Uber has rolled out a new app across more than 200 cities worldwide aimed at improving road safety for cyclists.
Bike Lane Alerts was created to promote the safety of people on bikes and scooters and after a successful pilot in five cities is now live in 30 countries around the world.
The app gives Uber riders notifications when their upcoming drop-off is near a bike lane or along a bike route, reminding them to look before opening the door.
“In the last six months, we’ve sent millions of notifications, in nearly 50 languages, to riders to watch for people on bikes and scooters,” said a spokesman for Uber.
“Whether you’re riding with Uber in Sao Paulo or Montreal, or Austin, you’ll now get a contextual notification any time you’re going to be dropped off along a bike route.”
When first developing the product, Uber used publicly available mapping data to pinpoint where bike lanes and shared roads were located in the pilot cities of New York City, San Francisco, Toronto, and Washington, DC.
As part of the company’s bike safety commitment, it has announced a partnership with the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) to provide important road safety tips to bicycle delivery partners using Uber Eats. As Uber Eats continues to grow, more people are choosing to deliver by bicycle, particularly in urban areas.
“At Uber, we will continue investing in technology that can help improve safety, and we will continue working with bicycle advocates and road safety experts to do our part in helping make the streets safe for everyone,” a spokesman added.
