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Uber, Lyft, and other rideshare apps have quickly infiltrated the everyday lives of multitudes of Americans and other people worldwide. These mobile applications make it easier than ever to travel to work, the airport, or home after a night on the town. Taxi and rideshare services are a popular public transportation solution, but they’ve come under scrutiny concerning their safety amidst rising cold and flu rates each winter. Lyft and Uber drivers are looking for innovative solutions like sneeze guards to help keep riders healthy and safe on the way to their destination during cold and flu season

Is It Safe to Use Rideshare Services When You’re Sick?

With people’s concerns about their personal health and safety constantly growing, rideshare services have garnered a lot of attention. Many riders are wondering if someone else’s car is truly safe to ride in if someone is feeling sick. Sharing an enclosed space with a person always puts you at risk of contracting some kind of sickness. Rideshares with strangers increase that risk exponentially.

Talking, laughing, coughing, and sharing air with some less than six feet away from you can put both parties at a chance of coming down with a cold, flu, or other illness. This risk multiplies when those two people are perfect strangers, i.e., an Uber driver and their passenger. Uber and Lyft drivers are one of the most at-risk populations affected by increasing illnesses. Providing and accepting rideshare services poses a significant risk to a person’s health because you can never confirm: 

  • The driver’s health status
  • The health status of the previous riders
  • The vehicle’s cleanliness
  • The adequacy of airflow in the vehicle

Infectious disease specialists strongly suggest against taking rideshare services for transportation since it’s almost impossible to keep enough distance between driver and passenger to comply with social distancing protocols.

5 Ways To Keep Rideshare Passengers Safe During Cold and Flu Season

Although it’s not entirely safe to share a car with a stranger from a rideshare app like Uber or Lyft, there are ways to stay safe if there is no alternative transportation option available. While some states are still recommending these services remain shut down, others are opening back up and allowing rides. In such states, rideshare drivers should take extreme precautions when hauling passengers.

1. Masks Are a Must

Wearing a mask is a crucial component of protecting yourself against contamination from other riders or a driver. Most rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft ask that drivers and riders to wear a mask throughout the duration of their trip if they’re feeling unwell. Uber asks all drivers to submit a photo each day upon Uber login to ensure they’re wearing a mask. The CDC says face covers effectively reduce the transmission of the Coronavirus, as well as other airborne illnesses, between an affected and unaffected person because they reduce the spray of bodily fluid droplets when worn correctly. Masks should cover the mouth and nose completely. 

2. Provide Hand Sanitizer Products

Many Uber and Lyft drivers try to take their customer service to the next level by offering water bottles, snacks, chargers, and other amenities. During the trip, riders will feel at ease if you provide them with hand sanitizer, wipes, and other disinfectant products. Companies like Lysol offer disinfectant wipes in easy-to-access containers, which drivers can place strategically around the vehicle if riders feel inclined to wipe down surfaces for added safety.

3. Roll Down the Windows

Unless an Uber is a considerable size with multiple rows or a convertible cruising down the roadway, drivers and passengers are likely to be within six feet of each other, going against social distancing standards. Shared air space is unsafe, and a car’s air conditioning can play a critical role in spreading contagious airborne illnesses. Stagnant airflow can significantly increase the risk of contracting the virus in enclosed spaces. To avoid contact with infected airborne particles, passengers should open their windows when possible. 

4. Stick To the Backseat

It’s incredibly challenging to maintain an adequate distance between riders and passengers in an Uber or Lyft. The front seat is an especially dangerous location in the car where passengers can quickly catch a cold or other contagious illness from the driver if they are feeling unwell (and vice versa). Drivers should put as much distance between them and passengers as possible and restrict access to the vehicle’s front portion. Larger vehicles might be an increased expense for passengers, but if riding in an Uber or Lyft is necessary, large three-row sedans are the safest option to allow space for social distancing.

5. Install Sneeze Guards

Some rideshare services are starting to roll out sneeze guards and other impenetrable plexiglass partitions as an added safety solution for drivers. In London, the Uber company is implementing trials of sneeze guards for Uber cars already, and riders are already feeling increasingly at ease using the service. The plexiglass partitions help block potentially infectious particles from traveling between driver and passenger.

Drivers can outfit their cars with custom safety shields, so their health and their passenger’s health remains a top priority when cold and flu numbers are up. Sneeze guards are shatter-proof so that drivers can use the plexiglass barriers for an extended time as an additional safety measure.

Ride Safe With Sneeze Guards

Using Uber and Lyft is many people’s primary mode of transportation. Today, the public health and safety concerns pose many challenges for riders and drivers alike. Although it’s not entirely safe to enter an enclosed space like a car with a stranger, there are some safety measures that drivers can implement to put their passengers’ minds at ease.

Drivers must enforce the wearing of masks in their vehicle at all times. Encouraging passengers to sit as far away from the driver as possible with the windows open is an essential safety measure too. Plexiglass sneeze guards can provide an impressive amount of protection for both drivers and passengers. The transparent barriers block infectious particles from passing between the open spaces. Rideshare drivers should contact a sneeze guard supplier to find the perfect solution for their vehicle. Drivers and passengers will feel much safer with safety measures like sneeze guards implemented in their car. It’s an effective solution to address problems in an unprecedented period in world history.