It’s the time of the year again as we celebrate a year of hard work and enjoy some well-deserved downtime. Whether you’re heading to the family home for barbecue get-togethers, to the beach for summer sun and surf, or to your favorite bar for a drink with friends, it’s important to keep safe, be responsible and look out for one another.

As we head into one of the busiest times of the year,  we know many of you will be relying on the Uber app for safe and reliable rides, and many Uber driver partners will be out on the road to help riders like you get from A to B.  Here are some top tips for riding safely this summer.

Tip 1: Find a safe pick-up and drop-off zone 

Locate a safe pick-up and drop-off zone where driver partners can easily pull in, and keep an eye out for oncoming traffic, cyclists, motorbikes, and other pedestrians. If you need to communicate your pick-up spot to the driver partner, you can use the anonymised messaging and calling feature in the app.

Tip 2: Make sure you get into the right vehicle 

Especially during peak hours, many riders like you will may also be waiting for their Uber to arrive. To ensure you get into the right vehicle, always Check Your Ride details. You can always find the car make and model, licence plate, and the driver partner’s name and photo in the app. 

You can also opt into our Verify My Ride safety feature, which enables a four-digit PIN code. When the driver partner arrives, simply provide the PIN to the driver. Once the driver enters the correct PIN, the trip can begin. If someone is claiming to be your driver but the details don’t stack up – do not get into the vehicle and be sure to report it to Uber or your local authorities right away.

Tip 3: Choose kindness and ride respectfully 

Let’s celebrate this holiday season with kindness and understanding, and welcome the new year by spreading joy. Please make sure you treat your driver and other riders with respect and look out for one another. The vehicle you’re riding in is likely your driver’s personal car, so please treat it with respect. While it’s okay to have fun on your trip, please remain respectful and refrain from bringing open alcohol bottles on your rides, and never verbally insult or get aggressive with your driver or other riders you’re commuting with.

Uber’s Community Guidelines are there to outline what behaviour isn’t appropriate and we work to take action to hold both riders and driver partners accountable for their behaviour.

Tip 4: Use Uber’s in-app safety features for extra peace of mind

Uber’s Safety Toolkit is designed to support your safety before, during, and after every ride. For added peace of mind, you can share your live location with a loved one via the Share My Trip feature.

In the unlikely event of an accident or an emergency during your trip, you can connect with emergency services via the in-app Emergency Assistance button. You can let the operator know exactly where you are by sharing the details on your app screen. 

We also have a RideCheck feature that can detect when something may have gone wrong during your trip, such as an unexpected long stop or emergency, and will send an in-app prompt to confirm you’re okay.  

Remember, our customer support team is available 24/7 and there to help when you need it. Simply tap ‘Help’ in the app or visit help.uber.com.

Tip 5: Share feedback and report incidents 

You can rate and share feedback on your driver after every trip for their information, whether they’ve done an outstanding job of getting you where you need to be on time, or if they’ve followed the safety standards.

We are constantly innovating and improving the Uber experience, and your feedback will help us pinpoint issues so you can rely on us to go anywhere anytime. While 99.9% of Uber trips end without an incident, when something does occur we strongly encourage you to let us know, so we can take action.

For non-emergency situations that make you feel uncomfortable during the trip, you can discreetly let us know via the On-Trip Reporting feature. This message goes directly to our safety agents, and any feedback passed on to the driver partner will be anonymised, and your privacy will be respected.

During our busiest season of the year, we appreciate you playing a part to help keep the Uber community safe, respectful, and enjoyable for everyone. 

Thank you for riding with the Uber app this year, we look forward to bringing you new features and products in 2023.