Uber Expands Safety Suite

Uber seems more determined than ever to prove that they are a safe platform for both drivers and riders. After announcing a brand new safety platform this summer, Uber is already expanding their safety efforts, announcing another new suite of safety features last week. Uber’s newest product suite contains 3 major features, Road Safety, Intersection Safety, and Record My Drive. We are here to detail each of these new features and how they work.

Road Safety; Reducing Left Turns

In a unique update to the app, Uber has improved their in-app navigation system to suggest fewer left-hand turns. According to Uber, “22% of crashes involve a vehicle making a left turn at an intersection. With just a few minor adjustments to GPS routing that have little to no impact on trip time, drivers who use Uber’s in-app navigation can enjoy a less stressful driving experience.”

Partially Controlled Intersection Alerts

A smaller update, but still appreciated, is Uber’s new intersection alerts. Now, when using Uber’s in-app navigation, drivers who are approaching an intersection without a four-way stop, will be alerted to “watch for cross traffic” through a pop-up notification within the app.

Record My Ride

While Uber’s in-app Audio Recording feature has already been available to riders and drivers in three major US cities, Uber has decided to expand this feature by now offering it to six new cities as well. Beginning next month, Cincinnati, Nashville, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Antonio and Tucson will also have the ability to use Uber’s in-app Audio Recording feature.

According to Uber, “The Audio Recording feature is built with privacy in mind. The audio file is encrypted and stored directly on the rider or driver’s device. No one can listen to the audio—including Uber, the rider or the driver—while it remains on the device. If a safety-related incident occurs during a trip, a rider or driver can attach the audio file and other relevant information when sending us a safety report. The file will be decrypted and a trained safety agent will review it to help determine what happened.”

Additionally, Uber is also piloting a new Video Recording Trial that will have the same privacy and restrictions as their in-app audio recording. This is still being tested but based on driver feedback will hopefully be rolled out soon.

While these are the 3 biggest additions to Uber’s Safety Platform, they have also expanded on their in-app safety tips and resources, consulting police and veteran drivers for advice on how to handle tricky situations such as drunk passengers or children without car seats.

What do you think of these new updates to the Uber app? Do they make you feel safer when driving or riding in an Uber?