Uber Adds Safety Features for Passengers, Background Checks for Drivers

Meredith Carey
Updated
The new safety features roll out in the U.S. today.
The new safety features roll out in the U.S. today.
Courtesy Uber

Uber announced this morning some much needed changes to its app, which the company says will improve passenger safety and—probably more importantly—the public’s trust in the ride-sharing app.

For travelers, especially solo travelers, the new update offers one key feature: a way to automatically share your trip, in real time, with selected contacts every time you get in a car. Switch on “trusted contacts,” and up to five people will get an automatic notification when you arrive at your destination at the end of a trip. You can also set the feature just to share nighttime trips, so you're not blowing up your mom's phone every time you hop in a car.

Uber is also adding a “911 Assistance” feature. In two taps, you'll be able to contact 911 operators and give them the address closest to your location in real time so they can best find you. The app has also partnered with RapidSOS, to pilot a program in Denver that can immediately send your location and trip details to emergency dispatchers, to help first responders get to a scene as fast as possible.

Additionally, the company is putting the spotlight on its Safety Advisory Board by appointing former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson as the group’s very first chairman, said CEO Dara Khosrowshahi in a blog post. In 2015, the board was established to provide feedback on Uber’s safety efforts and think of new approaches to risk management for riders, but it’s not clear what feedback or features the board has so far contributed since it was founded.

On the driver side, Uber will start running background checks and vehicle checks each year, regardless of whether a specific city or country requires them to do so. (Previously, Uber only ran additional, annual background checks when legally required to.) "While no background check is perfect, our process is thorough, fair, and relevant to the work at hand," writes Khosrowshahi, who pledges to go even further. "[We'll] be among the first to invest in technology that rapidly identifies new offenses ... to ensure the driver is still eligible to use Uber."

Taken together, the changes still amount to just small steps toward a safer rider experience. But for the polarizing ride-share service, even baby steps are moves in the right direction.