7 Uber Safety Tips for Solo Female Travelers

Whether you use Uber, Didi or other ridesharing services while traveling, there are essential tips to avoiding dangerous situations. As a full-time solo female traveler and frequent Uber rider, I share my personal tips with you along with information from the latest Uber safety report that will help you make better decisions for a safer ride.

Why use ridesharing services? Modern ridesharing services have been around for close to a decade and they’re a convenient alternative to public transportation with access at your finger tips. Especially during these times of COVID-19, you are less exposed than being on a crowded bus. I, personally, enjoy and prefer public transportation when traveling internationally. It allows me to connect with locals and share in their experiences, it’s also an inexpensive way to move around. I’ve paid as little as $0.25 USD for a clean and efficient subway ride on Subte in Buenos Aires, Argentina. However, Uber is my go-to when I have luggage, pressed for time or prefer to get from point A to point B with no in between.

But along with pros to ridesharing services, there are also cons and, unfortunately, women are at a greater risk. According to CNN Business, Uber’s safety report released in 2019 revealed that 92% of rape victims were riders and 89% were women and women-identifying individuals. It was also reported that the number of sexual assaults were a percentage of total rides and that 99.9% of rides occur without incident.

Now, what does that tell us? As women, this data provides information. It doesn’t limit us nor should it instill fear. It gives us an opportunity to take the necessary precautions and understand the best ways to do so while ridesharing.

Uber Safety Tips:

1. Wait for your Uber in a Safe Place

Before you request your Uber, ensure that you’re waiting for your ride in a comfortable environment. If you’re inside, there’s no need to come outside until you’re Uber is near. Since you’re able to track your ride’s location in the application, you can wait until the last minute.

If you’re outside, ensure that you’re in a well-lit area with people nearby, especially at night.

2. Look at Your Driver’s Rating

From their rating to their ride count, looking at this information is important. Business Insider released an article reporting that Uber drivers with a rating of 4.6 or lower are at risk of getting kicked off their system. Therefore, you should consider that rating too. If you’re not comfortable with their rating and/or the amount of rides they’ve provided, cancel the ride and request another one.

Please note that there may be a fee for cancelling a ride. Uber informs you of this before finalizing the cancellation. Whatever it may be, safety should be priority.

3. Follow Your Intuition

If the car has arrived and you don’t feel comfortable getting in, don’t get in. If you’re in the car and you feel unsafe or are in an emergency situation, press the emergency button in the Uber application or call the local authorities. Please ensure that you know the emergency telephone numbers for your area.

4. Confirm Driver and Vehicle Details

Before you get in the car, take a look at the driver and make sure that they along with the vehicle details: license plate, make, model and color match the information in the Uber application.

5. Ask Driver to Say Your Name

This should also be done before getting in the car. If they have not already said it, make sure to have them confirm the passenger’s name that they’re picking up and ensure that the passenger is YOU!

For their protection, you’ll meet drivers that ask for you to say their name. If they don’t, you should ask them to confirm it.

6. Sit in the Back

When your ride arrives, sit in the back. It provides distance between you and the driver. I sit diagonally from them so that I can see them clearly.

7. Track Your Ride

Keep your Uber application open to track the ride and ensure they’re going in the right direction. I also advise simultaneously having another GPS application open following the directions to your destination. My go-to is Google Maps.

Now that you’re educated and prepared for your next Uber ride, stay safe and have fun!

Subscribe, share with family and friends and comment below. I look forward to reading about your experiences with these tips.

-Natali-

Photos sourced from Pexels