Uber is a convenient ridesharing platform that makes it easier for passengers to get from place to place.
But how do you report Uber drivers?
You deserve to feel safe while in transit, so Uber has simplified the safety incidents reporting process.
If you feel like your driver is putting you at risk, you can report an Uber driver to the company in a few simple steps.
If these things happen, it’s good to know what recourse you have. This guide will show you how to report Uber drivers, as well as how to dispute Uber charges.
Table Of Contents
What Can You Report an Uber Driver For?
There are several reasons you can report an Uber driver.
The company takes all concerns seriously but focuses on unsafe and impaired driving for reports.
However, you can still speak up if your driver is rude.
1. Lack of COVID-19 Safety
Research Uber’s approach to COVID-19 safety before booking a trip.
As the status of the virus changes, so do Uber’s policies.
Though the CDC recommends that passengers wear masks on public transportation, Uber doesn’t require that.
You can wear a mask as a passenger but can’t demand it from your driver unless it’s part of your local laws.
2. Breaking Driving Laws
Your Uber driver needs to adhere to the rules of the road like any other driver.
You should report them if you notice your driver running red lights or rolling through stop signs.
You can also report a reckless driver for speeding, especially if it seems like they’re racing to your destination to complete the trip as quickly as possible.
3. Drowsy Driving
Drowsy driving is when the driver keeps nodding off behind the wheel.
They’re so tired they can’t pay attention to the road, traffic lights, and the cars around them.
Drowsy drivers are more likely to get into a car accident, thereby risking your safety.
4. Impaired Driving
The definition of impaired or distracted driving has a broad reach.
Distracted driving commonly refers to drivers texting or looking at their phones while behind the wheel.
Even looking at the dashboard or changing the radio station can result in distracted driving because they’re not focused on the road.
Impaired driving refers to drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
What Is a Report of Impaired Driving?
If you suspect your uber driver is impaired, you must make them pull over and stop as soon as possible so you can safely exit the vehicle.
As soon as you’re safe, report their location to law enforcement so they won’t hurt anyone on the road.
You can then share the problem with Uber, so they suspend the driver.
Use or Possession of Drugs or Alcohol
Uber has a zero-tolerance policy regarding alcohol and drugs.
They don’t allow drivers to use or possess drugs or alcohol while they’re in a vehicle.
Because of this policy, ask them to end the Uber ride if you suspect your driver isn’t sober.
Call 911, so police stop the driver before they accept another passenger or hurt others.
Then report the trip to Uber.
What To Do if You Suspect Impaired Driving
The most important thing to remember if you suspect your Uber driver is under the influence is to stay calm.
You don’t want to scare them into rash actions by getting angry or emotional.
1. Ask To Stop
First, ask the driver to stop the car.
You don’t have to tell them why if you’re worried about their reaction.
Make an excuse about meeting a friend at this new location or needing to make an extra stop.
Get out of the car and end the ride on the Uber app.
2. Call 911
Next, call 911.
Tell the dispatcher the driver’s location or what direction they’re going if the driver tries to drive away.
Give the dispatcher all the vehicle information from the ride-hailing app.
These details will help local police find the driver and stop them before they hurt anyone with impaired driving.
3. Report Uber Driver
Finally, report Uber drivers through the app if you feel they’ve put you or others at risk.
You can leave feedback for that specific ride and contact customer support with more details.
Will a Driver Be Affected by False Rider Reports?
The company has a team inspecting all Uber rider reports and flagging anything that seems fraudulent.
If a driver has reports that look fake, their safety history and rating aren’t affected.
In fact, Uber suspends users who create false reports.
How Uber Handles Rider Reports
Uber will take time to investigate the claim for reports with no fraudulent flags.
They’ll restrict the driver’s access to the Driver app so they can’t pick up other passengers.
When Uber completes their research, they’ll reinstate the driver if the claim isn’t proven.
If it is, the driver permanently loses access to the Uber Driver app.
How to Report Uber Drivers [Step-By-Step Tutorial]
We should preface this section by saying that most Uber drivers are polite, pleasant, and safe.
However, with a platform as large as Uber, some rude, unsafe, and even creepy drivers will slip through the cracks.
Uber does their best to prevent this through background checks and driving record checks, but they can’t catch everyone.
Plus, just because someone has never been convicted of a crime, that doesn’t prevent them from being unpleasant or even making inappropriate comments.
If you have a bad experience with your Uber driver, you should absolutely let Uber know.
The way you do that, however, will depend on how serious the situation was.
Here are a few ways you can report Uber drivers, starting with minor issues all the way to serious ones.
1. Leave Your Driver a Review
If your driver was rude, their car was dirty, or it seemed like their engine could use some work, then your Uber driver review is the appropriate place to note it.
In some cases, the driver may not even be aware of the problem, so leaving a review helps them (and Uber) become aware of it.
When you rate your Uber driver, you have the option to leave anything from 1 to 5 stars. If you leave less than 5 stars, Uber will ask you to explain the reason for your low rating.
Be sure to do this — the more detailed the driver feedback you can provide, the more Uber (and the driver) can do to improve.
To learn how to leave an Uber driver review, check out our guide.
Of course, there are some situations where leaving a bad review isn’t enough. That brings us to the next method you can use to report Uber drivers.
2. Email Uber Customer Support
If you have a more serious issue with a driver, then you can email Uber customer support about it.
It’s hard to say where the line lies between when you should make note of something in your review and when you should contact customer support about it.
For the most serious safety issues, you’ll want to contact Uber by phone (see the next section).
Contacting Uber via email is a good approach when a driver does something that’s bad but doesn’t threaten your safety.
For instance, if the driver is smoking during the ride or makes comments that are inappropriate but not threatening, that could be a reason to send Uber an email.
You can certainly make note of these problems in your review, but you might want to speak to someone from Uber more directly to let them know what happened.
They can then follow up with you to give you more personalized assistance.
To get in touch with Uber email support, check out our guide to how to email Uber.
3. Call the Uber Critical Safety Response Line
For a serious safety incident, Uber has a special phone number that you can call 24/7. We cannot emphasize enough that this phone line is only for serious safety incidents.
If a driver has done something to harm you or threaten your personal safety, don’t hesitate to call.
On the other hand, if you’re just annoyed at your driver for being rude or dropping you off a couple doors down from your destination, save it for your driver review.
Don’t tie up the emergency phone line with petty minor complaints.
Here are some situations in which you should definitely call the critical response line:
– Your driver assaulted you (physically, verbally, sexually, etc.)
– Your driver did something illegal
– Your driver was involved in a traffic accident
– Your driver threatened you
– Your driver was driving recklessly
You should always ensure that you are out of immediate danger before calling this number. Call 911 in any emergency situation. Once you’re safe, contact the critical response team.
Note that the Uber app allows you to see the license plate number for any ride you take. This is useful information to have in case you’re filing a police report.
To learn how to contact the critical safety response line, check out our guide to the Uber phone number.
How Do You Know If You Have an Uber Driver Report?
Uber will notify the rideshare driver if they have a driver report on their record, even if it relates to their background check.
They’ll inform drivers before taking away access to the Driver app unless it’s a severe case, like having an Uber accident or being under the influence.
In those cases, they immediately revoke access to potential passengers safe.
It takes Uber a few days to look into reports.
If there are steps you can take to reactivate your account, they’ll let you know.
Otherwise, you’ll get a decision from the rideshare company regarding your driver’s status.
How to Dispute Uber Charges
Moving on from issues of safety, we come to a problem that can occur after certain Uber rides. Yes, we’re talking about the dreaded excessive or otherwise incorrect charges that you can end up with.
While Uber does their best to calculate fares accurately, sometimes you can end up with a fare that just seems too high.
You may also find yourself with undeserved fees. Whatever the case, as an Uber passenger, you have recourse for disputing Uber charges.
Let’s take a look at a few of the ways you can try.
1. Dispute an Uber Charge Online
The first method you can use to dispute an Uber charge involves visiting the Uber website and signing into your Uber account. Go to help.uber.com and sign in using your login information.
From there, you should see a page like the following. Click “Review my fare or fees” to start the charge dispute process:
Uber will then ask you to choose your specific issue. You have the following options:
- My driver took a poor route
- My pickup or drop-off location was wrong
- The route had heavy traffic
- Someone else took this trip
- I paid a toll or parking fee for my driver
- My driver made an unrequested stop
- My promo code didn’t work
- I was charged a cleaning fee
- I had a different issue with my charge
- Dispute my cancellation fee
- Long Pickup Premiums
- I was charged more than once for this trip
- My fare doesn’t reflect the upfront price I was shown
- Uber asked me to walk
- My pickup or drop-off location was wrong
Click on an issue to provide more specific information:
For instance, here’s what happens when you click on “My driver took a poor route”:
Choose the option that best describes your problem, and then click “Submit.”
A member of Uber’s support team will be in touch with you shortly with more information about the Uber fare review process.
2. Dispute an Uber Charge in the Uber App
In addition to disputing charges online, you can dispute them directly from within the Uber app.
Here’s how to do it.
First, open the Uber app and tap on the menu icon in the upper lefthand corner:
Then, tap on the option that says “Your Trips” to view your Uber trip history:
Next, tap on the specific trip with the charges you want to dispute:
Once you’ve done that, scroll down to the bottom of the screen that appears and tap “Review my fare or fees”:
Next, select your issue from the screen that appears. Your options are the same as on the Uber website:
Once you tap on an issue, you’ll see a screen that lets you provide more detail.
For instance, here’s what you’ll see when you tap “My driver took a poor route”:
Make your selection from the list, and then tap “Submit.”
You’ll hear back from Uber support with more information on how to dispute the charge.
3. Dispute an Uber Charge With Your Credit Card Company or Bank
This last method has varying rates of success, and it’s one we suggest using only as a last resort.
If you have charges that you believe were truly fraudulent (not just a bit higher than you would have liked), then you can contact your credit card company or bank and ask them to remove the charge from your account.
Note that this isn’t an instantaneous process. There will be an investigation, and you can expect to speak with someone on the phone about the matter, as well as possibly provide documentation to support your claim.
The details of how to dispute charges this way will vary based on your situ
Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve learned when you should report an Uber driver for unsafe trips.
In case you need more information, check out the answers to these frequently asked questions.
Is an Uber driver report anonymous?
Yes, Uber works hard to keep its platform anonymous.
Your driver will never know personal information like your phone number or email.
They won’t know your address—just where they picked you up and dropped you off.
Uber ensures star ratings are anonymous and do the same with reports.
Should you report an Uber driver who was texting while driving?
Yes, you should report an Uber driver who texts while driving.
It’s a form of distracted driving that can cause traffic incidents.
You’re not safe if your driver is texting while behind the wheel, and Uber needs to know about that.
What are the risks of reporting an Uber driver?
There’s no risk if you report your Uber driver for a real issue.
Uber will investigate your complaint and take action against the driver.
But if you’ve submitted a fraudulent claim because you’re angry at your driver or want to reverse an Uber charge, you risk getting banned from the platform.
Wrapping Up
Any time you feel unsafe in your Uber, get yourself to safety and report the Uber driver.
Uber investigates each claim and takes appropriate action against the driver.
If you’ve ever reported an Uber driver, comment with your experience or any related questions.
