Uber's Dangerous Loopholes
Updated: Jan 21, 2020
Uber has revolutionized public transit. It is the closest to Individual Mass Transportation we have come so far. The use of on-demand public transportation has traditionally only been experienced by the most affluent. Driving in major metropolitan areas is becoming ever more congested and confusing to navigate efficiently. Uber solves a lot of problems for commuters and reduces the need for people to own their vehicles.
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Not all aspects of Uber's safety report identify how we will solve the cunningness of human behavior.
I recently requested two seats in an Uber Pool to get from one side of town to the other. Uber Pool resembles the traditional Carpool, which allows for riders to share an uber on route to pay a lesser fair than an UberX or Select. When the Toyota Camry pulled up to our pick-up point, the five-seater car was already full with a family of four. The man, women, and two small children were taking advantage of the Uber Pool offering of discounted or shared fair. Placing their children in danger with no seat belt or seat for themselves was a wakeup call.
Confused about the situation, the man and women quickly put their small children in front of them so my girlfriend and I could get in the car. Having seven people in a five-seater car is not only dangerous; it is illegal. After the family got out of the vehicle several blocks later, I asked the driver if he knew what happens. The family said that they did not consider the children as full seat riders. They only requested two seats for the Uber Pool because each additional seat is $1.00. The defiance of the parents to save two dollars and put their children's lives in danger blows my mind, but this is a serious issue that needs to be addressed before someone gets hurt.
The driver informed us that he was pulled over by the police in transit to picking us up for not having the small children in car seats. Unnecessary and unfortunate for the Uber driver to get pulled over by the police, but what is the solution for Uber drivers to keep their passengers safe. Whose responsibility is it to keep our children safe if the parents are willing to gamble their child's life for a couple of dollars.
Should uber drivers carry car seats? Do they need all age and size car seats to accommodate all children? How do we ensure legal provisions are met to keep people safe on the road.