The number of people injured or killed on the country’s roads every year is staggering. According to the latest data 35,092 people died in traffic crashes in 2015, and upwards of 2.4 million were injured (NHTSA). These deaths and injuries occur across all segments of the population—not only those in cars, but also pedestrians and cyclists. 

There are a number of things we can all do to help keep our streets safe and to reduce these preventable tragedies. In addition to our other efforts, we are actively working as a member of the community to help raise awareness about bicycle and pedestrian safety.

Starting on March 1, we plan to  message the following to both riders and drivers based on what the experts like NHTSA and the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia say:  

For drivers:

• Familiarize yourself with the different markings for bike lanes. Lanes can be marked a number of ways, and some prohibit vehicles from stopping for any reason other than to obey traffic laws or in case of an emergency. By paying special attention to these different signs and markings,  you’ll help keep people on bikes safe.
• Remind riders to exit on the curbside and to look out for cyclists before opening the door.
• Give cyclists room and be aware of cyclists signaling left turns.  
• Where possible, pull over to the curb for pickup and drop-offs.

For riders:

• Check before you request: When you request a pickup on a street with a bike lane, be sure your driver has sufficient curb space to pull over. Or, walk to an adjacent side street before requesting a ride.
• Keep your eyes on the road, not your phone: Stay alert when entering the street to ensure you don’t collide with another person walking, biking or driving.
• Be aware of bike lanes: When you’re getting dropped off on a street with a bike lane, ask your driver to look for open curb space or offer to be dropped off on an adjacent side street.
• Look twice before exiting: Look back before exiting your vehicle. Exit on the side closer to the curb to avoid colliding with people on bikes that may be passing the vehicle on the traffic side.

We believe that technologies like Uber provide an incredible opportunity to help improve road safety in new and innovative ways. And by incorporating these little actions into your everyday habits, you can help make a big impact.

Uber is Committed to Bringing Traffic Fatalities to Zero

As Philadelphia embarks on a Vision Zero plan to eliminate traffic deaths on our streets, Uber wants to do our part to help make that vision a reality.

In addition to using our technology to improve safety, we are partnering with the Vision Zero Alliance to provide riders and drivers with valuable safety tips that the experts say can help make roads safer. We will be rolling out a series of safety campaigns every quarter in 2017 with information about how riders and drivers can share the road with pedestrians and cyclists.

Your safety and the safety of our cities is important to us, and these sorts of changes—large and small—can make a big difference.