Despite Uber’s claims that it was one of the safest available travel options, the ride-hailing company received a report of sexual misconduct or sexual assault once every eight minutes or so between 2017 and 2022, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.
Many riders, both in the article and in the comments section, said they had followed safety tips like those previously shared by The Times, such as making sure the license plate matched what appeared on the app. Even though these tips remain valid, many riders still found themselves in uncomfortable or unsafe situations, leading to questions about what safety practices they should adopt.
“A lot of the old rules still apply,” said Bryant Greening, a lawyer who works with accident and assault victims and is a co-founder of the Chicago-based law firm Legalrideshare.com. But, he added, many ride-hailing apps have added more safety features that can help mitigate your personal risk.
Here are additional things to know about staying safe when using app-based ride services.
Share your trip
Most ride-hailing apps now offer a feature to share your trip with someone outside the car, Mr. Greening said. On the Uber app, this is called “Share My Trip,” and it allows riders to select up to five people from their contact lists with whom to share their trip details as well as their real-time location.
“If you’re in a car with somebody who’s giving you any sort of bad vibe, and you make a casual comment saying, ‘My wife is following the trip on the app,’ that’s going to provide some level of deterrence, some level of accountability,” Mr. Greening said.
According to a blog post by another personal injury law firm, Sokolove Law, it can also be a good idea to send a screenshot of your trip details to friends or family. That way, if a driver cancels your ride and the trip information disappears from the app, there is still a record.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The post Hailing a Ride on Uber or Lyft? Here’s What to Know to Stay Safe. appeared first on New York Times.
