Ride Sharing: Is It Worth It?

Hello Candace,

Let me be upfront. I am not a fan of ride sharing with anything other than a taxi. I advocated against ride sharing and when they first took flight, I criticized them publicly for not doing background checks on their drivers. They do now but they could do a much better job. There have been numerous lawsuits against both Uber and Lyft over the years accusing them of allowing unsafe conditions for riders and drivers. In 2019, according to a safety report by Uber, there were 3,045 sexual assaults, 58 fatalities, and 9 fatal physical assaults were reported out of the 1.3 billion total rides completed in the prior year, 2018. Between 2017 and 2019, Lyft received 10 reports of fatal physical assaults and 1,096 reports of sexual assault. (Lyft Community Safety Report) 

Currently, law does not require that rideshare drivers submit to fingerprint background checks, and many reports claim rideshare company lobbyists essentially write many of the laws that require the current (and what I consider inadequate) background checks used. How convenient!

A ride hailing brand approached me years ago wanting us to promote the company and offering We Save Lives some amount for each ride we sent them. I refused. I know that many other highways safety groups support and advocate for them. I find that so disappointing because these groups know that distracted driving is common among ride share drivers. I don’t like to criticize my fellow advocates but I often wonder how many of them ride in cars where the driver is staring at a mobile device while driving. I know many of these groups think it is safer to use a ride share app then drive impaired. Yet in some cases you may be risking your life to go in a car with a ride share driver who does not prioritize your safety. This does not mean that you should drive impaired but if it were me, I would opt for a taxi. Yes, I know there are problems with taxis but I still feel safer in one.

Although my concern is for all passengers, I am most concerned with women who use these services on their own. I know some who do and despite my warnings they continue. 

Since my mission for the past 40 plus years has been to save lives, I am posting  some safety tips for those who refuse to give up ride sharing. 

Because we care . . .

It will soon be time to celebrate everything Irish on St. Patrick's day! Let us try to also celebrate no more crashes on this day. It isn't that difficult. Just make a commitment to drive safer, intervene when someone is going to make a reckless driving decision, speak up if you are a passenger, wear your seat belt and focus on the positive side of kind driving, we will have zero road crashes. That is worth celebrating.

Candace Lightner, President and Founder

We Save Lives.org

Thank you.