Uber, IACLEA, and It’s On Us Partner to Share Spring Break Rideshare Safety Tips
As college students head into spring break, Uber is partnering with It’s On Us and The International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) to share important rideshare safety tips with students.
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This week, college students across the U.S. will start receiving emails and in-app messaging reminding them of important in-app safety features and sharing useful safety tips to help them keep safety top of mind while they are out or on their next ride.
We encourage riders to remember to:
- Stick together: Nights out are always more fun – and safer – with friends. Whether you’re staying close to or heading off campus, it’s important to look out for each other and make sure everyone in your group has a safe ride home.
- 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.
- 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 is safe for those in your group, report to local law enforcement—and always call 911 in an emergency.
If you are choosing rideshare, 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 students are ordering a trip for someone else, please pass along vehicle and driver information so those riders can verify they are getting into the right vehicle.
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Uber has built safety technology into the Uber platform that riders and drivers can use during a trip, so 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 ensure you are 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 will receive a text or push notification that tracks your trip and estimated time of arrival.
- Emergency Button: If there is ever an emergency, 911 is just a few taps away. Simply tap on the safety toolkit and select 911 assistance. The app displays your live location and trip details, so you can share them with the emergency dispatcher. And in a growing number of US cities, this information is automatically provided to the authorities.
“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. 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,” said Elise Maiolino, Uber’s Global Head of Women’s Safety Policy.
“Spring break has always been a time to celebrate, and now as restrictions of the pandemic begin to lighten, we see students eager to enjoy their time off from classes,” said 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’s on college campuses or during spring break. With the Uber user-friendly app, featuring Verify my ride, Share my Trip (safety tool kit), 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,” he added.
“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,” said 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 during Spring Break and beyond.”
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.
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