As part of its continued commitment to safety, Uber has made significant steps to improve safety in recent years by making it a top priority and putting it at the heart of everything the company does.
Uber is rolling out Check Your Ride in-app reminders and push notifications to all riders across the region where it operates, just as it did in the United States in April.
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.
Regarding the safety features, Interim GM Uber, Saad Naveed Pall said, “We are committed to safety. The check-my-ride protocol is an extension of Uber’s commitment to ensuring rider safety. The app will remind users to complete the three safety steps before every trip, if they are entering the right car with the right driver before every trip by matching the license plate, car make and model, and the driver’s photo through information provided in the app. He further added, “It is crucial to have constant reminders of the importance of safety since this is a top priority for Uber. With these new features, we are using tech to make travel safer than ever. “
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.
SAFETY FEATURES IN THE APP
- Check Your Ride Push Notifications: A new push notification to remind riders of the Check Your Ride steps just before their car arrives.
- Check Your Ride In-App Banner: A clear message in the app, starting from the moment riders get matched with a driver-partner until the moment they start the trip, to remind riders how to confirm the right car. Uber will keep this reminder in place for several weeks and initiate it periodically in the future.
