Woman's child lock safety check during Uber or Lyft share rides is need of the hour

As much as we take pride in bringing about equal opportunities for women, this unsafe world is still hindering their dreams and goals. Unlike a man, a woman cannot step out of her home without contemplating the possible threats. Looks like even technology has a part to play in creating unsafe situations for women and one best example would be the latest "Child lock" feature in cars. A San Diego-based fitness influencer and entrepreneur, Elisabeth Bradley—who goes by @elisabethbradleyy on TikTok—revealed how one can ensure that the child lock isn't on during ride shares in Uber or Lyft.

In her 6-second video, Bradley shared a powerful lesson that we all need. "Me every time I get in a ride share to make sure child lock isn't on," the text overlay read. Capturing herself entering a car, Bradley proceeds to shut the door on her side as soon as she takes her seat. However, the woman doesn't stop there. She opens the door again to see if the child lock is on or off and then closes it back. This way one can prevent themselves from being stuck inside a cab in case of unfortunate situations. Many users pointed out that she couldn't escape once she shuts the door the first time if the child lock was on. However, Bradley explained in her caption, "If you're alone, check before you get in and if you're with a friend, make sure they don't close their door yet."

Some users thanked Bradley for this eye-opening tip. "This trick might literally just save my life when I live in NYC," said @lesbianism102. Many others warned that child lock can be turned on after the person enters the car too. "They can easily turn it on though. You have to pull the piece inside the door to make sure it’s off for good," suggested @hannah.banana.000. "Pro tip: Before getting in, roll the window down (if it won’t roll down, don’t go). If child lock is on you can open the door from the inside if the window is down," added @becxx02. "Just have someone you trust with your location to make sure nothing will happen. Make sure you send them their driver information from the app," chimed in @xcognition.

Speaking of safety in cabs, Lyft has launched an innovative feature for the safety of women and non-binary riders and drivers. Not just the riders but also drivers might face uncomfortable situations and Lyft offered a solution for it. The new feature called Women+ Connect on the Lyft app will allow women or non-binary riders to choose drivers of the same gender. While nearly half the riders' demographics show women riders, Lyft has only 23% women drivers.

So, when female or non-binary drivers can choose their riders, it might improve their confidence paving the way for more women drivers. "Just for your own peace of mind, the ability to choose a woman driver might be exactly the thing that allows you to say, you know what, yeah, this really is making my life better," Lyft CEO David Risher told Today.

You can follow Elisabeth Bradley (@elisabethbradleyy) on TikTok for fitness content.