📹 New Uber Feature Will Allow NYC TLC Drivers To Record Rides
NYC TLC drivers will be part of Pilot that allows drivers to record rides within the Uber App. Other safety features include a crack down on fake rider names and recommending less left turns.
Uber announced several new safety features within its Driver App. Notably, one feature allows drivers to record rides using the front facing camera of a driver’s phone (see Uber GIF animation below). The New York City TLC market will be one of the first markets Uber will test this new video & audio recording feature.
A passenger will also be notified if the driver chooses to record a ride and can cancel their ride request due to privacy concerns. The recording feature is focused on the interior cabin of a vehicle, capturing driver and passenger(s) interaction. Enabling the exterior facing camera of a driver’s phone at the same time, similar to a dash cam, may also be part of the broader safety vision.
The interior facing camera will start recording as a driver pulls up near a pickup location and will stop recording once a trip is complete. According to Uber, the file is encrypted and stored directly on the rider or driver’s device. No one can view the recording—including Uber, the rider or the driver—while it remains on the device. If a safety-related incident occurs during a trip, a rider or driver can attach the file and other relevant information when sending Uber a safety report. The file will be decrypted and a trained safety agent will review it to help determine what happened. After seven days the file will be deleted if no incident is reported.
"Recording can just improve and make interactions on the Uber platform a little bit more comfortable because everyone knows that they're going to be held accountable for their actions" - Rebecca Payne, group product manager on safety at Uber
"We've seen many instances where this technology has helped us determine the best course of action after a safety incident, and the majority of riders and drivers in the pilot cities told us this feature helped them feel safer when using Uber” - Uber blog post
Other safety features being rolled out relate to cracking down on fake rider names, which many drivers have complained about, according to the Company.
“…we’re conducting a large audit of rider account names and freezing accounts with names that are clearly fake. These accounts will remain blocked until riders update or validate their account names with our support agents.” - Uber blog post
The Uber navigation system will also start recommending fewer left turns, which are correlated to increased incidences of accidents.
“According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 22% of crashes involve a vehicle making a left turn at an intersection. We’ve now improved our in-app navigation to suggest fewer left turns. With just a few minor adjustments to GPS routing that have little to no impact on trip time, drivers who use Uber’s in-app navigation can enjoy a less stressful driving experience.” - Uber blog post
For more details on the new features, click here to read the full Uber blog post.
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