Staying safe on the road

Ensuring the safety of our communities is always our number one priority. Today we’d like to highlight the processes and features Bolt has in place to keep drivers safe when out on the road. It doesn’t matter if you’re a long-time Bolt driver or you’ve only recently started, we recommend reading through this article and keeping this information handy going forward. 

24/7 incident support

Drivers can contact Bolt via phone, (see city contact information), directly in the app via the Support tab, or via the SOS button, if needed. All safety-related cases are immediately assigned to a dedicated Bolt Safety Specialist who will initiate an investigation. We’re available 24-hours, 7-days a week.

SOS Button

An emergency may call for swift action. If at any point during your journey you feel unsafe, please use the in-app SOS button found on the top right corner of the map portion of your screen. This will send an instant message to a Bolt Safety Specialist who will contact you and notify the Police or other Emergency Services.

Ratings are a 2-way street

At the end of a Bolt ride, you and your passenger are prompted to leave a rating for one another. This allows the Bolt team to gather feedback on everyone who uses our services. 

Ratings enable us to have clearer insights into good and bad behaviours observed on the app. If consistent bad behaviour is monitored, we will take appropriate action against the offending party.

Always remember to rate your passengers, it’s one of the easiest ways to ensure safer trips for all users.

Passenger management procedures

Bolt drivers have the right to feel respected and safe when driving on our platform. 

Additional feedback, such as reports to our Customer Support team are also taken into account. If an incident is flagged by a Bolt driver, the passenger will receive a message similar to the one below, directing them to Bolt’s Rider Guidelines.

If the aggregate driver feedback rating of a passenger dips below a certain threshold, that passenger will be warned and suspended. Initial suspensions last for at least 6-months. 

Permanent suspensions can be issued depending on the severity of their infractions. In the extreme, this may also result in Bolt contacting the police.  

Passengers must treat their drivers as they would wish to be treated. Everyone that uses Bolt must conduct themselves in a respectful, lawful and safe manner — there are no exceptions.

Static vehicle checks

We monitor your driving activity when you are on a trip in the Bolt Driver app. After starting a journey, if your vehicle becomes stationary for a set period of time, a Bolt Safety Specialist will be prompted to give you and the rider a call to check in and make sure you’re okay.

In-app chat for anonymous discussions 

If you need to communicate with your passenger before picking them up, both of you can make contact using the in-app chat feature in your apps. This allows you to communicate with a passenger without needing to share your personal phone number. 

When using in-app chat make sure you are safely pulled over and not driving.

Driver safety advice  

Now that you know about all the processes and features available to keep you safe, here are some best practices to maximise your safety while driving: 

• Check the Bolt Driver app and see where your passenger’s pickup location is. If the area has heavy traffic, recommend an alternative pick-up spot where it is safer to stop.
• When your passenger gets into your car, confirm their name and final destination, keep in mind there may be multiple stops.
• Before starting the journey, make sure all passengers are safely in the car and that the doors and boot are shut. 

• During the journey, if you feel unsafe at any moment, pull over where it is safe to do so and end the trip. Kindly, but assertively, ask your passenger to exit your vehicle if a passenger becomes unruly, contact 999 and/or push the Bolt Driver’s app SOS button right away.
• Consider purchasing a dash camera or vehicle CCTV (a device approved in your locally licensed city).
• On the journey, avoid discussing contentious topics such as sex, religion and politics. 
• At the end of your trip, leave a rating. If there’s anything you want us or other drivers to know about a passenger please detail that in the comments section when leaving your rating.

Questions? Please reach out!

If you ever have any questions related to safety or other matters, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Simply find your city contact information and give us a call or send us an in-app message. We’re always happy to help!