ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A woman was picked up in Henrietta Thursday night by a rideshare driver, and police say when she entered the SUV just before midnight she thought the driver may be drunk. The woman quickly sent messages to 911 — allowing them to find and follow the vehicle.

Monroe County sheriff’s deputies were able to make a traffic stop along Mount Hope Avenue, and the driver was eventually charged with DWI.

When using services like Uber and Lyft, police say you should always keep your safety as a top priority. A good tip listed on Uber’s website is to always trust your intuition, use your instincts and best judgment, like the passenger did Thursday night.

Sherif Shaatf doesn’t have a car at the moment, and relies on Uber and Lyft to get around. He says there’s always a few things he does before getting in the vehicle.

“On both applications, I do have the PIN option activated. So, before I enter they either ask me for a pin or I ask them for their name for verification. And I always check for any physical, like visible, you know, signs that are off,” Shaatf said.

Both Uber and Lyft have emergency buttons on their apps that call emergency services and send your real-time location and trip details with the dispatcher. If you feel unsafe, they say you can always end the ride at any time.

The passenger from Thursday night did something a little different to contact the police. To be more discreet than a phone call, she texted 911.

“I didn’t know that was an option,” said Shaatf. “But if I were to be put in such a situation, I would definitely prefer text over call.”

“Its a great way if you feel you’re in a dangerous situation, that you’re not able to get out of if you feel uncomfortable speaking freely about it,” said RPD Captain Greg Bello. “That’s a great way to get tips across. That’s a great way to alert us or any first responders, not just a police call, but alert first responders to any potential issue that may be going on.”

If the driver accused of driving while intoxicated is found guilty, guidelines for sentencing say the driver’s license would be taken away for at least six months on top of fines and penalties.

As for Uber and Lyft, both companies have a zero-tolerance policy and won’t let anyone with a DWI conviction drive until years after.

If you or someone you know takes rideshares often, check out more safety tips by clicking here.

To text 911, open the messages section on your phone, type 911 in the “to” field, and briefly explain the situation in the text. Hit send.

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