Uber Now Has An Emergency Button On Their App In Canada In Case Your Ride Goes Wrong

Taking an Uber where you need to go has become so common that people even use it as a verb. Now, a new Uber emergency button feature has launched in Canada. The latest addition to the app is designed to make customers feel more secure.

This idea is part of the new RideCheck initiative to make both riders and drivers feel more comfortable during their trip.

It allows the company to check in if it feels something might have gone wrong during the trip, including accidents and stops that last longer than normal.

Through the in-app feature, which was launched in the United States last fall, passengers can either confirm that everything is okay, or they can use the emergency button to immediately contact 911.

It can also be used to call Uber’s safety line. The company can also help to expedite any insurance issues if there is an accident.

While RideCheck is being implemented across Canada, the Uber Safety Line and crash detection are not yet available in Quebec.

"This technology will continue to evolve, and we are working on adding additional scenarios to RideCheck," Global Senior Director of Safety Products Sachin Kansal wrote in a news release, "Helping keep millions of riders and drivers around the world safe is a huge responsibility with unique challenges."

This latest addition to the popular ride-sharing app follows other similar-minded initiatives.

In 2019, the company added a PIN option to provide another level of verification on trips.

Customers could potentially use some of these features to avoid unsafe rides, like one faced by a Toronto woman in December. Her driver spent the trip speeding and blowing through stop signs.

The City had also implemented tougher rules for Uber and Lyft drivers. These include requiring three years of driving experience and the completion of an approved training program.