This $9 Car Safety Device Is Essential for Rideshares

You put your life in a stranger’s hands every time you get into an Uber or Lyft. Though uncommon, incidents from car accidents to kidnappings have happened at the hands of taxi and rideshare drivers, so erring on the side of caution when you’re in one doesn’t make you over the top or paranoid—it makes you smart and prepared.

This $9 car safety item allows you to reclaim a tiny bit of control when you’re in the backseat. It’s a two-in-one car escape tool that’s so small and portable it fits on your key ring. The gadget can slice through a seatbelt and break a car window, and reviewers, including EMTs, say it’s a lifesaver they never travel without.

Resqme Emergency Keychain Car Escape Tool

Car windows are made of thick tempered glass that is specially designed to resist cracking and breaking. It takes immense force or a special tool to shatter it. Resqme’s trademarked device shatters tempered glass with a spring-loaded steel spike that activates by pushing it against the surface. The body also features a razor-sharp knife edge protected by a plastic cover that doubles as a keychain. When you pull that plastic cover off, you can use the sharp edge to cut through a jammed seatbelt. 

A safety tool like this is essential to have on hand for several reasons. In the case of a car accident, you can use the tool to dislodge yourself and escape the vehicle—it’s been used in vehicle fires and accidents on water. The brand says even first responders carry the device, and that it “saves a life, on average, every 15 days.” One EMT said they are “never without one” after their boss was caught in a car fire and needed to free his sons from the backseat. “If he had had a window punch, he may have been able to gain entry to the vehicle and rescue them,” they wrote in their review. Unfortunately, not all rideshare drivers are prepared for these types of situations.

Resqme says, “As much as we would love for all Uber and Lyft drivers to carry a Resqme, sometimes, you must take matters into your own hands. Ensuring you carry your easily portable Resqme ensures you can escape in case of an accident, saving yourself and possibly your driver.” The spike works best when it is positioned at a corner of the window, where the window is the least flexible and most likely to shatter. The spike resets and can be reused. 

Resqme Emergency Keychain Car Escape Tool

In addition to car accidents, the tool can be used in sketchy situations where you might need to escape an ill-intentioned driver. In some cases, the driver can actually detain passengers using child door and window locks, preventing them from getting out of the car or flagging down help. A reviewer said that after having “a scary encounter in a vehicle,” they carry the tool to “never feel helpless again … whenever I’m in a car or taxi.” Others agree it’s a must-have for riding in Ubers, Lyfts, and cabs.

Sadly, the tool will not make it through TSA at the airport—indeed, many have had theirs confiscated—because of the exposed blade, but you can fly with it in a checked bag. It’ll give you peace of mind while you’re traveling in unfamiliar countries and destinations where you might not speak the language. 

For a tool so valuable, it’s surprisingly only $8 to $10 at Amazon, where it has about 62,000 five-star ratings. From another popular window hammer tool to pepper spray, a personal safety alarm, and an anti-theft money belt, find more car safety tools to keep in your vehicle and take on rideshare trips with you, below.

Shop More Car Safety Tools at Amazon:

Amazon Basics Seat Belt Cutter and Hammer Tool 2-pack

Sabre Keychain Pepper Spray

iWalk Portable Charger

She’s Birdie Personal Safety Alarm

Daitet Anti-theft Money Belt

At the time of publishing, the price started at $9.

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