Uber’s RideCheck is going national

Feature aims to flag problems, boost security

Over the past year, Uber has been piloting RideCheck, a system designed to flag unusual events, such as long stops or car crashes, to keep passengers and Uber drivers safe on the heels of highprofile assault scandals.

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

That means whether you’re taking a ride to the office or on a trip abroad, you’ll have extra security measures at your fingertips 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 Tuesday in a blog post.

Once the software has detected something out of the ordinary, both the rider and the driver will get a push notification 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, including reporting a problem 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- hailing company says that the software will continue to evolve to aid passengers in other scenarios.

This year, a South Carolina college student was killed after getting into a car she mistook for an Uber.

SETH WENIG AP

In 2018, Denver police said an Uber driver fatally shot a passenger, and female riders filed 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.

RideCheck sends a push notification to the driver and passenger asking if everything is all right.