Uber’s new Ride Check will provide assistance when things go south

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Uber has introduced a new way to make sure its rides are safe. With Ride Check, the Uber app will help make sure both driver and rider are okay in the event of a possible crash and give you tools to get help quickly. The new feature is expected to roll out in the next few months.

Ride Check uses built-in smartphone features such as the accelerometer and gyroscope alongside GPS data to analyze rides. When it detects a possible crash, Uber will send out an alert to both the driver and rider. This alert will provide a one-tap button to call 911 and Uber’s safety line.

Another choice will be to tell the company that everything is fine. The technology will also send out alerts if the Uber app notices trip irregularities. For example, if there’s an unexpected stop during a ride.

Image: Uber

What happens if the alert doesn’t receive a response? Uber’s safety team will be alerted to the possibility of a serious incident.

Besides Ride Check, there are also plans on implementing a driver emergency button, which is much like the driver panic button it launched in May. The company is also working on voice-activated commands. This feature offers drivers and delivery partners a hands-free way to interact with the Uber app, so they can accept trips and communicate with customers using just their voice.

Two-step authentication and address anonymization are also in the development stage.

Unfortunately, crashes on the road happen and it’s great to see the company taking the lead here. Hopefully, the company’s upcoming safety tools work as expected and lead to smoother rides.

What do you think about these initiatives? Is it enough? Let us know below.

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