If you’re an Uber driver, a Lyft driver, or drive for another rideshare company, a dashcam is a must.
That’s because things like car accidents are much more likely to occur when you’re driving for rideshare services simply because of the increased amount of time you’re on the road.
But as a driver, you want a dashcam for more than just recording potential accidents.
You should also be thinking about how you can protect yourself and your passengers in the event that things don’t go as smoothly as you would hope either inside or outside your car.
So in today’s post, we’re going to discuss the reasons that every rideshare driver should be equipped with a dashcam so they can better protect themselves and their passengers, and we’ll also show you how you can get a FREE dashcam from Driver!
Let’s do it!
Reason #1: Terrible Passengers
Some passengers just don’t know how to act.
Being a little drunk or annoying is one thing, but some passengers can cross the line into physical or verbal assault, and having some mechanism to protect yourself is critical.
Fortunately, I’ve been lucky enough to avoid any physical altercations, however, I have heard stories of many drivers that have been smacked and kicked by irate or drunk passengers.
Not only will a dashcam act as a way for you to prove that the incident happened, it also deters offenders. People are much more likely to be on their best behavior when they know they’re being watched.
Reason #2: False Claims
Ever receive a bad rating that came out of nowhere? How about a piece of feedback that was just completely false?
It’s all too common for passengers to make false claims about drivers in an effort to get a free ride without understanding that they are putting that driver’s source of income at risk.
You can provide evidence that you were following all of the rules laid out by your TNC by simply sending your video into Uber if and when you get a complaint. Having a dashcam will deter this kind of behavior as well.
Reason #3: Accidents
Even the safest rideshare drivers will sometimes find themselves in an accident, and police and the general public will be all too happy to blame the rideshare driver. This means that you or your insurance company will end up footing the bill for an accident that may not have been your fault.
Use a dashcam to document how you’re driving so if you are in an accident you then won’t have to rely on a witness, you can just produce the video.
Reason #4: Thieves
This is an issue that many drivers didn’t think they needed to worry about until recently when a Brooklyn area Uber driver released a video of an Uber passenger stealing from his tip jar. If you haven’t seen the video, check out the news coverage below.
This case caught media attention because the driver had a dashcam, however, this is certainly not the only incident of a stealing passenger. Many drivers that accept cash tips from passengers will mix in a few large bills into their cash pile to make it look like some passengers have tipped them $10 – $20. These tips have been the target of stealing passengers on numerous occasions.
Just out this excerpt from a driver from uberpeople.net from 2016.
“I’ve had 4 instances in the past 12 months of passengers stealing from me. The 4th instance happened last night, with an ASU college kid (1 Of 6 passengers going from University House 323 E Veterans Way – to a house near 62nd St & E Cholla Ln, in Paradise Valley) taking a $20 bill off of the top of a set of bills — (6) $1 bills, and the $20 bill on top — I place a small rubber pad covering about a third of the bills as a slight deterrent, making it more difficult to pilfer the cash, but in this case it happened.”
Other items like coats, sweatshirts, and bags are also common targets if you have them in your car.
To protect yourself, first, do your best to keep these items far from your passengers and don’t even give them the opportunity to steal from you. Second, grab a dashcam so you can catch them red-handed.
Reason #5: Capture hilarious and unexpected moments
As rideshare drivers, we’ve all seen a few things that make us think “man, I wish I had that on camera!”
This could be footage of an accident that could help a fellow driver, or hilarious footage of road rage like this driver caught.
Either way, if you have a dashcam, you’re bound to catch something interesting on video sooner rather than later.
So Which Dashcam Should You Get
The great thing about dashcams is they don’t have to be a $150+ investment anymore. In fact, there is one company that will turn your phone into a dashcam, and it’s 100% FREE!
Driver is an app that turns your phone into a motion stabilizing and low-light enhancing dash cam that is 100% free for every trip you take and your video is stored forever in the cloud so it’s easy to access.
Not only does the app record video, but it will also keep an eye on the road to try to warn you if there’s an oncoming or stopped vehicle or a pedestrian that you may have missed. It even has augmented reality turn-by-turn navigation so you can actually see where you’re supposed to be going!
Driver takes just a few minutes to set up, so if you don’t already have a dashcam, use this link to get started with Driver today!
