Rideshare and delivery drivers are in an equal amount of peril when it comes to being in unsafe situations while working and driving. It was while we were putting together a recent post about “How to stay safe as a female driver” that we started to ask that very same question about all drivers.
In this post, we’ll look at a controversial question: Just how can drivers defend themselves, and how do company policies pertaining to weapons affect their safety? Then we’ll go through some actions drivers can take to stay safe and avoid being attacked.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- How safe is driving for rideshare and delivery?
- Self-defense: Should drivers carry weapons?
- Safety suggestions for drivers
- Rideshare concerns
- Delivery concerns
- Keep your gig driving business running safely and smoothly
How safe is driving for rideshare and delivery?
Although most of the time drivers have no problems with passengers or the people they encounter in the course of making deliveries, there are far too many headlines such as “Uber/Lyft driver attacked” in the delivery and rideshare news. To be fair, there are also many stories about people who’ve been assaulted by their drivers, and they make the news far more readily than attacks on drivers do. That’s why we want to focus on what can happen to drivers.
Here are a few concerns drivers might have:
- Sexual assault can go both ways, and it can definitely take the form of a passenger attacking a driver or delivery person.
- Carjackings are alarmingly common, and extremely dangerous.
- Random shootings can take place if, say, a driver witnesses a crime or wanders into the wrong spot at the worst possible time.
- An unstable or irate passenger could decide to attack the driver, without a weapon, or even worse, with one.
- Delivery drivers walking from the car to the restaurant or the delivery destination are easy targets for muggers or other attackers.
- Making their way onto people’s property to hand over an order, delivery drivers can walk into dangerous situations, from a domestic violence nightmare scene to a drug deal about to go bad.
- Rideshare drivers can pick up a passenger who’s aggravated a criminal just enough to provoke that person to start shooting up your car.
Fortunately, these kinds of incidents are not very common. The most recent industry-related comprehensive safety report was published by Uber in 2019, and it compiled information about incidents that occurred during 2017 and 2018. Of all the incidents reported, only 0.0003 percent of them involved a “critical safety incident,” which is defined as sexual assault, fatal crashes, and fatal physical assaults.
Maybe you’re not really taking your life into your hands when you drive for rideshare or delivery companies, but what about those headlines we’ve been seeing, especially lately? “Uber driver assaulted by passenger” or “Lyft carjacking”? They bring up pictures in our minds that make us think twice before getting behind the wheel and firing up the app.
You probably have at least one friend who’s asked you if you’re scared to drive with strangers in your car, or nervous about walking city streets late at night, delivering hefty sandwiches and hot calzones. Drivers naturally assume many risks, often operating on the faith that bad things won’t happen. But, just in case something does happen, what options do you have to defend yourself?
Self-defense: Should drivers carry weapons?
Before we even get started discussing weapons, you should be aware of something crucial to your safety, and possibly, to your survival. The use of any weapon requires training, practice, and discernment. You can’t wave a weapon at someone, ostensibly to scare them off but actually making it possible to have it snatched out of your hand and used on you.
That could be one of the reasons both Uber and Lyft have strict “no weapons” policies. Lyft’s policy extends beyond firearms. Specifically, it states:
“At a minimum, a ‘weapon’ includes any form of firearm. There are many items that could be considered weapons besides firearms, such as handguns, stun guns, explosives, knives, slingshots and tasers. Lyft reserves sole judgment on what else may constitute a ‘weapon.’”
Uber’s policy is less comprehensive, and addresses firearms only:
“Uber prohibits riders and their guests, as well as driver and delivery partners, from carrying firearms of any kind while using the app, to the extent permitted by applicable law.”
The only exception is when a firearm is being transported in a hard-sided case, is unloaded, and is locked in the trunk of the vehicle.
In Lyft’s case, the penalty for being caught carrying a firearm, or another kind of weapon, is deactivation. Of course, no one wants that – but these policies are on shaky legal grounds. Many drivers (and attorneys who might advocate for them) see the company policies as a violation of state laws that grant permits allowing gun owners to carry their firearms.
One Florida driver filed a lawsuit against Uber and its “no weapons” policy, asserting that it violated the state’s “Preservation and Protection of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in Motor Vehicles Act of 2008.” In essence, the statute outlaws job discrimination resulting from gun ownership, and conveys the right for drivers to have firearms for self-defense in their vehicles. The driver’s lawyer also cited the constitutional right to keep and bear arms, and the company’s lack of authority to override those rights.
What’s more … Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, Grubhub, and any other rideshare or delivery company could find trouble when they go down this avenue. Since these companies are embroiled in legal disputes claiming drivers are not employees, to argue that they can force drivers to comply with the weapons policy may cause those who believe drivers should be classified as employees to raise an eyebrow, and maybe two.
Those in opposition to drivers carrying weapons have also made their voices heard. A group called Moms Demand Action has stood up to demand the disarming of DoorDash drivers. It’s worth noting that as of this writing, DoorDash doesn’t have a policy against drivers carrying weapons. The moms are disturbed by such sights as a Dasher approaching their homes while carrying a gun and a magazine. It’s quite understandable why this would be unsettling, but despite pleas for DoorDash to institute a “no guns” policy, to our knowledge that hasn’t happened.
Guns can certainly cause a lot of problems (to put it mildly), but in at least one case a properly trained and practiced driver for Lyft saved her own life with her firearm. She had been set up to drive two young men to a remotely located sports bar. It was closed. When she stopped the car, they attacked her, punching her and choking her from behind. She managed to grab her gun from the center console and began firing. The two criminals fled. The next day, after she reported the incident to police and to her company, Lyft fired her. She was saved … but her driving gig was not.
Once again, we simply want to present the issue of whether drivers should be permitted to carry guns in their cars or on their person from both sides. We certainly would not want to suggest you do anything to jeopardize your safety, or get yourself deactivated by your company. That’s why we’d like to turn now to other means by which you can get some easy DoorDash, Lyft, and Uber driver safety tips without facing the threat of arrest or deactivation.
Safety tips for rideshare and delivery drivers
The very best way to defend yourself from being attacked is to avoid putting yourself in situations where bad things are likely to happen. Let’s start with some general precautions you can take, and then we’ll move on to the specific needs of rideshare and delivery drivers, respectively.
In general, you should:
- Know your area. Driving in strange areas can often lead you into trouble. Become familiar with street names, and restaurant names in the locale where you plan to drive. Decline calls that could present a danger to you. You can get excellent help by using Where to Drive from Gridwise, which gives you the facts about where safe and solid places to do business will be.
- Drive with a confident attitude. Cultivate an air of confidence and personal power, and you’re far less likely to become a victim. Posture, voice, and body language can convey messages to criminals that say “not this one” loud and clear.
- Learn to look around you. Avoid sitting or standing still, or even driving, without keeping an occasional eye on what’s going on around you. Angle your mirrors so you have a full view, and when you’re walking, keep your head up and stay alert to what’s on both sides of you and behind you. Please don’t walk and stare at the game you’re playing on your phone – in fact, do not look at your phone at all.
- Drive when you feel safe. There are many of us who don’t feel safe driving at certain times of the day or night. If that’s the case, admit it to yourself and find other times to drive. Although business is usually brisk at night, if it scares you to be out on the streets after dark, find a better time for you. Gridwise can help. Our When to Drive feature shows you all the different times of day when business is brisk in your area.
- Use safety features in your app. Most rideshare and delivery apps give you the option of allowing a loved one to track you while you’re working so they can see if you’re safe. Also, there are instantaneous ways to contact emergency services in most apps. Familiarize yourself with all the apps you use. When something happens, you need the ability to think and tap on that app fast.
- Take a personal self-defense course. This is a great way to protect yourself on at least two fronts: First, it gives you a chance to get your body in better shape. Second, the training you receive will allow you to be alert, and when there is trouble, get away if you can. If you’re unable to get away, you’ll likely learn some ways of subduing or stunning an attacker so you can get away. In the worst-case scenario, you’ll also have skills that let your whole body become an offensive weapon. You might also learn how to use items such as keys, a tire gauge, or a pen if you need some implements to defend yourself more thoroughly.
- Get and use a dashcam … and put up signs. There’s nothing like having recorded proof of what goes on in your car to deter someone from committing a crime. In some states, you’re required to inform riders and anyone who might approach your car that you’re recording them. Even if you don’t have to provide this information in your state, put up the signs in your car anyway. This will convey the message that you’ve got a dashcam and you’re not afraid to use it. This Gridwise post will give you some more dashcam tips and suggestions.
- Do not hesitate to give up your car, your wallet, your phone, your scooter, or your bike. Material possessions like these won’t do you any good if you’re taken from this earthly life by criminals who are desperate to steal your stuff. Things can always be replaced … but you cannot.
With these tips, even if you’re a daring Chicago rideshare driver dodging high crime areas, or work in another place where Lyft and Uber carjacking has become a sport for local criminals, your chances of becoming a victim will be greatly reduced.
Now here are some items that are specific to rideshare drivers:
- Don’t be afraid to turn off your app. No one wants to refuse a ride to someone based on where they need to go, and to do so would be inconsiderate. However, once you make it to your destination, you may not want to keep driving in a sketchy-seeming area. Riding away empty is far preferable to being found beaten … or worse. Go offline until you can find your way to a safer place, and avoid being the subject of a headline that reads “Uber driver attacked.”
- Put a “Get me outta here” destination in your GPS. Set the coordinates for a high-traffic target like a stadium, arena, or bar area in your favorites, so you can hit it when you need to find a fast way out of a dangerous neighborhood.
- Get reliable road service. If you get a flat or a dead battery, you don’t want to wait around any longer than it should take for a reliable road service technician to appear. A belt-and-suspenders approach might sound overdone, but when it comes to having backup when you’re in a lonely, dangerous place, it isn’t. Try keeping two possible ways to get road service help at your fingertips.
Now, a few tips specifically for delivery drivers:
- Use parking apps. Part of your job involves getting in and out of the car, at restaurants as well as at the order’s destination point, and two kinds of parking apps can help you. One of them helps you locate places to park near to where you’re going; examples of this type are SpotHero and Park Smarter. The second type allows you to pay for parking directly from your phone; two examples are Passport Parking and GoMobilePGH, the latter of which is exclusive to the Pittsburgh area.
- Now you don’t have to be standing at a lonely kiosk or parking meter, hands full of goodies, while you key in your license plate number and fumble for a way to pay for your parking. Instead, you pay for the parking right from the safety of your locked vehicle. Smart? We think so.
- If you do carry, do it safely. If your delivery app doesn’t forbid you from carrying weapons, and you feel that you need one, please make sure that you know how and when to use it. Weapons should only be used as a last resort, and not waved around to scare people into leaving you alone.
- Keep your hands as free as possible. Struggling with your arms filled with bags and hands grappling with beverages is no way to keep yourself safe. Get delivery equipment you can throw over your shoulder or use as a backpack so your hands are available to call for help. Learn more about gear every delivery driver should have in this Gridwise blog post.
Keep your gig-driving business running safely and smoothly
One thing you might not think about when you’re finding ways to stay safe is the need to keep your business running safely and smoothly by organizing your apps – so we’re covering that here to give you one less thing to worry about.
Keep track of your earnings, and get all the discounts and deals you deserve; Gridwise offers you all these amenities and more. Track your earnings and see your business unfold before your eyes in awesome graphs like these:
On top of all that, you get these driver-friendly features:
- Airport information: arrivals, departures, and driver waiting times
- Weather: temperature, conditions, and weather warnings
- Traffic: what’s doing on the road
- Gas deals: get 10 cents off per gallon with Gridwise Gas when you join Gridwise Plus
- Event information: Keep track of where the crowds will be in your town
We hope you’ll benefit from these tips on how to defend yourself against being attacked, and that you’ll take seriously the need to pay attention to your surroundings and prepare yourself for fast escapes.
Download Gridwise now!
Do you have some more suggestions for drivers? Put them in the comments below, or join us on Facebook for a fun and frisky group discussion.
