These days, all of us use rideshare apps at one point or another. There was a time when these sorts of programs seemed cutting-edge, different, and new. But now they are commonplace and even the least tech-savvy person in your life knows how to call an Uber or Lyft ride.
Most of the time, you are completely safe when you’re in the backseat of a rideshare app car. But nothing is perfect and you still stand the risk of getting into a bad situation when you’re using rideshare apps.
If an emergency occurs and you are with your family, you may not be sure how to react. And that is very troubling because you want to make sure your loved ones are safe, no matter where disaster strikes.
Therefore, you should keep a few things in mind if you use rideshares often because they will keep you and your family and friends safe.
Stay Calm
The first and most important thing you need to remember if you’re in an emergency is to stay calm. It doesn’t matter what has happened where you are or who is driving you, you will only make the situation worse if you freak out.
Cooler heads always prevail and that is definitely true when you’re in an emergency. Being calm will let you think straight, come up with solutions, and take the steps necessary to keep everyone safe. Therefore, you should do whatever you need to stay calm. Maybe it’s breathing slowly, maybe it’s speaking to others. Whatever it takes, do it.
Remember, there will be a lot you need to do such as call the authorities, file a police report, and search for a Lyft accident lawyer like the kind you’ll find at Vaughan & Vaughan for any sort of legal case. But that will all come in time. You don’t need to be five steps ahead. Instead, focus on the here and now and stay as calm as possible.
Call 911
Of course, if the emergency you experienced during a rideshare ride is serious enough, you need to drop everything and call 911 so you can get help.
If you cannot make the call on your own, ask your driver to do it. If they aren’t capable, reach out for help from people on the street. When you or someone else gets ahold of 911, make sure they are given your accurate location, and specifics of the situation, and then ensure the caller stays on the phone until police, paramedics, or firefighters arrive.
Share Your Location
Here is a good rule of thumb you should always follow when using a rideshare app, whether you’re in an emergency or not: share your location with the people you care about.
These days, it’s very easy to share your location with someone else. You do this with your phone and that ensures someone else will know where you are at all times. This will always keep you safe.
Not only will they be able to help you if you’re in an emergency, but if you feel uneasy about using a rideshare app, your friends or family members will be able to keep tabs on you and know where you are.
Follow Instructions
When you’re in someone else’s car, you should always follow their rules. And that is true even in an emergency. If you or your family are in an accident or emergency while using a rideshare app, you should trust the person driving the car and do as they tell you.
They likely have a perspective that you don’t and can probably see things you cannot. Therefore, you should listen to them and try to follow their directions, as long as it’s safe.
With that being said if you feel the driver isn’t handling the situation well or if things are unsafe, you should put your family’s health and safety into your own hands because you can’t risk anyone getting hurt.
Document Everything
Finally, it’s vital that you document everything you can related to the emergency. That means you should take photos of the accident and the scene, document all injuries, and make sure you take tabs on the state of the car.
You should also write down everything you can about your driver, including their name and other details about them. Hopefully, you won’t have to use any of this information later but if you do, you should be sure you have it.
Conclusion
More likely than not, you’ll never have to worry about being in an emergency while using a rideshare application. But there is always the chance of something going wrong and you being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Therefore, you need to be educated, plan ahead, and look out for yourself and your family, no matter how safe everything seems.
I really appreciate the reminder to stay calm and share locations while using rideshares with my family. It’s easy to overlook safety in everyday situations, so these tips are super helpful.
I know it’s commonplace, you’re right. But it’s hard to get past all of the training in my youth to not get into a vehicle with a stranger. In any case, it is important to use caution in any situation.
You know this is something I don’t think about but it’s good to be prepared! Thanks for the tips.