Recent Posts
Culture November 7, 2016
A few words we don’t normally hear in the same sentence are women, tech and cars. But did you know that women make up more than half of the tech-savvy drivers on the road? It’s no surprise that gender roles are switching gears. As these industries become more intertwined, women are not only taking the driver’s seat in innovating auto-based tech, but they’re also becoming the focus.
Here are five awesome start-ups that have women written all over them.
While conventional ride-sharing apps like LYFT provide easy accessible ride services, there has been an all-too-common theme of violence against women. With ride-sharing apps like SafeHer, women are now able to ride share with ease. This app provides car services driven by women and for women. This means that women don’t have to worry about the violence and harassment they may experience when ordering a ride from traditional apps like Uber and LYFT.
READ MORE: What You Need to Know About SafeHer, the Female Ride-Sharing Initiative
HopSkipandDrive is an incredible ride service for kids created by moms. As many mothers understand, picking up the middle child from school while dropping the oldest off at practice and having to figure out how to get the youngest to dance class can be a struggle. To help hassled mothers, three LA-based moms created an app that allows parents to trust that their child is getting home safely. Drivers are strictly assessed by their driving records and child-care experience, while allowing parents to monitor the driver in real time.
It seems like rental car companies rob customers blind with their one-day minimum rental rates and price hikes during holidays. With Getaround, those problems are laid to rest. Getaround is a rental car service which allows customers to list their own cars or rent others in the area at an hourly or daily rate. In addition to cheaper prices, the company also provides insurance and 24/7 roadside assistance on all its rentals.
READ MORE: Here’s How Google Is Encouraging Young Women to Pursue STEM
This app was designed by a daughter-father team. Sober Steering is a biosensor on the steering wheel that can detect whether a driver has been drinking just by the touch of his or her palms. If the touch-based sensor detects alcohol, dispatch will be immediately notified. As of now, this technology is currently being used in vessels like school buses and commercial vehicles, but it is expected to be available to the general public next year.
This app is a must-have for all women who don’t know much about cars. What Women Auto Know is a mini roadside assistance reference guide created by a woman named Audra Fordin that not only offers step-by-step guides to help women replace a tire, check their oil or change their air filter, but it also provides auto-noise sound clips that enable you to easily replicate any unhealthy sounds your engine makes.
So while women, tech and cars weren’t commonly related topics before, these start-ups prove that women are stepping it up a gear and proving their abilities to innovate automotive technology.
READ MORE: Why You Should Use Ride Sharing Services
