Uber is updating its app safety toolkit that was created four years ago. A new feature allows riders to contact ADT security company during rides. Uber is expanding the availability of a feature that allows customers to text 911.
The safety toolkit is a section of Uber’s app through which customers can contact emergency services, report a safety issue to the company, or share their location with a family member or friend. It was first rolled out in 2018 as a way to address the company’s abysmal record on safety. Uber claims its rides are getting safer, and today’s announcement is meant to reflect these improving conditions.
“With so many safety features, it is time for an upgrade,” Rebecca Payne, the company’s lead safety product manager, said in a statement.
Uber claims that the update will make it easier for users to access the toolkit from within the app. Tap the shield-shaped icon to open four options: call 911, contact ADT safety agents, share trip status or report a safety concern to the company.
One of the new features in the toolkit is the ability to contact an ADT safety agent. Uber posits that some riders may find themselves in a situation that doesn’t qualify as a 911-level emergency but still may need to be reported. Customers can text or call an ADT agent in these cases. They can stay in touch for the duration of their trip or contact 911 on the rider’s behalf. Payne says the ability to reach out to ADT is for “additional peace of mind knowing that help is available right in the app for any situation.”
Uber is expanding its text-911 function in order to help customers who need to call 911 but do not want to do so in a public setting. Uber claims that the feature will be available in 60 percent of cities, including New York and California. Uber added an in-app panic button to allow drivers and riders to call 911 directly. In 2019, the text-911 service was launched in Los Angeles and Minnesota.
This issue has been a constant concern for Uber for years. The company released an update in 2020 to allow riders to report incidents that may not be serious enough to warrant an emergency, but still make them feel unsafe on a trip. The examples that Uber gives include “harsh braking,” “inappropriate remarks,” or a driver who isn’t paying attention to the road.
Uber will prepopulate the first message with vehicle details, location and destination information when a customer attempts to use the feature. This allows customers to quickly communicate this information to emergency dispatchers, the company states.
Uber claims that most of its rides are safe. Indeed the company’s most recent safety report, which covers 2019–2020, noted a 38 percent drop in sexual assaults as compared to the previous report.
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