Ride-sharing offers plenty of benefits but it may also offer some unique concerns in regards to vehicle inspection.
With an increase in shared forms of mobility as well as ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft, it’s no wonder that some experts expect us to see fewer vehicles on roads. We may never see a complete replacement of privately owned vehicles as many prefer to own their own cars, but nonetheless, it does present a unique problem within the world of vehicle security. It becomes harder to hold drivers accountable for their actions if there’s no clear owner of the vehicle. For those of us in the security industry, it does present the question of whether or not ride-sharing will change how we approach vehicle inspection and what the implications of that could be.
Growing Pains of a New Industry
As with any new industry, there have been some growing pains among ride-sharing advocates. This includes the fact that vehicle pooling, or riding with strangers, can sometimes create uncomfortable dynamics between passengers who don’t know each other. The alternative for most is to take solo-rides, although this can be cost prohibitive at times and keep people from taking advantage of the services regularly. Still, even beyond the titans like Lyft and Uber, it would come as no surprise if we saw even more advances in the ride-sharing industry—and that could impact how we handle vehicle inspection.
Vehicle Inspection is a Priority
Take a look at ride-sharing services where you actually rent out a vehicle. We need a way to accurately monitor who is in the vehicle and who is responsible for what the vehicle is used for, which is where we fill in the security gap with technology specifically related to vehicle inspection. By utilizing something like an intelligent license plate reader, we’re able to keep track of which vehicles enter and exit a facility, which can then be matched against the ride-sharing company’s records to accurately determine who the driver of the vehicle was. Additional measures may include a driver camera to be certain you’re catching a high-quality image of the driver, which when combined with something like a license plate, can be used as a means of multi-factor authentication.
Intelligent System Integration With Gatekeeper
Gatekeeper Security’s suite of intelligent optical technologies provides security personnel with the tool to detect today’s threats. Our systems help those in the energy, transportation, commercial, and government sectors protect their people and their valuables by detecting threats in time to take action. From automatic under vehicle inspection systems, automatic license plate reader systems, to on the move automatic vehicle occupant identifier, we offer full 360-degree vehicle scanning to ensure any threat is found. Throughout 30 countries around the globe, Gatekeeper Security’s technology is trusted to help protect critical infrastructure. Follow us on Facebook, Google+, and LinkedIn for updates about our technology and company.