Every moment is crucial during any emergency. In an effort to make sure rideshare customers have tools to help in those situations, Uber has rolled out a few safety feature.
"RideCheck" enables Uber to "check in" with customers and drivers if they detect that something may be wrong.
Uber said it had been refining the feature and piloting it in a dozen cities, including Atlanta, over the last year. Now, it's launching the feature nationwide.
When RideCheck is initiated, the customer and driver will get a notification asking that asks if everything OK. Uber said the person can notify them through the app or by using the emergency button if there is a problem. The safety team could also call to inquire about what happened.
Uber has been in the spotlight in the past over situations were either drivers or riders have complained about safety concerns.
Just last month, a 19-year-old college student in metro Atlanta said she was terrified scared when her driver allegedly took her in the wrong direction.
"I just didn't know what to do," she said. "Like, the first five minutes in the car, he was already going in a whole other direction."
The 19-year-old said she asked the driver where he was going, but never got a straight answer.
"He was going completely in the opposite direction of where I live - 20 minutes somewhere else," she said.
She said he stopped for gas, but when they hit the road again, she wanted out. She said he pulled into a dark parking lot next to an abandoned building in College Park. She claimed she ended up jumping out of the car.
College Park Police Department and Uber, are both investigating.
As for the new RideCheck feature, Uber said it could help alert them in situations such as a possible crash or an unexpected long stop.
The company hopes to continue evolving the feature and are working to add other scenarios to it. Get more information on their website.
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