Safety is at the heart of everything we do at Uber, from setting new standards to the development of technology, we never stop raising the bar for the industry. We want you to move freely, make the most of your time, and be connected to the people and places that matter most to you. 

In the last one year, transparency, integrity, and accountability have been our guiding principles and we’ve made significant improvements in how we use technology and human interventions to make every ride a 5-star experience for our riders and drivers. 

We updated our app with safety in mind, locating all things safety in one central place. These features have been made directly accessible from the home screen during a trip, through our safety toolkit. We strengthened our driver screenings by committing to proactively do annual re-runs of background checks. Since the very first Uber ride in 2010, GPS data has been used to put every trip on the map, so we know where and when you’re riding and who’s behind the wheel. Our community guidelines were developed to help make every experience feel safe, respectful, and positive. 

Millions of rides are requested every day through our app and every rider and driver has access to our in-app safety features. Every ride has a support team if you need them.

Over the last two years, we have ramped up our investments in building safety as an integral part of your ride experience that helps put peace of mind at your fingertips.

Enabling Safety With Technology

 

Call Anonymisation  

We understand the importance of your privacy, and therefore, Uber’s two way phone anonymization feature does not share your number with your driver, and vice versa.

 

 

Check Your Ride

We have curated a set of in-app reminders and push notifications prompted every time you book a trip, to help make sure riders are getting into the correct licensed vehicle, driven by the right driver partner. Before you hop into a car, check the app for your driver’s information and then have your driver confirm your name before the trip.

Rider and Driver Safety Toolkit

By tapping on the shield icon, located on the home screen of the app, riders and drivers can reach the Safety Toolkit and learn all about Uber’s driver screening process, insurance coverage, and community guidelines from the Safety Centre, hosted within the toolkit.

Share My Trip

One can set up Trusted Contacts and create reminders to share their trip status with up to five friends and family in real-time. This will tell your loved ones where you are and there’s help if something unexpected happens. 

Emergency Assistance Button

In the unlikely event of an emergency, the 100 assistance button will connect riders and drivers with the national emergency line. The in-app emergency button can help you get the assistance if you need it.

24/7 Uber Safety Line

Riders now have access to a 24×7 Uber Safety helpline for any urgent, non-emergency issue that may occur during a trip giving riders the option to speak to safety experts.

 

 

24-Hour In-App Support

Whether you need to report an issue with a recent trip or some other guidance, you can access help directly through the Uber app. We have a 24/7 Incident Response Team of over 300 specially trained safety experts dedicated to resolving any urgent issue or incident that is reported to Uber.

 

Behind-the-scene safety initiatives

 

Background Check 

We ensure every potential driver undergoes a pre-screening process before he or she is allowed access to the Uber app. This includes both a criminal and driving history check, as well as minimum vehicle requirements. We also draw from the most current and publicly available court records followed by background screening of driver partners by an independent partner.

Real Time ID Check

We utilize a security feature called real-time ID check alongside real-time human review and fraud detection technology. Real-Time ID Check prompts drivers to share a selfie before going online to help ensure the driver using the app matches the account we have on file. 

Onboarding & Training of Driver Partners 

After pre-screening and background check, we follow up by conducting on-boarding training to help our driver partners become better professionals and to also be more courteous with our riders before they start driving on our platform. 

We have partnered with the Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC) & Edujobs for a certification program that recognises the skills of their driver partners. This scheme falls under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) and is led by the National Skill Development Council (NSDC) from the Government of India. The certification is called Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and provides the following benefits:

    1. Co-branded certificate by ASDC and Uber
    2. Reward of Rs 500 credited directly to the driver partner’s account
    3. Three years accidental insurance cover worth Rs. 2 Lakhs (Max) by NSDC

Ratings and Feedback

We want everyone to have a safe experience on our platform. Our Community Guidelines make it clear the kind of behavior desired by both riders and drivers. Uber encourages mutual respect between drivers and riders and urges both to rate each other post a trip and leave feedback. At Uber, all negative feedback is acted upon and positive feedback helps improve Uber’s experience for all. Our community guidelines clearly list down our zero-tolerance policy and rejects any inappropriate and disrespectful behavior by rider or driver. 

Rider and Driver Insurance 

Whether you are a rider or a driver partner, each time you take an Uber, every ride is now insured, whether you commute in a 4-wheeler, an Uber Moto or even an Uber Auto. The insurance gives you easy access to a cover in case an accident occurs while on an Uber trip. This helps protect you and your loved ones from the cost of unforeseen accidents. 

Law Enforcement Response Team

We have a police liaison team at Uber that includes former law enforcement professionals who work directly with local police to assist in their investigations. 

 

Gender Sensitization Workshop of Driver partners

 

In partnership with Manas Foundation, a Delhi based NGO working in the field of mental health, gender equity and justice for the last 15 years, we organised gender sensitisation workshops for over 50,000 driver partners across eight cities, this year.

 

Vision 2020

2020 will see us renew our deep commitment to safety on the platform. We shall continue to scale up our gender sensitisation workshops across India next year, and roll out new safety features to enable safety on our platform through tech.