Uber to launch accounts with extra safety features for teenagers

Uber has announced that they will now allow teenagers (13-17) to own accounts with extra safety features on their app.

Transporting services company, Uber is expanding its rider base with a new service that lets teenagers experience a trip and ride alone.

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UBER TO ALLOW TEENS TO HAVE THEIR OWN PROFILES

The teen rides program allows 13 to 17-year-olds to operate their own Uber accounts after parents add them to a family profile, the company announced on Wednesday.

Uber has been piloting the program in the US and Canada for more than a year, will launch the service next week in 14 cities including  in the United States.

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According to Uber, the new feature will allow parents to track their teen’s trips in real-time and contact drivers directly.

The rides will come with extra safety measures, Uber said, including a PIN verification system and an audio recording option, which can be activated by passengers and drivers.

The audio file will be stored on an individual’s app and is encrypted so that it’s only accessible by Uber if a user opens an incident report. Teen rides will be restricted to “highly rated, experienced drivers,” said the transporting service company.

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ONLY ‘EXPERIENCED AND HIGHLY-RATED’ DRIVERS WILL OPERATE THESE RIDES

All drivers on Uber’s platform are required to pass a background check that includes driving records and a “comprehensive” criminal history report that surfaces offences from the county to federal level, said Sachin Kansal, head of safety products, in an interview.

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Uber requires drivers to pass a background check on an annual basis and receives alerts that flag DMV and criminal record updates

Uber has had a complicated history with unaccompanied minors. Early on, parents seized on services as a carpool alternative, ordering cars to shuttle progeny to soccer and other after-school events.

Many teens set up their own accounts, even though technically Uber requires users to be 18 or older and drivers are allowed to ask for an ID to verify age.

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