Uber adds a new safety feature for its riders. Details inside

Ride hailing app Uber has introduced a new tech-enabled safety feature to encourage riders to wear their seatbelts. Called the ‘Audio Seatbelt Reminder’, the feature will prompt riders to buckle-in at the beginning of every Uber trip. The feature is currently available in Hyderabad. Uber says that it will expand this feature to other cities in the coming months.

The ‘Audio Seatbelt Reminder’ is an industry-first feature that aims to enhance safety on the platform by reducing injuries caused due to riders not wearing seat belts in rear seats. Once a rider books an Uber trip and enters the vehicle, the driver’s phone will play an audio reminder asking riders to “please use rear seatbelts for your safety”. At the same time, the rider’s phone will receive an in-app push notification reminding him to buckle-in before the trip starts.

India is the first country where Uber is piloting the use of a human voice and an in-app notification to remind riders. In other countries, Uber has only used a notification sound as a reminder. 

Commenting on the feature launch, Sooraj Nair, Head of Safety Operations, Uber India and South Asia, said, “We believe that our work on safety never stops. We are constantly looking at ways to improve platform safety through tech-enabled features and strengthening support to enhance experience for both riders and drivers alike. We are delighted to bring the Audio Seatbelt Reminder to Hyderabad. We believe that this new feature will be an effective way to encourage riders to wear their seatbelts, and we are excited to see the positive impact it will have on road safety in Hyderabad.”

Currently, Uber offers multiple safety features for its riders. These include an in-app emergency button, a dedicated 24X7 Safety Helpline number and RideCheck feature. The latter can proactively detects trip anomalies and sends a message to the rider to check their wellbeing in cases where the vehicle has been stationary for longer than usual duration, when it goes off the recommended GPS route, or when the trip is ended abruptly.