Why Is It Dangerous to Use a Rideshare Service to Get Around, as opposed to a transportation service, in Houston?

There is a good chance that you have heard of Uber before. Uber is one of several rideshare services that are currently offered to the public. These services allow individuals to call and request a car to come to their location and transport them elsewhere when they need to get somewhere. It is considered convenient for those who do not have their own vehicles and for those who would personally prefer to avoid taking public transportation. While many people living in the Houston area are taking advantage of the different rideshare services that are available, there are some risks involved.

Rideshare Services Are Not Like a Traditional Transportation Service

Traditional transportation services provide vehicles and perform extensive background checks on their employees before hiring them. However, Uber is different because the people who work for the company are working as independent contractors instead of employees. Rather than using a vehicle that is provided to them, they are using a vehicle they own. The independent contractors take on the responsibility of filling their vehicles up with gas and paying for insurance.

The service works when an individual downloads the app and requests an Uber vehicle. When an Uber driver is close to the individual’s location, he or she will get a request and can choose to accept that request or deny it right away. Rather than paying in cash, the individual who is taking the ride will pay for the service via credit card or debit card and may leave a tip if they would like to do so. The Uber driver receives his or her payments directly from the company and would not need to request the money from the person who is riding around in his or her vehicle.

Sure, it does sound convenient for all parties involved. However, there are many risks associated with this type of service.

What Are the Risks?

It is ironic for people to get into vehicles with complete strangers when they were once told they should never do that. Not only is there a risk involved when it comes to getting into a vehicle with a stranger who may not have the best intentions, but there are also risks involved when you are driving around with someone who lacks experience. A reliable transportation company in Houston would make sure their drivers have received the proper training and are experienced enough to drive their clients around to different places. However, if you get into an Uber, you truly never know how well the person behind the wheel can drive in the first place.

While Uber does perform a series of background checks on its drivers, there have been drivers that have slipped right on past the system and have managed to do some horrific things to their passengers. Several of the drivers that currently work for Uber have criminal records. Many of these people were convicted of some serious crimes, too.

The truth is that you do not know who you are getting into a car with when you choose to take an Uber. While it could end up being a good person who gets you where you need to go, it could also end up being a person with bad intentions who causes you stress and bodily harm. If you need to get around and would like to use a method of transportation other than public transportation, you should use a professional car service company in the Houston area.

Drivers Lacking In Professional Driving Qualifications

We briefly discussed this when talking about driver identity that transportation service providers in Houston require drivers to be held to really high standards. It is wise to have strict standards since they are assuming liability for people every day while they are transporting them around. For example, many of the limo service providers in Houston, along with FBI criminal background checks, require that their drivers have a clean driving record, excellent hygiene, pass various driver safety sources, be in great physical health, among other strict requirements. On the other hand, Uber drivers just need to have full insurance, a local driver’s license, and the bare minimum vehicle specifications. That’s it, no professional driving training, no physical health requirements, and no safety courses required. This is a big risk that you are taking when you assume that just because a rideshare company hired your driver that they are physically healthy or know how to drive in a safe manner.

No Liability

Since rideshare company drivers are contract workers and not direct employees, Uber is able to distance itself from liability when something occurs outside of the bounds of regular service. When downloading the Uber app, you are agreeing by default to their extremely detailed terms and conditions when using this app. In these terms, it basically holds Uber free of liability whether it is theft, injury, accident or other hazards. Instead, the only hope that you have to get help is the auto insurance policy of the contracted driver. Unfortunately, a majority of personal auto insurance policies don’t cover incidents that occur when the covered car is being used for business purposes. Recently Uber did claim that there is insurance coverage while on their trips. However, many drivers and riders have horror stories about obtaining compensated for injuries or losses.

Little Governmental Oversight:

In contrast to Houston Taxis or transportation services, Uber has few standards or regulations placed on them by local governments and the State of Texas. For example, AAA Corporate Car & Limo must spend thousands of dollars in licensing fees, pass strict inspections of operation facilities, drivers, and vehicles. Our vehicles must be in top condition since our certification must stay up to date. To ensure that we provide our clients with the utmost safety, our drivers are given random drug screenings, constantly along with monitored driving, safety evaluations and more.

Houston Uber drivers only are required to have their regular state inspection current. The inspection is much less thorough compared to our vehicles that must undergo both self-imposed strict standards as well as state regulations.

Don’t Risk Your Safety With A Ride Share Company

If you are in need of reliable transporting for corporate travel or a special event, don’t risk your personal safety using rideshare services such as Uber. AAA Corporate Car & Limo Transportation always goes the extra mile to provide all our client with a first-class transportation experience. All of our drivers are very professional, highly skilled, and thoroughly vetted. We maintain our fleet to the strictest standards and never put any vehicles on the road if there is anything questionable about it. For all of your Houston transportation needs, the most important thing is your peace of mind and safety.

Feel free to call or contact us today with any questions that you might have!