Uber drivers will soon be able to take fewer left turns as part of a range of changes to its in-app navigation to improve road safety.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 22 per cent of crashes involve a vehicle making a left turn at an intersection.
Uber has now adjusted its in-app navigation to suggest fewer left turns. The organisation said with “just a few” minor changes to GPS routing with “little to no impact” on trip time, drivers could enjoy a less stressful driving experience.
The organisation has also made changes to highlight when a driver is approaching an intersection without a four-way stop. The app will now highlight this on the map screen with a message reminding drivers to “watch for cross traffic.”
A quarter of traffic fatalities and about half of all traffic injuries occur at intersections, according to the NHTSA and in 2018 alone there were more than 6,700 fatalities involving intersections without signals.
Other safety features being rolled out include the expansion of the Uber Audio Recording feature, which helps determine the best course of action after a safety incident, and the trialling of a video recording feature which can be set up on an Uber’s Driver app, working like a dashcam.
New in-app safety tips and resources have also been made available in the in-app Learning Center. Uber said it had consulted with experts, police and drivers themselves for advice on how to handle situations—like what to do if a rider falls asleep in the car after a night out or if a rider doesn’t have a car seat for their toddler.
“We’ve designed these new features to provide more peace of mind when driving and delivering.” said Uber in a statement.
