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Over the past few years, Uber introduced a number of safety products so that when you get inside your ride you can feel safe in the knowledge that you can share your trip with your loved ones, you know that your personal details have been anonymized, and should you need help there is a dedicated safety centre within the app to guide and support you. These features built upon and strengthened some of Uber’s core safety offerings such as 24/7 support, GPS tracking of all trips, and the fact that all drivers are background checked.
These advances in safety are important and for them to be effective it starts with the basics, getting into the right car. Using Uber safely starts with Checking Your Ride. Riders should never get in a car with a driver who claims to be with Uber but doesn't match what is in the app. Every time a rider takes a trip with Uber, they can make sure they’re getting into the right car with the right driver by matching the license plate, car make and model, and the driver photo with what’s provided in the app.
“Last year we launched several safety features in the Middle East and North Africa region, and this is another step as part of our ongoing commitment to Safety. We want the check my ride protocol to become synonymous with Uber. This new notification feature will remind people to complete three steps to make sure they’re getting into the right car with the right driver every time, by matching the license plate, car make and model, and the driver photo with what’s provided in the app. It is another important and visual reminder of the importance we place on safety as well as how tech can make travel safer than ever before.” said Abdellatif Waked, General Manager of Uber Middle East & North Africa..
In addition to these steps, riders can also ask the driver to confirm their name. Drivers see the rider’s name in their app, and the driver’s name is displayed in the rider’s app. To safely exchange names, riders can ask, “Who are you here to pick up?” The driver may also ask riders to confirm their name (“Who’s your driver?”) for their own peace of mind.
As of this week, users will start to see notifications in the app reminding them to check their ride. This notification will become a permanent safety feature and Uber’s goal is to make checking your ride before you get in the car synonymous with using Uber as there is nothing more important to the company than the safety of the people it serves and it's constantly working to improve.
