Uber announced that it will start sending alerts and notifications for its drivers and passengers to buckle up when taking a trip.
According to a note published by the Reuters agencyalerts and notifications will begin to be sent on Tuesday, February 8.
Drivers will receive an alert with a distinctive ring, while passengers will see a notification on their cell phone.
“The intention is to remind passengers and drivers to fasten their seat belts in all seats and at all times,” Kristin Smith, head of Global Road Safety Policy at Uber, told Reuters.
The executive pointed out that the alert that drivers will receive will be similar to the one heard on an airplane when it is necessary to wear a seat belt.
The measure implemented by Uber seeks to increase safety on board its cars at a time when deaths from road accidents are on the rise in the United States.
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), deaths from traffic accidents increased 12 percent in the first nine months of 2021. The increase represents a total of 31,720 deaths, the highest figure since 2006.
The NHTSA notes that while 90.4 percent of front-seat passengers wear seat belts, that percentage drops significantly for those in the back seats.
The agency pointed out that, of the 22,215 deaths recorded in road accidents in 2019, 47 percent did not use a seat belt.
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