Safe Ride vs. Convenience

Today’s world gravitates to what is the most convenient, and this is often leaves riders and commuters forgetting to prioritize a safe ride. There are apps for everything – food delivery, cleaning services, dog walking and of course, hailing rides to your desired destination. All this convenience may seem like a no brainer, but why have we prioritized ease and urgency over safety? For apps like Lyft and Uber, rider safety falls to the wayside and the risks greatly outweigh convenience.

Ride Responsibly®

The National Limousine Association initiated “Ride Responsibly” in 2015, which aims to enlighten and inform the public about safe ground transportation. The campaign bridges the gap between passenger rights, driver rights, and the responsibility of transportation providers. Ride Responsibly encourages everyone to “Think Before You App”, a tagline that sheds light on the dangers of ride-hailing apps.

NLA’s Ride Responsibility Campaign also put out some great PSA’s in partnership with Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment (PAVE), which serve as a call-to-action following alarming revelations of sexual harassment and assault that reach far beyond Hollywood and Washington, D.C. https://www.limo.org/Ride-Responsibly

Watch the 2018 PSA from PAVE and Ride Responsibly Starring Pamela Anderson here.

Dangerous Driving Affects Passenger Safety

By using ride-hailing apps, there are dangers for both the driver and passenger. What do you know about the person driving the car you’re getting into? What does the driver know about the person entering their personal vehicle? A recent report from the NLA provided the terms and conditions from the top ride-hailing apps, and they are terrifying to say the least. Here are a few highlights:

• Uber: According to Uber’s terms and conditions: “Uber does not guarantee the suitability, safety or ability of third party providers. By using the services, you acknowledge that you may be exposed to situations involving third party providers that are potentially unsafe, offensive, harmful to minors or otherwise objectionable, and that use of third party providers arranged or scheduled using the services is at your own risk and judgement.”

• Lyft: Users understand and accept that LYFT has no control over the identity or actions of the riders and drivers, and LYFT requests that users exercise caution and good judgement when using the services. Drivers and riders use the services at their own risk.

No Guaranteed Safety

These ride-hailing apps cannot guarantee your safety as a passenger nor can they guarantee the safety of its drivers. Ride-Hailing apps have positioned themselves as brokers in a transaction in which they assume zero responsibility. Many app users are not aware of the risk they are taking when they step inside these cars and regard these apps the same way they would a traditional cab or car service. A recent poll conducted showed that a majority of the population, 18 and older, regarded these apps as transportation providers, thus assuming they are held to the same strict standards as taxi and limousine companies. This misconception is destructive. There have already been a high number of incident reports nationwide. Sexual assault, robbery, and kidnapping are just a few of the recent reports logged by victims of this poorly vetted service.

BEST-VIP Guarantees Your Safety!

At BEST-VIP, we guarantee that all of our drivers are thoroughly background checked and ensure your safe ride. We maintain the highest standards when chauffeuring our clients. All drivers are certified and subject to pre-hire drug testing and a random testing program, when required by USDOT. They are also required to attend a driver training program that includes driver duties, customer service, safety, and defensive driving skills. BEST-VIP guarantees that all vehicles from our fleet receive regular maintenance and have proper licensing permits.

Know Your Rights

All passengers of our ground transportation vehicles, including but not limited to a sedan, SUV, sprinter van, minicoach, or bus, are entitled to the following, and should have the right to ask the driver to provide:

• Proof of proper commercial-for-hire licensing
• A safe and courteous driver that obeys all traffic laws
• Assurance that the vehicle is certified safe and mechanically sound
• A fully-vetted and trained driver
• Ready access to the transportation service provider
• A quoted fare for your trip and a final charge that matches that agreed-upon amount
• Air conditioning or heat on request
• Access to fully functioning seat belts

BEST-VIP takes every assurance to be sure that your mode of transportation be the safest available while becoming your most trusted transportation partner. With technology like the Lytx DriveCam, BEST-VIP provides the ultimate experience in chauffeuring.  Lytx™, the leader in video-based driver safety programs, created the Lytx DriveCam™ Event Recorder, which will help us ensure you are safely delivered to your destination. The DriveCam Event Recorder captures audio and video of driving activities occurring inside and outside the vehicle. Unlike devices that are designed for constant monitoring and tracking of drivers, the Event Recorder is specifically designed to identify and capture only risky driving behaviors.