Uber’s RideCheck safety tool rolls out nationwide

Over the past year, Uber has been piloting RideCheck, a system designed to flag unusual events like long stops or car crashes to keep passengers and Uber drivers safe on the heels of high-profile assault scandals.

Now the ride-sharing giant is rolling out the service to all riders and drivers in the U.S., with plans to expand to other countries in the near future.

That means whether you’re taking a ride to the office or on a trip abroad, you’ll have extra security measures at your fingertips while commuting with strangers.

”Helping keep millions of riders and drivers around the world safe is a huge responsibility with unique challenges,” said Sachin Kansal, head of safety products at Uber. “While I’m proud of the progress we’ve made, when it comes to safety, we know our work is never done.”

How RideCheck works

The new feature uses GPS data. ”By using this data and other sensors in drivers’ smartphones, our technology can detect possible crashes or if a trip goes unusually off course,” Uber said in a blog post on Tuesday.

Once the software has detected something out of the ordinary, both the rider and the driver will get a push notification asking if everything is all right.

From there, passengers can let the app know that everything is running smoothly, or they can take other actions like reporting an issue to Uber or contacting emergency personnel.

“Our safety team may also follow up by phone to inquire about the RideCheck. In the event of a crash, we can also help expedite the claims process,” Uber said.

The ride-sharing company says that the software will continue to evolve to aid passengers in other unfortunate scenarios.

Earlier in 2019, a South Carolina college student was recently killed after getting into a car she mistook for an Uber.

In 2018, Denver police said an Uber driver fatally shot a passenger, and female riders filed a proposed class-action suit against the company, accusing it of poor driver vetting that led to thousands of passengers enduring sexual harassment and rape.

To address safety concerns, Uber has integrated in-app emergency buttons and a slew of other technologies over the years.

Read more at usatoday.com.