National, June 28th, 2023: Uber has rolled-out its new tech-enabled safety feature, the ‘audio seatbelt reminder’ across India. This industry-first feature is designed to encourage riders to wear their seatbelts to improve safety on the platform. As per a report published by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), more than 16,000 persons were killed in road accidents in 2021 due to not wearing a seatbelt.
This feature prompts riders to buckle-in at the beginning of their first 5 Uber trips and on every 5th trip afterwards. Once a rider books an Uber trip and enters the vehicle, the driver’s phone will play an audio reminder asking riders to “please use the rear seat belt for your safety”. At the same time, the rider’s phone will receive an in-app push notification reminding him to buckle-in before the trip starts.
India is the first country where Uber is using a voice reminder and an in-app notification to nudge riders to wear seat belts in the back seat. This is part of Uber’s continued commitment to India and its philosophy of ‘safety never stops’.
Sharing his views, General (Dr.) VK Singh, Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways and Civil Aviation, Government of India, said, “Over the last few years, India has made progress on improving road infrastructure and network connectivity. It is equally important that we invest in solutions that improve road safety to reduce fatalities caused due to road accidents. Ridesharing companies like Uber have a significant role to play in promoting road safety. The audio seatbelt reminder is a positive step and will encourage seatbelt compliance. We congratulate Uber for its efforts and wish them luck to continue their important work in improving safety on the platform.”
Commenting on the feature roll-out, Sooraj Nair, Head of Safety Operations, Uber India and South Asia, said, “We, at Uber, believe that our work on safety never stops. We are constantly looking at ways to improve platform safety through tech-enabled features and strengthening support to enhance the experience for both riders and drivers alike. The Audio Seatbelt Reminder is yet another technology-led feature that will further our commitment to making roads safer for all.”
Uber has continually introduced tech-enabled safety features to strengthen safety on its platform and make roads safer for all. Riders feel safe knowing that they can share their trip with their loved ones, and can access the in-app help section if they need it. During an emergency, the in-app emergency button lets riders connect with law enforcement officials directly. Uber also has a dedicated 24X7 Safety Helpline number for riders to speak directly to a representative of Uber’s safety team should they have an urgent, non-emergency issue during an Uber trip and upto 30 minutes after it has ended. Last year, the company expanded the RideCheck feature that proactively detects trip anomalies and sends a message to the rider to check their wellbeing in cases where the vehicle has been stationary for longer than usual duration, when it goes off the recommended GPS route, or when the trip is ended abruptly.
