Do You Know Who You Are Riding With?

TEMECULA, Calif. - Sept. 8, 2016 - PRLog -- You are out with your friends, enjoying the evening - opting for a car service to provide a safe ride home at the end of the evening. The plan is to celebrate and enjoy your time with your friends, and then have a service pick you up and deliver you safely home. Great idea, if all goes as planned. The only problem is, what about the driver of that car service? Are they being monitored? Or are they on a self-monitoring program?

"When you hire a car service, you should be able to expect a reliable, safe ride home after an evening of celebrating." Michele Waters, Transportation expert in Southern California, adds, "Your judgement is impaired, and you are booking a service that you should be able to assume has procedures in place, to ensure a safe, comfortable ride to your destination, without placing anyone in danger." Waters explains, "What you want to avoid is a service that allows their drivers to self-regulate. Any time you arrange transportation, it is up to you, the passenger, to make certain that you are not putting yourself in harm's way. When is the time to decide when you are riding with a good qualified driver? The answer is before you start your trip." Waters continues, "There are various degrees of responsibility with car services, whether it be airport transportation, night on the town, or wine tasting. Generally, every time you enter a vehicle, you need to be assured that the driver is not impaired in anyway." So how do you guarantee that, she asks? You do some investigating prior to hiring them.

"Educate yourself before you venture out with your party. Make sure that, within your state, the company is licensed and properly insured. Google the company name followed by 'problems or complaints.' The time to discover that you are out of luck by a catastrophic injury is not after the fact. God forbid something should happen, you need to know that the risk has been minimized," Waters explains. "Having the proper license and insurance is only the beginning. Additionally, you need to call the company you are considering hiring, and discuss what procedures are in place for training and monitoring their staff. Statistics show that hands-on training, a behind the wheel road test, professional driving instruction and background checks eliminate many problems - steps that some companies do not address."

Take Executive VIP Transportation; they have not only essential training in place, they are involved with random drug and alcohol testing by an independent third party. "At any given time, a request can and will be presented to the driver to take a drug or alcohol test - to ensure that they are not under the influence." Waters adds, "Also, if someone is suspected of being under the influence, the company will require that individual be tested, prior to beginning their shift." Properly run companies will also do pre trip inspections on their vehicles, including safety inspections, to make certain that the vehicle and the equipment are operating properly.

"Companies such as Executive VIP Transportation will ground that vehicle for a minor flaw; it something is discovered during a pre-trip inspection," Waters adds. "One of the best ways we have found to avoid potential problems, whether with drivers or vehicles is to be proactive in our policies and process. By being proactive, I mean taking the necessary steps to work with individuals who are respectful of their duty and responsibility to drive as a professional. Certifying our drivers through a professional driving course - such as Smith System Certification - is part of that process." Waters adds, "There are resources in each state that regulate and monitor transportation companies. It is worth the time and effort to make sure that the company you are considering hiring has not been suspended or revoked. This process starts with googling the company name."

Waters also stated, "Your life is in their hands and it is crucial that you arrive safely to and from your destination. I have heard so many horror stories over the years. Companies that do not assess their drivers result in them driving intoxicated (even using prescription drugs) or in vehicles with bald tires and no brakes. If the price is really low, you need to question why!" Waters concludes that proper practices and maintenance take resources - cheap is not always a good thing. "Additionally, ask questions about hidden charges and surge pricing. I would question the company that cannot provide a firm price, prior to booking. There should be no reason that a reliable company will not provide a price at the time of your request," Waters states. Local owned companies often know their clients personally. They have a personal relationship with the drivers and therefore oftentimes can request specific drivers. "Some ride share companies are loosely regulated and clients rarely, if ever, ride with the same driver because of the turnover." Waters suggests, "Dealing with local companies equates to hands on ownership, because those companies rely on repeat business."