is one of the most important things you can do when driving for a ridesharing company.
Always be sure to tell a friend or family member where you’re going before driving alone, incredibly late at night.
Conclusion
When driving in their employment as a ridesharing driver, it is vital that drivers remember to keep their own safety as the top priority. Everyone can take steps to ensure their own safety at every step along the way.
For example, if you’re driving for a ridesharing company, follow their rules to the T. If they say no pickup in an area, don’t do it!
Likewise, if they ask you to confirm pickups on the app before approaching each passenger, make sure you do this — and don’t forget to cancel the ride if something seems suspicious.
Stay aware of your surroundings, always take the first available fare within your activation zone, and be mindful of not driving sleepy or too tired after a long shift.
While ridesharing can be a great part-time job, it is up to you as the driver to maintain safety practices and hold yourself accountable for your actions to protect yourself from any potential liability.
These tips are simple to follow, and they can help ensure the safety of both drivers and passengers. It’s important to remember that ridesharing involves meeting new people, so it’s always a good idea to set some basic guidelines if you want to avoid potentially dangerous situations.
While these tips won’t prevent accidents (and there is no such thing as 100% safety), they can provide basic guidelines for drivers and passengers alike to mitigate risk during ridesharing.