At Uber we are committed to the safety, not only of those who interact with our application, but of all the people who share public roads.
Because driving for long periods of time can increase the risk of fatigue-related accidents, we included a feature in the app to help drivers have visibility into the hours they have been driving to help them stay safe on the road.
🔹 What is the Driving Time Limit?
- The “Driving Time Limit” is a function within the application that counts driving time and initiates a disconnection period when a driver exceeds the limit.
- For drivers’ safety; as well as that of users, pedestrians and all road users; the limit of hours a driver can drive with the Uber app is 12 hours. If a driver exceeds this time, the application will automatically disconnect the driver for 6 hours.
- Drivers and delivery people will receive notifications in the app when they have 2 hours, 1 hour and 30 minutes and 1 hour of driving time left. Every time they are offline for 6 hours or more, the driving hours will reset.
🔹 What counts as Driving Time?
- The in-app feature automatically counts the total number of hours a driver spends driving while online. If the driver is moving, time counts.
🔹 How does the Configuration Policy work?
- 🚗 Driving time: 12 hours (cumulative)
- 😴 Disconnected time: 6 hours (consecutive)
- For every 6 consecutive hours a driver is offline, their available driving time resets to 12 hours.
- After 12 hours of accumulated driving, a driver must be offline for 6 consecutive hours.
- If the hour limit is reached, that is, 12 accumulated hours of driving, the application will automatically disconnect a driver for 6 uninterrupted hours. If the driver is on a trip, the disconnection occurs at the end of the trip. As soon as those 6 hours pass, the driver will be automatically enabled to drive again.
- A driver can take their own breaks and go offline for as long as they want, but unless they are offline for 6 hours straight, their driving time will be reset to zero.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why did you create this feature?
This new feature was created to promote safe and responsible use of the app. We want to strengthen our focus on helping to keep users, drivers, pedestrians, and other vehicles safe.
2. What counts as online hours?
The in-app feature automatically counts the total number of hours a driver spends driving whilst online. Time is counted when the driver is connected and on the move (from accepting a ride to picking up the user and travel time).
3. Do 12 hours only count if they were uninterrupted?
No, the hours accumulate. To reset the counter, a driver can take a break and stop driving for 6 hours straight.
4. If I wait a long time to receive a travel request, what will it look like in these cases? Will waiting time be counted?
If the driver is just waiting to receive a ride request and is not moving, time doesn’t count. If they’re on the move, time counts.
5. How many hours can I drive per day?
For drivers’ own safety; and that of users, pedestrians, and other vehicles; you should not exceed the 12-hour limit.
6. Does the count reset every 24 hours or at midnight?
The count is only reset once you stop driving for 6 consecutive hours.
7. Will the system send me a message when the time limit is near?
Yes, the app will notify you when you have 2 hours, 1 hour and 30 minutes and 1 hour of driving time left.
8. Are the hours counted even when I am offline?
No, your hours are only counted when you are online.
9. Where do I see the online time?
You can see how long you’ve been online and how many hours you have left in the “Driving Time” option in your app.
10. What happens when I reach the maximum hour limit?
If the driver reaches the hour limit; that is, 12 hours of driving in a row; the application will automatically disconnect the driver for 6 uninterrupted hours. If they are on a trip, the disconnection occurs at the end of the trip. As soon as those 6 hours pass, they will be automatically enabled to drive again.
11. How will I know when I can no longer accept rides and when I can reconnect?
The app will notify the driver when they have 2 hours, 1 hour and 30 minutes and 1 hour of driving time left. If they do not take enough time disconnected from the application, it will automatically log them out and will not allow them to receive trips. After 6 hours, they will automatically be enabled to receive rides again.
12. Can I take my own breaks, and will this count towards the 6 hour “rest period”?
Yes, the driver can go offline for as long as the driver wants to rest, but unless the driver goes offline for 6 hours straight or more, their driving time will be reset to zero.
Posted by Uber