Uber announces new driving hours to ensure safety

Driving while tired is an issue for all who share the road and, according to Arrive Alive, tiredness-related crashes are three times more likely to result in serious injury or death compared to other types of road accidents.

Uber said they want to do their part to help prevent drowsy driving, starting this week.

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The organisation in South Africa will be introducing a 12-hour limit for driver-partners to enhance driver and passenger safety.

Uber already has features like an in-app notification that reminds drivers to take a break when feeling tired on the road. Alon Lits, general manager for Uber Sub-Saharan Africa, said they will be taking another step forward by launching a feature across the country that prompts drivers to go offline for six straight hours after a total of 12 hours of driving time.

“Drivers who do not take a long enough break will not be able to log into the app and take trips before that period expires,” said Lits.

“Driver-partners in South Africa are already driving responsibly, but safety is one of our key pillars and we believe this new feature will be adding one more safety layer. It’s the right thing to do.

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“We want to promote the safe and responsible use of the Uber app and this feature has tremendous potential to protect not only Uber driver-partners, but also their passengers and, ultimately, all road users.”

Driver-partners will be able to track the time they spend on Uber trips and will be reminded when they’ve reached their maximum time on the app.

Lits said it provides periodic notifications when drivers approach the 12-hour driving time limit and then will automatically go offline for six straight hours when their max has been reached, however, drivers will be able to finish any trip they are currently on.

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After the six hours, the driving time resets and drivers can go online again to receive trip requests, he said. “This move will strengthen Uber’s approach to help keep riders and drivers safe on the road while preserving the flexibility drivers tell us they love,” he said.

Details: Monique Thompson 011 506 7384.

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