Uber Improves Safety With New Features

After announcing a whopping number of sexual assault cases on Uber rides, the platform has started to quickly release new means to secure both drivers and passengers. Let’s quickly review the recently introduced safety features and discuss how good they actually are. 

Buckling Up Reminder

Many people don’t mind buckling up, which can make drivers feel uncomfortable trying to ask their passengers to buckle up. The new feature will encourage users to buckle up regardless of the seat they take and the distance they ride. The testing of the feature will start later this December and roll out nationwide in early 2022. 

Audio Recording Feature

This feature has already been thoroughly tested in Latin America and soon starts piloting in Raleigh-Durham, Kansas City, and Louisville. Both drivers and passengers will have an option to enable audio recording by tapping the shield icon on the main screen. If the feature is enabled by the driver, the passengers will get notified about it in their apps. All the recordings are encrypted on the users’ devices and can be submitted to the public only in individual user reports. 

RideCheck

This feature was added in 2019 to detect unusually long stops and possible crashes. The update enables the feature to detect unexpected trip interruptions and when drivers go off the course. Both drivers and their passengers will receive notifications if a threat is detected. 

Feel Safer Now?

What do you think of the new safety features of the ride-hailing giant? Will our rides now become significantly safer or is it just an illusion of safety? Let’s chat about it in the comments and don’t forget to share this announcement with your friends on social networks. Everyone has to know about them!