Uber Initiates New Safety Features

By on September 1, 2022 0 365Views

Safety is at the core of the Uber experience. The company announced Tuesday that it has partnered with ADT to provide riders with another option to seek help.

Uber recently announced plans that set them apart as the leader in the industry with their new technology and innovative ways to help keep everyone who uses Uber safe.

Uber first introduced their Safety Toolkit back in 2018, setting a new standard for safety with an in-app emergency button. Since then, they have added the ability to seamlessly share your trip status with loved ones, verify your ride with a unique PIN codetext 911 in many cities, and much more. However with those safety features firmly in one place, it is time once again for an upgrade.

Uber is introducing their new Safety Toolkit – featuring brand-new options, designed to give easy access to the help you need when you need it.

The New Safety Toolkit
Uber has made accessing in-app safety help even easier and clearer in the new Safety Toolkit. After tapping on the safety shield, riders will see large tiles with all the safety help options available in their area. Their goal is to streamline access to and visibility of our most critical safety features— because in an emergency, every second counts.

In the Safety Toolkit, riders and drivers have access to the emergency button and can report safety incidents to us directly while on a trip. They can also easily share ride information with friends and loved ones and access some of the latest safety information from Uber.

Live Help from an ADT Safety Agent
Not every situation rises to the level of an emergency, and users have asked us for an option for those less critical moments that don’t require police, fire, or medical assistance. Uber has partnered with ADT, a trusted home security brand, to bring users the support of an ADT safety expert. Users nationwide can now get help, via phone or text, from a live safety agent from ADT in the new safety toolkit.

ADT has the ability that when a call or text exchange is requested, the agent can monitor an ongoing trip, stay in contact through the duration of the trip, and even reach out to 911* on the user’s behalf with key trip details; like the vehicle’s make and model, license plate number, and GPS location. This new feature should give users additional peace of mind knowing that help is available right in the app for any safety situation.

Text to 911 Expansion
Uber listened to feedback from their customers and after riders and drivers shared they would like the option to discreetly contact 911 while on a trip, they added the ability to text 911. In 2019, Uber first rolled it out in Los Angeles, Minnesota, and Indiana.

Uber is now expanding text to 911 to nearly 60% of the US, including all of California and New York City, where the technology is in place for 911 centers to receive text messages.

When someone uses the text to 911 feature, the Uber app will pre-populate the initial message with vehicle details, location, and destination information, so you can quickly communicate that information to emergency dispatchers. While calling 911 is always preferred by first responders, texting can be a crucial way for users to request help discreetly. Uber will expand this feature as more states and cities implement the technology.

There are now more than ten ways to report a safety incident to Uber.