Getting to a medium-remote location or from one city to another with rideshare is practical, but for those looking for a safe and luxurious experience, there are a few essential recommendations.

Safety is a priority, of course, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a luxury ride. You can combine both if you choose good options.

Here is some practical advice on how to get the most from your rideshare.

People use rideshare services to get from point A to point B, without spending a ton of money. That’s great. But… what if/when you want this experience to be a little more… premium?

Well, if you’re looking for luxury rideshare services – they exist.

In this article, we’ll cover your premium rideshare options, as well as go through some critical tips that will ensure your safety during such rides.

Let’s start with the first (and most obvious) one.

1. Choose Premium

You want premium. The first and foremost thing is to go for regular Uber, Lyft (and such), but instead opt for the luxury version of these services.

And wouldn’t you know it, both Uber AND Lyft have and offer their own luxury options full of opulence and sumptuousness. They’re called – Uber Black, and Lift Lux. And both are quite a bit more expensive than their ‘peasant’ counterparts.

Uber (2021) reported that 32% of its revenue came from premium services, highlighting the demand for luxury rideshare options.

If you choose these options, you can expect a high-end vehicle, a seasoned and very professional driver, and definitely a more exclusive service.

Both options are pristine if you’re looking for that luxury travelling experience.

2. Check Verifications

Premium or not, safety comes first. Before you even get into the vehicle, you should take a close look at the car (colour, make, and model), the license plate, and the driver. Are they matching up with what you have on the platform?

A Pew Research Center survey claims that 63% of U.S. adults have concerns about safety in rideshares. Moreover, 29% worried about getting into the wrong vehicle.

If yes, then go to the next step. If not, then talk to the driver to see what’s going on.

Just because it’s an elite service, doesn’t mean that issues can never happen. We’re here to ensure that the chance is minimal.

3. Share Your Trip Details

Again, regardless of the service being top-notch and elite and all of that – that’s fine – but, you want to ensure YOUR safety, as well.

The next step is to share your ride details with someone you trust (e.g., your family, your partner, your best friend, etc.). Why? Well, it’s not about you being paranoid, no. If an accident/inconvenience does end up happening (for whatever reason), your loved ones will be able to come to your support MUCH faster.

They know where you are at any given moment.

To share a ride, you can go for the standard ‘share my location’ options that many platforms offer (Messanger, WhatsUp, Google, etc.), or you can simply use the same platform that you’ve used to book the ride and click on the “Share your ride” button.

4. Avoid Distractions

Ok, you’ve booked an elite rideshare option, and naturally, you’ll be in amazement, a relaxed state, and perhaps even a bit of partying if you’re not alone. And while there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, you also want to have SOME level of awareness/alertness to the things going on around you.

Where are you currently? Are you on the correct route/path?

If you have any questions, or if something feels off, just talk to the driver to get some answers/assurance.

Listening to music, reading, scrolling on social media, and talking to friends are all great fun, but try to be mindful that a portion of your awareness should still be ensuring that you’re safe and that everything is ok.

5. What if an Accident DOES happen?

So, you’ve done all the preparatory and cautionary steps (crossed all the t’s and dotted all the i’s), but even though you’re on a luxury ride, an accident still happened. What do you do then?

Hint: Regardless of this, using a car for transport is STILL (statistically) one of the safest forms of transport.
Here’s a quick checklist of things to do if one occurs.

Check for injuries (yourself, the driver, other passengers, and other participants)

First, check yourself for injuries (bleeding and fractures are the main things to inspect). If other passengers are with you, they’re likely close to you, so check them as well.

And also don’t forget to check on the driver. While the driver might be at fault, that is true. BUT, he/she so he/she might not be. You probably do not know what exactly happened (yet). So leave all the emotions/questions on the side (for now) and check on the driver.

The same goes for other participants involved in the accident. It doesn’t matter (now) who’s at fault. Everyone must be ok (because you might not know exactly what happened).

Medical Help

If everyone is ok, then you’re probably fine. But if you’re not sure, or one of the participants seems a bit off, call 911, just in case. You never know.

There could be a concussion, internal bleeding, or anything else that you cannot directly observe with your eye. And every second might be crucial. If you even have the slightest suspicion that medical help is required (or even if there are really minor injuries present), just do it. Even minor injuries can quickly grow into something bigger if not treated correctly.

Plus, sometimes, it’s even recommended as a preventative measure.

The main reason to seek medical help is the last step.

Document the Scene

Take out your phone and take pictures of the scene. Also, (even better) make videos. Capture everything on the scene (e.g., the damage on the car, participants, injuries, the scene, location, etc.).

Also, get personal information (phone numbers, names, etc.) of all people involved in the accident, as well as any witnesses.

Call a Lawyer

The last step is to call a rideshare accident attorney. Always. They’ll ask you all the necessary questions, ensure you’ve done all the above, and they’ll guide you on what to do next. This is extremely important.

Because, if anything comes out of this (for example, compensation), you’ll need all the data that you can get so that the whole scene can be completely (or as close as possible) recreated.

Also, the lawyer will take care of all the legal/bureaucratic complexities and procedures that come with this ordeal.

Conclusion

One does not necessarily have to compromise anything to afford luxury and security while making use of a ridesharing service. Just take the steps mentioned earlier and learn how to respond in the (unlikely) event of an accident.

It’s better to know something, even if it never happens than it happening and you not knowing what to do, right?

Regardless of this, you can realistically expect (statistically) that your luxury rideshare will be without any problems, and you’ll arrive satisfied and safe at your destination.

Don’t just travel luxuriously in your thoughts – travel luxuriously in real life.