New features unveiled at the Uber Surakshit conference include encrypted in-cab video recording, custom trip PINs, distracted-driving safeguards and ambulance assistance, as the company deepens its focus on rider and driver safety
Ride-hailing platform Uber on Tuesday expanded its safety ecosystem with a suite of new features, including encrypted in-cab video recording, ambulance assistance, personalised trip verification PINs and safeguards against distracted driving, as the company said it continues to invest “millions of dollars” in safety technologies and deepen the use of artificial intelligence (AI) across its operations.
Speaking to BW Businessworld at the sidelines of Uber Surakshit conference in New Delhi, Sooraj Nair, Head of Safety Operations, India and South Asia, Uber said that the company is increasingly deploying AI to prioritise safety-related complaints, detect fraud during driver onboarding and identify areas where additional safety interventions may be required
According to Nair, AI enables safety-related reports to be routed to human reviewers more quickly than routine issues such as fare disputes, reducing response times for incidents involving riders and drivers.
Nair said Uber spends “millions of dollars” on safety initiatives but declined to disclose an exact figure.
“See, it would be in the ballpark of millions of dollars. Right. But we genuinely don’t want to give out a number for safety because honestly, safety for us is all about doing the right thing… Safety is not a priority. It’s a value,” he added.
New Safety Features
Among the key additions is an upgraded Record My Ride feature, which now allows drivers to record encrypted in-cab video using their smartphones. Once activated, recordings are stored locally on the device in encrypted form and remain inaccessible to both the driver and Uber unless the driver voluntarily attaches the footage while reporting a safety incident. Previously, the feature was limited to audio recording.
Addressing privacy concerns while speaking to reporters, Nair said recordings are automatically deleted after seven days if no safety report is filed. Riders are notified before recording begins and may choose not to continue with the trip if they are uncomfortable.
Uber has also partnered with medical logistics provider Dial 4242 to integrate Ambulance Assistance into its app. The feature enables riders and drivers involved in an accident to request emergency medical support directly through the platform. The company said ambulances are expected to be dispatched in less than 15 minutes on average.
Another addition is Set Your Own PIN, which enables riders to create, manage and change their own trip verification PIN instead of relying on automatically generated one-time PINs.
To reduce distracted driving, Uber has disabled manual text entry in its Driver app while a vehicle is moving. Drivers are prompted to pull over safely before responding to messages. The platform has also introduced in-app reminders encouraging drivers to wear seatbelts and avoid typing while driving.
The latest additions build on existing safety tools, including RideCheck, a 24×7 Safety Line, Safety Preferences, helmet selfie verification, helmet reminders for two-wheeler trips, and phone and address anonymisation.
Nair said Uber does not view safety as a competitive differentiator and wants higher safety standards to become common across the ride-hailing industry. “We don’t want safety to be a differentiator. We actually want safety to be an industry standard. What starts off as an innovation today becomes an expectation tomorrow.”
Uber also have a partnership with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways under the Sadak Suraksha Abhiyaan to promote road safety awareness and encourage safer mobility practices.
Road Safety Remains A Challenge
Addressing the conference, Gadkari recalled surviving a serious road accident more than two decades ago. “In 2001, I survived a serious road accident on the Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh border. Our vehicle was badly damaged when it collided with a stationary truck, but a tire on the truck prevented it from going further, saving our lives.”
The minister said behavioural issues continue to be among the biggest challenges to improving road safety in India.
“People continue to drive on the wrong side, ignore basic traffic rules and even cross busy roads carelessly with children. This mindset has to change.”
Gadkari said the government has identified accident-prone black spots and landslide-prone stretches across the country and undertaken improvement works worth Rs 50,000 crore. He added that efforts are under way to improve road engineering standards through better signage, lane markings and underpasses.
“Sometimes, doing the right thing for safety means making decisions that may seem difficult for business or growth in the short term. But safety has to come first. Today’s users expect transparency, accountability, instant support and safety to be built into the app, not treated as an afterthought,” said Prabhjeet Singh, President, Uber India and South Asia speaking during the conference.
Singh is set to leave Uber later this year to join OpenAI as its first Managing Director for India. “When we introduce a new safety feature, it often becomes the benchmark for the industry,” he added.
Nair added while addressing the conference that, “What feels innovative today becomes expected tomorrow. That’s exactly how safety should evolve. Our belief is simple: Safety innovation should become the industry’s baseline, not remain a differentiator. Our industry-first safety features and partnerships highlight our commitment to continually raise the bar.”
Uber entered the Indian market in 2013 and currently operates in more than 125 cities across the country.
