As part of its continued commitment to prioritise the safety of delivery partners on the road, Uber Eats, a leading on-demand food delivery app and website, announced a range of new courier safety features aimed at improving overall safety for delivery people.
Uber Eats will now implement several key updates to its platform to foster a safer environment for delivery people and other motorists on the road. These new updates include:
-
Driver Hour Limits. Driving for long periods can make accidents more likely because fatigue limits alertness, thus reducing reaction times to changing conditions. Uber Eats will introduce a driving time limit to help protect the safety of delivery people and other road users. Drivers will receive a notification when they have 2 hours, 1.5 hours, and 1 hour of driving time, of their 12 hour limit remaining. Once they have been offline for 6 or more hours, the counter will reset to 12 hours again.
-
Destination Transparency. Uber Eats hosts regular roundtable discussions with its delivery people, in an effort to create a collaborative ecosystem. Insights obtained through these regular discussions showed that more than half of delivery people would like to see the destination in the app when accepting a trip. This feature ensures that delivery drivers will be able to view their destinations upfront, providing them with more control over their routes and enhancing both safety and convenience.
-
Seat Belt Reminders. Uber Eats will introduce in-app notifications reminding 4-wheel vehicle drivers to buckle up. Before each trip begins, the driver app will issue a ‘ding’ sound to remind drivers to use their seatbelts before the trip starts. This reinforcement of basic but vital safety habits will increase safety for all motorists.
-
Comprehensive Safety Toolkit. A new safety toolkit will be added to the Uber Eats platform, offering a range of safety resources and features, including the ability to record audio, share trips with a trusted contact and emergency assistance, features that currently exist for Uber’s mobility consumers.
“The safety of users of our platform is a top priority.” said Cassie Jaganyi, Head of Communications for Uber. “With these new features, we’re reinforcing our commitment to keeping delivery people safe, and thus maintaining our position as the leading food delivery platform in the country.”
These enhancements form part of a larger UberEats initiative to promote safer driving practices and address key concerns raised by drivers and motorists alike.
Partnerships That Enhance Driver Safety
In addition to the new features coming to the UberEats platform, the company has ensured that Uber Eats delivery bags and jackets for drivers will be kitted with high visibility strips to keep them visible at night.
Uber Eats is also working with Big Boy Fourways to keep delivery partners up to date with the latest safety best practices related to PPE. Studies have shown that wearing a helmet reduces your risk of a serious brain injury and death because during a fall or collision, most of the impact energy is absorbed by the helmet, rather than your head and brain.
“Helmets are a non-negotiable part of road safety,” says Conrad Botha, Director of Big Boy Fourways. This is important because the glue and resin that makes them safe can deteriorate. “This means helmets need to be replaced every two to four years,” he adds. If a pressure point has been knocked or if it doesn’t fit well, drivers must replace their helmets for their own safety.
He reminds drivers that if they are unsure when a helmet needs to be replaced, they can check the manufacturer’s date inside the helmet to be sure.
Uber Eats delivery drivers will now be eligible for a 50% discount on new helmets from Big Boy Fourways. Furthermore, Uber Eats has negotiated with Big Boy and Motopay a delayed payment schedule to ensure that costs don’t get in the way of safety.
The on-demand emergency response platform Aura, will also work to provide delivery drivers with swift emergency assistance at the push of a button. This covers medical assistance and security services for drivers involved in accidents.
“With this new range of features and partnerships geared towards enhancing driver safety, Uber Eats is continuing its journey to building a prosperous ride-hailing economy for all,” said Jagany.
