You may make a good living driving for Uber or Lyft if you want to avoid the rigorous schedule of a full-time taxi job, primarily if you work during your city’s busiest times. Although some people find it handy to drive for a ridesharing company like Uber or Lyft, there are also certain disadvantages to keep in mind. 

There is no national data on sexual assaults against taxi drivers. Still, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration reports that drivers have a 20-fold higher risk of being killed on the job than other workers.

Risks Associated With Driving For Uber And Lyft

In 2019, Uber published a data compilation that was horrifying and startling. Uber appears to have documented about 60 fatalities resulting from crashes, nine murders, and over three thousand assaults tied to the ridesharing service. 

Unfortunately, safety mishaps and worries have already occurred to both drivers and passengers. A few incidents when drivers were screamed at, harassed, or even assaulted while driving have made headlines.

Uber And Lyft Drivers Aren’t Truly Safety Trained

You might assume that ridesharing firms would take all reasonable steps to safeguard the safety of their drivers — but as it turns out, their abilities are constrained by the nature of their businesses. 

The businesses cannot provide genuine safety training since drivers operate as independent contractors rather than employees. Uber and Lyft have battled vehemently against reclassifying drivers as employees under federal law, which uses training as a sign of employment.

Many Drivers Don’t Feel Comfortable With Strangers In Their Car

According to several Quora discussions and Reddit threads, many Uber and Lyft drivers feel their safety is at risk while driving. Some female drivers carry pepper spray in their vehicles and forbid passengers from sitting in the front seat.

With strangers in the car, you never know who you will pick up nor what the circumstances or threats will be in any given ride. You don’t know where or what neighborhood the ride request will take you, nor what the circumstances will be once you arrive to pick up or drop off. You need to find out the frame of mind or condition that any passenger will have during the rise.

Road Accident Fatalities

Since ridesharing businesses started operating in most cities, there has been an increase in fatal car accidents. Increased traffic and a loss in public transportation contribute to this increase in road traffic fatalities. Major cities like New York have set a ride-sharing limit to cut down on auto accidents.

According to a University of Chicago and Rice University study, Uber and Lyft car incidents have caused a two to three percent rise in traffic fatalities since 2011. Every year, it results in about 1,100 fatalities. In addition, an Uber US Safety Report highlighted more than 36,000 car accidents in 2018.

A significant reason for the increased risk of road accidents among Uber and Lyft drivers can be because of how distracted they are. Looking at GPS for directions, looking at the App during requests, and attending phone calls and messages while driving diverts your attention, leading to accidents. 

Violence And Abuse During Rides

Physical violence by someone walking by your parked car while you wait for a passenger or sexual assault is a possibility. While infrequent, it does happen and is the most detrimental to the victim. 

Uber and Lyft drivers work as independent contractors for gig-economy companies. This means they lack the safety measures offered to taxi drivers and other drivers, such as barriers separating them from passengers. Drivers frequently report being touched and groped by passengers, notably the roughly 19% of Uber and 30% of Lyft drivers who are female.

How Will A Personal Safety Device Help Uber and Lyft Drivers?

As an Uber or Lyft driver, it is your utmost priority to make sure that you and your ride stay comfortable during the ride. To deal with unforeseen circumstances, wearable personal safety is a must-have while at work.

Helps You Deal With Emergency Situations

In an emergency, a Bluetooth wearable personal safety gadget like the Silent Beacon panic button lets you connect with anyone immediately. Your emergency contacts can access your real-time GPS location, and you can send emails, texts, or push notifications to your emergency contacts to let them know where you are.

If you encounter scenarios like armed passengers or threatening calls, you can ping any chosen contact, including a family member, friend, or even 911.

Give emergency officials vital rider information, such as their name, where you are, the brand and model of your automobile, why you feel uneasy, and specifics of the emergency circumstance you are in. To protect yourself, try to drive toward a busy place.

Easy To Carry

Although many different safety gadgets are available, Silent beacon’s panic button is made to meet your demands best while also being portable and lightweight. With only a one-time purchase cost, you can leverage all the device features for as long as possible. On top of that, it is a budget-friendly option because there are no monthly subscription charges. 

It is small, so you can either wear it or clip it anywhere you want. While strangers are in your car, a handy safety device can save you from serious accidents.

Ensures Quick Communication

Most life-saving alert systems involve third-party communication through call centers that direct your calls to your wanted personnel. Silent Beacon allows fast, quick, and efficient communication with 24 hours availability when you need it the most. 

Conclusion

In most cases, driving for Uber and Lyft is fun, and in general conversations with the riders, you get to learn from their experiences. Make your job enjoyable, but ensure that you stay safe while with strangers in your car. 

Any verbal or physical abuse is a criminal act, and you must protect yourself from it. Always wear your silent Beacon’s Panic Button, which we have designed to help you alert your family members or call authorities for help. In emergencies, keep calm and restrict the damage as much as possible. Keep a safety weapon for self-defenses.