What Happens if You Get Hurt Riding a Didi?

On average I use Didi about 60 times a month, which means in any given year I’m meeting roughly 720 different drivers, giving me a pretty good overview of the different types of Didi drivers on the road in Beijing.

There are those with spotless cars who blast their AC – a much-appreciated touch, especially during these hot months. Then there are the occasional ones with dirty cars, broken seatbelts, and who insist that an open window is the same as AC. There are those who’ll drive you from point A to point B without any extra conversation, other than the requisite “Thank you for choosing Didi, please put on your seatbelt.” And there are those who offer you more unsolicited life advice than you could possibly want, especially when you’re exhausted and just hoping to close your eyes for a few moments. Come on guys, it’s not Uber. Don’t rope me into a conversation about how this “isn’t your full-time gig.”

Recently, however, I took a particularly unpleasant ride, during which the driver repeatedly slammed on the breaks. At seven months pregnant I'm already prone to nausea, but this took my stomach to entirely new heights, as if I had ridden the world's bumpiest rollercoaster. He then opted for a route that I didn’t recognize, all while pulling out a second phone and spastically driving around hands-free. While this was my first experience with this level of reckless behavior, my mind couldn’t help but drift to darker “what if” questions.

As a result, I reached out to a friend working at Didi Chuxing for some insights into their company’s safety policy.

First of all, how does a company with so many cars on the road keep track of all their drivers? Who are these people behind the wheel that you’re trusting your life with? According to Didi’s policy, anyone who wants to become a driver needs to provide the company with a valid ID, driver’s license, and comprehensive insurance from a third-party provider. Moreover, in certain cities in China, they also need to pass government tests to obtain a special ride-hailing license. After all their documents have been submitted, these drivers must submit to a facial recognition scan, ensuring that the driver and the person shown on the Didi account are one and the same. Lastly, they must pass background checks on a rolling basis, along with regular vehicle safety checks.

Admittedly, my biggest Didi pet peeve is the detours, but to be fair, in the past six months I’ve had less than a handful of drivers who’ve taken detours. Most just follow the in-app GPS. Didi has an en-route safety monitoring system that uses the in-app GPS and an algorithm to monitor average trip length. If the trip goes beyond what’s considered normal, the rider and driver will receive a real-time notification which will allow both parties to activate the safety center if necessary.

But detours and nauseating break slamming aside, what if the driver gets into an accident while you’re in the car? And worse, what if you’re the one who gets hurt? Whether it's a fender-bender or a rogue moped that runs you down as you exit the vehicle, you'll be happy to know that in the event that you're injured while in Didi's care, the company will provide medical & financial assistance, including an advance payment for medical bills during insurance claims.

For other safety-related questions visit their Safety Center for more information.

Remember to buckle up, and have fun exploring Beijing!

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This article first appeared on our sister site, beijingkids. 

Photos: Mina Yan, Unsplash