Safety has remained a top priority for Uber and over the years, the technology company has developed a number of features dedicated to the safety of drivers and delivery people on the platform.
“We are constantly pushing to do more on safety and as delivery continues it is important that Uber Eats can continue to be a source of flexible, accessible and safe earnings,” adds Nakampe Molewa, General Manager for Uber East Sub-Saharan Africa
Uber Eats understands that delivery people face unique challenges on the road, especially those on two wheels who are more vulnerable, so Uber Eats has focused on developing safety features tailored to their specific needs. As part of this, the company are today announcing a range of new in-app tech features aimed at helping delivery people.
Helmet detection and safety checklist
From today when a delivery person on a motorbike or scooter logs onto the Uber app, they will receive a visual checklist that highlights the most important safety precautions for delivery people to confirm, such as checking the bike, protective clothing, phone mount, and that they are wearing a helmet. In addition, our new helmet detection feature will ask the delivery person to take a photo to help verify that the delivery person is wearing a helmet before they can start delivering.
RideCheck for Delivery People
With the power of the GPS data and sensor information, approved by delivery people for use, Uber’s technology can detect when something may not be going quite right. The new delivery persons feature flags instances where an unexpected long stop occurs during a delivery and notifies of a potential incident.
When a RideCheck is initiated, the delivery person will receive a notification asking if everything is OK, so that they can either let Uber Eats know through the Uber app that all is well, or take other actions like using the emergency button linked to third-party security or medical company or reporting a crash. This technology will continue to evolve, and Uber Eats are working to add additional scenarios to RideCheck.
These new features build upon the growing number of safety features dedicated to delivery people, such as Partner Injury Protection provided by AIG Insurance which covers delivery people from the time of acceptance of a request for delivery until its completion using the Uber application. Delivery people also have access to an Emergency Contacts feature, which will be used by Uber’s Incident Response Team to contact the delivery person relatives in case of an accident and/or for insurance purposes.
Uber will continue to build products and raise awareness about practices that can lead to safer streets for all – regardless of the mode of travel.
“We are committed to road safety and are keenly aware that delivery people on two wheels are vulnerable road users. These new safety features, dedicated to supporting delivery people, are a great example of how tech can make a real impact on road safety, and supports our efforts to continue to prevent incidents and help set the standard for the delivery sector.
“While I’m proud of the progress we’ve made, when it comes to safety, we know our work is never done” concludes Molewa.
