What Safety Features Does Uber Plan to Implement

What Safety Features Does Uber Plan to Implement That Will Make Traveling Safer for Both Riders and Drivers?

 CNN recently reported that the rideshare giant Uber has taken some steps in the direction of improving its level of safety for both riders and drivers. After Uber was placed under the spotlight back in April for the numerous reports that were filed against the company claiming drivers sexually harassed or assaulted the riders they were supposed to be transporting, the company now is moving forward with repairing its image. The company announced they are implementing some new safety features that are expected to make riders feel safer the next time they decide to hail a rideshare vehicle using their app.

 In the event an Uber vehicle is involved in an accident, the rider should receive correspondence on their phone that will allow them to either request another ride or connect them to 911. So far, these are the safety features the company has unveiled to the public:

 1. The company will integrate a “GPS-powered tool [into the app] that uses a smartphone’s sensors to detect unexpected stops or an impact during a crash.” CNN highlighted that “if a crash is suspected, a prompt will appear on both rider and driver phones’ with safety features like a prompt to order another ride paid for by Uber or use the 9-11 emergency call button.” While Uber has already made the in-app 911 feature available to riders earlier in the year, it is “now accessible for drivers.” According to Sachin Kansal, who is the director of safety product at Uber, the company wants “to proactively reach out to the rider, check in and make sure they can get help if they need it,” and they may very well in the event a car crash occurs.

 2. Uber will also be adding a “hands-free” feature that will be beneficial for drivers as it will allow them to accept trips “via voice commands.” This will help prevent a driver from operating their vehicle while glancing down at their phone.

 3. Uber will be removing pick-up and drop-off locations from each drivers’ record history along with receipts to help “protect rider privacy.”

Aside from the safety improvements the company plans to implement, Uber also announced that they would be publishing a “safety transparency report” that would be visible to the public on its platform. The report would “put numbers behind how many sexual assaults and other incidents occur.” The CEO of Uber, Dara Khosrowshahi, told CNN that although he can’t give an exact date as to when the report will be available, he suspects sometime next year.

 Source: www.usattorneys.com/articles/