Following several records of alleged sexual assaults, kidnapping and murder especially the killing of a woman who entered the car of a man posing as a driver, Uber has released new satety features to better protect passengers and drivers from harm. The new Uber Features include the ability to text 911 from the app during a ride, and new tools to verify that riders are getting into the right car.
“Our commitment to safety is long term,” said Sachin Kansal, senior director of product management and head of safety products at Uber. “What you will continue to see from us is ongoing commitment and continuing to launch features based on what our users say.”
Riders will soon be able to send a text message to local authorities with one tap that automatically populates trip details such as the make, model and license plate of their driver’s car and their location information at the time they send the text, along with the option to type their emergency. The feature will be piloted in Los Angeles in October, and elsewhere in the US in the future.
Watch the video below.