Built so every ride is a safe ride.
Safety isn't a feature. It's the foundation. From the moment a driver applies to the moment you arrive — here's everything we do to keep your trip protected.
Before the trip — driver screening
Every driver on SceneKey passes through a multi-step vetting process before they ever accept their first ride:
- Background checks. National criminal, driving record, and county-level checks through a US-based screening partner. Re-checked annually.
- Identity verification. Government-issued ID + selfie match against the DMV photo database.
- Vehicle inspection. 19-point check covering brakes, tires, lights, and emissions — re-checked every 12 months or 25,000 miles.
- In-person onboarding. Every driver attends a live training session covering de-escalation, accessibility, and our community standards.
During the trip — in-app safety features
- Live trip sharing.Share your live location with a friend or family member from the moment you book until you arrive. Recipients see your driver's photo, plate, and ETA in real time — no app required.
- Driver & rider matching.We never share a rider's exact pickup or drop-off with the driver until the ride starts, and we never share a driver's number with riders.
- Ride check-in. If a trip deviates significantly from the planned route or stops for an unusual amount of time, our trust team is alerted automatically.
- Two-way ratings. Both riders and drivers rate every trip — anyone below a 4.7 average gets reviewed.
The emergency button — one tap, three layers
Tap the shield icon in the top-right of any active ride to reach the in-app emergency button:
- 911 shortcut. One tap to call local emergency services. We auto-share your live location with the dispatcher.
- SceneKey safety line. Connect to our 24/7 trained safety team — they can monitor your trip, redirect the driver, or loop in 911 if needed.
- Trusted contacts. Notify any of your pre-set trusted contacts with one tap. They get a live link they can open from any phone.
After the trip — incident reporting
If something felt off during your ride — even if the trip itself completed — open Safety > Report an incident in the app within 30 days. Every report is reviewed by a human on our trust team, usually within an hour.
For serious incidents (accidents, injuries, criminal activity), you'll hear from a member of our 24/7 safety response team within minutes. We cooperate fully with law enforcement and provide trip records on valid legal request.
Lost & found
Left something in the car? Open Trips > [your trip] > I lost an item. Most items are returned within 24 hours — we'll connect you directly with your driver to arrange pickup or delivery (return shipping is on us).
More questions?
Reach our safety team any time at safety@scenekey.app or open a chat from the Help center. For non-emergency questions about how safety works on SceneKey, we're here.