If you’re operating a ride-share service such as Uber or Lyft, you need to insist passengers who ride in your car wear masks.

The simple answer to this question comes when you consider who you carry in your car. If you only drive your family you live with around with you, it should be fine for you to have them in your car without a mask. 

Why Do Passengers Need Masks in Your Car?

We currently live in an environment that includes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) which is a respiratory illness that has symptoms similar to the flu. COVID-19 has already taken more than 200,000 American lives and it spreads in an unpredictable manner. The one thing we do know, face coverings can help slow the spread and keep you safer.

A-Symptomatic is a Problem

Some people are able to spread COVID-19 without showing any symptoms of the virus at all. This is one of the scariest aspects of this disease. In fact, you could currently be carrying this disease and not know it but could infect people who are in high-risk health groups. Because of this, its important that you wear a mask and insist your passengers were masks when they ride along with you.

How Can You Protect Yourself from COVID-19

It’s important, as a ride-sharing driver, to protect yourself from this virus. Here are some ways you can do this:

• Avoid providing pooled rides or picking up multiple passengers who would not normally ride together

• Tell passengers to sit in the back seat•Avoid close contact with passengers whenever possible

• Place a partition between you and the passengers to keep them out of your space

• Avoid using recirculated air for the ventilation system

Ensure You Clean Your Car While Also Insisting Your Passengers Wear Masks

You need to clean and disinfect your car between rides with different passengers and at the end of the day. Do this by:

• Carry cleaning and disinfectant spray or disposable wipes to clean after each ride

• When surfaces are visibly dirty, clean with detergent or soap and water

• Make sure frequently touched surfaces get cleaned regularly

Practice Everyday Preventative Actions to Slow the Spread

Not only should you wear a mask when operating a ride-share, but you also need to practice some simple preventative actions to make sure you avoid COVID-19 as much as you can. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, practice proper hand hygiene, and carry tissues in your vehicle to capture your cough, sneeze, or to touch your face when you don’t have passengers in the vehicle with you.

Wear Masks and Insist Others do the Same

When you only drive around with your family and people in your small circle, you don’t have to wear masks, but if you’re going to have strangers in your vehicle, it’s important to wear a mask every time. Use common sense and help prevent the spread of a worldwide pandemic that’s plaguing our lives right now.