Uber launches 'Audio Seatbelt Reminder' feature for riders in India

Ride-hailing platform Uber on Tuesday launched a new tech-enabled safety feature ‘Audio Seatbelt Reminder’, designed to encourage riders to wear their seat belts in Hyderabad.

The feature will prompt riders to buckle-in at the beginning of every Uber trip.

The company plans to expand this feature to other cities in the coming months.

“We are delighted to bring the Audio Seatbelt Reminder to Hyderabad. We believe that this new feature will be an effective way to encourage riders to wear their seat belts, and we are excited to see the positive impact it will have on road safety in Hyderabad,” Sooraj Nair, Head of Safety Operations, Uber India and South Asia, said in a statement.

Moreover, the company explained that the ‘Audio Seatbelt Reminder’ is an industry-first feature that aims to enhance safety on the platform by reducing injuries caused due to riders not wearing seat belts in rear seats.

Once a rider books an Uber trip and enters the vehicle, the driver’s phone will play an audio reminder asking riders to “please use rear seat belts for your safety”.

At the same time, the rider’s phone will receive an in-app push notification reminding him to buckle-in before the trip starts, according to the company.

India is the first country where Uber is piloting the use of a human voice and an in-app notification to remind riders. In other countries, the company has only used a notification sound as a reminder.

— IANS