20190217-BASICS-2-A-SAFE-START

[A safe start] [Featuring excerpts from the 7x7 Quality Improvement Course] [Which side of the road?] >> You want to pick up the rider on the correct side of the street, and drop them off quickly and safely at their destination. You might be thinking, "But Uber will navigate for me." The problem is, what if you get a request and the direction you're coming from is going to put you on the wrong side of the street? You need to know those addresses so you can plan a better route. The easiest way to handle this is to pay attention to the odd- and even-numbered addresses when you enter a new neighborhood. You can use that information when you're picking up and dropping off your rider. And remember, no illegal U-turns. An illegal U-turn in front of the rider means the rider feels unsafe when they get in your car. The rider rates you based on how they feel. Plus, you don't want a ticket or an accident. [A safer pick-up] >> To the best of our knowledge, double parking is illegal everywhere in North America. But if there's no legal parking spots, what can you do? Communicate and negotiate with your rider to find the best solution. Remember that blocking traffic can cause accidents, and we strongly advise using your hazard lights when picking up and dropping off your rider. You want to avoid waiting for a rider in a crosswalk. If we are parked in a crosswalk, where is a pedestrian going to go? It's not safe, and they don't have any protection from other cars. [Smooth driving] >> Think about driving as a zen experience. It's not about getting to your destination as quickly as possible, but it's about making the best trip possible. How does it feel as a passenger to have the driver slam on the brakes at every red light? It's a pretty bad experience, don't you think? You want to provide a smooth, safe drive for five-star ratings. We recommend you have a friend ride in your car when you're not working so that you can get their feedback. Use that information so you can be a smooth five-star driver. [Keep your phone out of the way] >> When you're driving distracted and your mind is off the road, it's very dangerous. What's the biggest distraction? Our cell phones, right? You need to keep your phone out of the way. This means putting your phone in a place where it won't bother you or your rider. If you're holding your phone and looking at it, your rider will get scared because that's not safe. If a rider is scared in your car, they're having a bad experience. [Low-risk decisions] >> Your rider doesn't want you to weave across lanes or speed through a yellow light. Your rider wants to be safe. Instead of trying to be efficient, you need to think about the risks you are taking with the rider in your car. For example, checking your text messages while driving is a high-risk behavior. You're distracted from the road and won't have time to react. An example of medium-risk behavior might be checking your text messages when you're at a red light. It's still not the safest decision, but since the drivers around you are stopped as well, it's a much lower risk. The lowest risk, though, would be waiting to check your text messages until you are safely pulled over, parked out of the flow of traffic. [Other distractions] >> If your rider is distracting you with conversation, you can say something like, "I'm so sorry, I need to pay attention to the road." If you do keep extras, like water or gum, in your car, make sure you can reach them without looking away from the road. If your thoughts are distracting you because you're bored or stressed out, take a break. When we're driving, the most important thing is that we pay attention to the road around us. So eliminate distractions. [Your vehicle and your comfort] >> You want to think about how your own comfort can affect safety. If it's really bright and sunny outside, it can make it harder to look at the road. Sunglasses can help reduce eye strain in bright sunshine, and are especially useful at sunrise and sunset, when your visors won't block the angle of the sun. Did you know that according to the Center for Disease Control, drowsy driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving? You wouldn't go out for drinks before Ubering, right? So you don't want to be driving while you're sleepy, either. In fact, the app now limits the amount of time we can stay online in a single day. We recommend that you plan around these in-app limits by taking your breaks when it's slow. This means that you and your rider will be safer and you'll be earning more money when you are online. [Review] [To avoid double parking,] [think of some safer ways [to pick up your rider.] [Zen driving = a smooth, safe trip.] [Have a friend give you feedback on your driving.] [What distracts you while driving?] [How can you avoid these distractions?]