Starting today, the Uber app will remind you to buckle up shortly after your ride begins. The ride-hailing company wrote in its announcement of new safety features that passengers’ tendency not to use seat belts remains a significant issue, even though 50% of all U.S. crash fatalities in 2022 will be due to seat belt failure. Now, when you get into the car, the driver’s phone will send an audio reminder telling you “For your safety, please fasten your seat belt.” At the same time, you will also receive a push notification on your phone that reads: “Even if you are riding for a short distance and sitting in the back, please use a seat belt to stay safe.”
The company first began testing audio seatbelt alerts in 2021 based on feedback from drivers. The company said at the time that it believed the alerts would “increase seat belt usage and help drivers ensure a safe environment on the road.” The rollout made it widely available in the U.S., U.K., Taiwan, Latin America and several countries in Africa . Uber plans to expand to more regions in the future.
This feature is only active for the first five trips after the feature is activated. Uber probably wants you to get used to wearing your seat belt after the first five rides, although it will send you a notification every 10 rides after that. The company also recently launched a new security preferences section where you can find and automate the service’s security tools. From there, you can automatically turn on features like Recording, PIN Verification, RideCheck, and Share My Ride.
