Photo: USA Today
Uber is looking to move past the experience of the expensive lawsuits it settled because of their drivers’ criminal background and driving history, and to assure riders that their safety remains a priority.
To do so, it’s launching a 3-fold safety program that will work both ways: by using drivers only with an immaculate background and offering riders 2 options to call for help, should the situation arise, Digital Trends reports.
Driver screening will be more thorough in the future, the company promises. Drivers will be checked for their criminal background and driving history on an annual basis, as opposed to just once when they get started. The checks will also be more thorough, in that they won’t leave out older or other databases, as it’s happened a few years back.
“Everyone driving with Uber in the U.S. must first pass a criminal and driving history check. Starting this year, we’ll proactively rerun those checks annually,” Uber says. “We’re listening to riders and drivers, changing our company from within, and working with cities to improve transportation.”
In 2016, Uber settled a 2014 lawsuit after admitting to having failed to look at drivers’ backgrounds past the 7-year mark and to run their names in a known sex offenders’ database. That’s a mistake that won’t happen again, thanks to the annual checks.
The other 2 initiatives to safeguard the riders’ safety are a Trusted Contacts ride-detail sharing option and 911 access from the Uber app. The former allows riders to choose 5 contacts who can be updated on their progress during the ride, as well as receive notifications once they reach their destination. This option can be enabled with a single tap on the app, the moment the Uber car arrives to pick them up.
Riders will also be able to call 911 from within the Uber app, with hopes that the option will soon include the possibility to instantly share details like license plate number, location and car make, model and color.
Driver screening will be more thorough in the future, the company promises. Drivers will be checked for their criminal background and driving history on an annual basis, as opposed to just once when they get started. The checks will also be more thorough, in that they won’t leave out older or other databases, as it’s happened a few years back.
“Everyone driving with Uber in the U.S. must first pass a criminal and driving history check. Starting this year, we’ll proactively rerun those checks annually,” Uber says. “We’re listening to riders and drivers, changing our company from within, and working with cities to improve transportation.”
In 2016, Uber settled a 2014 lawsuit after admitting to having failed to look at drivers’ backgrounds past the 7-year mark and to run their names in a known sex offenders’ database. That’s a mistake that won’t happen again, thanks to the annual checks.
The other 2 initiatives to safeguard the riders’ safety are a Trusted Contacts ride-detail sharing option and 911 access from the Uber app. The former allows riders to choose 5 contacts who can be updated on their progress during the ride, as well as receive notifications once they reach their destination. This option can be enabled with a single tap on the app, the moment the Uber car arrives to pick them up.
Riders will also be able to call 911 from within the Uber app, with hopes that the option will soon include the possibility to instantly share details like license plate number, location and car make, model and color.
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