Uber’s announced its releasing a new safety feature that detects when a ride has stopped for too long in an effort to increase safety standards on the popular service. Soon, the app will send you a prompt asking if you’ve been in an accident and provide you options in case of emergencies.
The feature, rolling out from February 11, is called RideCheck and once the app detects the vehicle has been stopped for a period of time longer than usual, a prompt will appear on the app offering both riders and drivers a number of options.
“When a RideCheck is initiated, both a rider and driver will receive a notification asking if everything is OK,” Uber said in a press release.
“They can let us know through the app that all is well, or take other actions like using the emergency button or reporting the issue to Uber’s Safety support team. Our customer support team may also follow up by phone to inquire about the RideCheck.”
Uber didn’t specify how long that stop would need to be in order for the prompt to appear but it’s expected to occur after a few minutes of being idle. It’s also understood the emergency assistance button will direct users to call ‘000’ and provides a map with your location so you can tell emergency services exactly where you are.
Interestingly, the feature can be switched off in settings if you elect to do so after it’s automatically switched on from launch.
Either way, additional safety features on Australia’s largest rideshare service are always welcomed so long as they’re doing what they claim to.
[referenced url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2020/02/why-uber-rating-isnt-5-stars/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/simpspns-back-seat-410×231.jpg” title=”Why Your Uber Rating Isn’t 5 Stars” excerpt=”Anyone familiar with Uber will be aware of how important the ratings system is for drivers. With some drivers even straight out demanding you rate them 5 stars. You definitely hear less about rider ratings, even though most riders are curious about the reasons they are getting marked down.”]