Ride Share Safety-Scan to Verify Before You Ride

Ride Sharers face unknown risks every day through the interaction with unknown individuals. In today’s society, reducing those risks is the most critical safety and security challenge faced by ride share companies. One ideal way to improve security measures and make the rider, as well as the driver, feel safer is by creating a ride share Verified Driver Code Process (VDCP). A theoretical name for this VDCP could be “Uber Verified Driver Code” or “Lyft Verified Driver Code”.

For example, before being hired, a driver is required to undergo a thorough background check and once the driver is hired, the company sends him/her one large illuminated vehicle identification and two stickers with a scannable code specific to their car and employee status containing pertinent information such as, the make, model and color of the car; the name of the driver, the picture of the driver, the license plate, the contact information of the driver, etc... And to maintain his/her verified driver code status the driver would be required to annually undergo a new background check. The driver will then be required to place the large illuminated vehicle identification in the front of the car and the other two scannable stickers on both sides of the vehicle in the back where they can be easily seen by a passenger before getting into the car.

Once a person makes a reservation with a ride share company (Lyft or Uber or other company), the reservation data as well as the driver and car information will be uploaded to the scannable sticker application and will be displayed on the patron’s screen once they scan the sticker with their device (mobile phone or tablet) to confirm that the car is indeed the ride share that was requested. If the car information displayed on the rider’s device does not match the confirmed reservation, the rider should not enter the vehicle nor accept the ride.

The barcode scanning process is an added security layer and helps the riders authenticate that the car they are about to enter is the true authorized car of a verified driver sent by the ride share company, and not some random stranger’s vehicle. This can be done at a safe distance without having to make contact with the driver. This will also avoid accidentally taking someone else’s ride.

Most of us tend to volunteer unnecessary information. For example, on average, a person waiting for a ride share will approach a car they think is their ride share car and volunteer their name. As the former Assistant Federal Security Director for Law Enforcement at Newark Liberty International Airport, I often observed travelers walking to taxies and various ride shares and say “Are you waiting for me?” and giving their names to a total stranger. Let’s say we have a person seeking a victim, by volunteering your name, you have possibly just placed yourself in danger. All the driver has to say is “Yes” and, without checking, you just entered the car of a criminal! 

Lastly think like a cop. When a police officer stops a car, he/she approaches the stopped vehicle from a position of dominance and safety. A passenger should be able to be in a similar position of safety when dealing with ride shares. Once again, if the information does not match or fails to authenticate, walk away and notify the company of your concern. 

Remember safety is a mindset, we must change our current behavior and approach to it when it comes to ride shares. Richard Ragnarson, M.D in one of his essays on cognitive behavior states that “Changing behaviors can sometimes result in changing thoughts and emotions, but if you don’t also upgrade your belief, you’ll risk reverting back to the old behavior”. Being safe in a ride share is about taking the time and making the commitment to be aware of the conditions and situations around you and learning how to avoid the dangerous ones. It’s ok to trust but you must also verify, your safety might depend on it.

With the Verified Driver Code (VDC) concept, it should be required, at a minimum, that all ride share cars have an illuminated scannable bar decal signs in three locations, one large visible in the front and two smaller scannable stickers in the rear of the car, one on each side. Before entering the car, the passenger would simply scan the VDC from the rear of the car to authenticate it before having any contact with the driver. This verification process enhances security by empowering the passenger and has the potential to reduce the number of unfortunate incidents where riders, and sometimes drivers, were harmed or killed.