Uber, IACLEA, and It’s On Us Partner to Share Rideshare Safety Tips
Written byUber is partnering with 2 of the largest organizations committed to helping college students stay safe in order to make sure safety is top of mind.
The International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators and It’s On Us, a US nonprofit dedicated to college sexual assault prevention, share important rideshare safety tips with riders getting picked up or dropped off near a college campus. Along with these groups, we’re encouraging riders to remember to:
- Stick together: Nights out are always more fun—and safer—with friends. Whether you’re staying close to campus or going somewhere else, it’s important to look out for one another. When it’s time to head home, make sure everyone in your group has a safe ride.
- Check-in: If you’re headed out on a date or to someone’s place, tell a friend or roommate, and have a system for checking in with them to let them know you’re safe. Eighty-five percent of students in the United States who are sexually assaulted are victimized by someone they know—and more than half of the assaults take place during a date with the perpetrator. In Canada, one in five women experiences sexual assault while enrolled in a college or university program. And 80% of survivors were assaulted by someone they know.
- Be extra careful at night: When you’re traveling in the evening, be aware of your surroundings, have your phone available, and try to request rides when you’re in familiar and well-lit areas.
- Trust your gut: If you see something that seems out of the ordinary, trust your instincts and don’t hesitate to call campus authorities for help. If it’s safe for those in your group, report it to local law enforcement—and always call 911 in an emergency.
If you’re choosing ridesharing, please check your ride before getting into your rideshare vehicle. It’s important to verify the license plate, car make and model, and driver photo and name before getting into the car. If you’re ordering a trip for someone else, please pass along vehicle and driver information so those riders can verify that they’re getting into the right vehicle.
Uber has built safety technology into the Uber platform that riders and drivers can use during a trip. Here is some information so you can get familiar with Uber’s safety features:
- Verify Your Ride: This feature gives you a unique 4-digit PIN to verbally provide to the driver before the trip can start, helping to ensure that you’re getting into the right car. You can opt in to verify your ride by going into your settings within the app and turning on Verify Your Ride. Choose to use it for every trip or just at night.
- Share My Trip: Once a trip starts, tap Share My Trip in the app to share your driver’s name, photo, license plate, and location with a friend or family member so they can follow the trip in real-time. They’ll receive a text or push notification that tracks your trip and estimated time of arrival.
For more information on how these safety features work, check out this video. We hope this information helps to make all of your campus-area travel safer and smoother, whether you’re riding with Uber or not.
“Uber has pioneered key safety features, such as our emergency button. With just one tap, you can share your trip with a loved one or connect to 911,” says Elise Maiolino, Uber’s Global Head of Women’s Safety Policy. “We are proud to partner with experts on campus safety, to provide important information on Uber’s safety features, and to share campus safety tips. Our goal is to ensure that students and riders stay as safe as possible on and off-campus.”
“It’s On Us is committed to building the movement to combat campus sexual assault and keep our college students safe, and we are proud to partner with Uber to ensure students know how to use the app to get around safely,” says Tracey Vitchers, Executive Director of It’s On Us. “Our partnership with Uber to raise awareness of these safety measures will ensure students can create fun and enjoyable experiences where they feel safe and protected.”
“As restrictions of the pandemic begin to lighten, we see students eager to enjoy their time off from classes,” says IACLEA Executive Director Paul Cell. “We want to remind our students always to follow safety precautions both on and off-campus. Fortunately, Uber now offers students an option to get home safely – whether it is on or off campus. With the Uber user-friendly app, featuring Verify Your Ride, Share My Trip (in the Safety Toolkit), and in-app Emergency Button, students can feel secure in their travel. Thank you, Uber, for working with us in keeping our community members safe.”
In addition, Uber requires all drivers to undergo a criminal and motor vehicle background check before they can begin using the app. Everyone who drives must undergo annual criminal and motor vehicle background checks and continuous criminal checks, ensuring that they meet Uber’s safety standards. In 2021, we launched an initiative with Lyft that enables us to share information about the drivers and delivery people deactivated from each company’s platform for the most serious safety incidents, including sexual assaults and physical assaults resulting in a fatality.