There are more safety features for the platform. The company already allows drivers and passengers in 14 countries to record the audio of their rides, and now the feature is coming to the US. The recordings will be in three US cities.
If your driver opts into audio recordings, you can cancel the ride if you don't want to be recorded. The shield button on the map screen can be tapped to capture audio. Everyone can record individual trips, and drivers can leave the feature on the entire time they're available for rides.
Riders and drivers won't be able to listen to the recordings on their devices. If a driver or rider submits a safety report with an attached audio file, the recordings can be accessed. A safety agent can take appropriate action when they review the report and listen to the recording.
Two years ago, the feature was introduced in Latin America. Almost 70% of drivers and riders surveyed in Rio felt safer using it.
At the start of a trip, riders will be reminded tobuckle up with audible seat belt warnings. The rider will see a notification on their own device if the audio reminder is provided by the driver's phone. The feature will be rolled out across the US in early 2022.
The RideCheck feature, which arrived in the year 2019, uses a combination of gps and sensors in the driver's phone to detect crashes and long stops. When a trip unexpectedly goes on a different route or ends before the destination the rider entered into the app, the feature can now identify.
If RideCheck flags a problem, the rider and driver will be asked if everything is in order. They can either report the problem to the ride-sharing service or use the emergency button.
