Uber announced a new set of safety features for its ride-hailing platform in India at an event held in New Delhi on Monday. As per the company, the new features improve emergency response, reduce distractions while driving, and offer users greater control over trip verification. The first two, Record My Ride and Ambulance Assistance, are aimed at improving safety for both riders and drivers. Meanwhile, Uber introduced Don’t Type & Drive and Set Your Own PIN as the latest additions to its suite of in-app safety tools. These features build on the existing safety offerings, including Audio Recording, RideCheck, Women Rider Preference, and Helmet Selfie Verification.
New Safety Features on Uber
According to Uber, Record My Ride allows drivers to record encrypted in-cab video using their smartphones directly through the Uber app if they feel unsafe during a trip. It is claimed to be an industry-first feature where the recordings remain encrypted throughout the process and cannot be accessed by either the driver or Uber. The ride-hailing platform says the footage is made available only if the driver or rider voluntarily submits it as part of a safety report.
In partnership with Dial 4242, Uber is also introducing Ambulance Assistance on its platform. With this, riders and drivers involved in an accident during an Uber trip can instantly request medical assistance through Uber’s existing 24×7 Safety Line. The company says the integration is intended to provide quicker access to emergency medical services when required.
Another new addition is Don’t Type & Drive, which, as the name suggests, disables manual typing in the Uber Driver app while the vehicle is moving. Instead, drivers will be prompted to pull over their vehicle before they can reply to messages. As per the company, it aims to reduce distractions behind the wheel.
The last new feature is Set Your Own PIN. It enables riders to manually create and manage their preferred trip verification PIN instead of relying on automatically generated codes.
As per Uber, the new additions are part of its broader safety ecosystem. The ride-hailing platform currently offers RideCheck, Phone and Address Anonymisation, Safety Preferences, Seatbelt Reminders, Audio Recording, Women Rider Preference, Helmet Selfie Verification, and the 24×7 Safety Line.
