SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 17 — Uber has published a video to YouTube illustrating its newly launched RideCheck feature, an app tool that checks in on passengers if their ride has been stopped for a while.

To add to the suite of native, in-app safety features, Uber announced this week that it has rolled out another one, designed to ease and hasten a passenger’s access to emergency services.

In the event that there’s an unexpected pause on a trip, Uber will automatically send a push notification to the passenger’s smartphone asking if everything is okay. Tapping on the alert will allow users to either cancel the notification or press "Safety” to open a menu of help options which includes 911 Assistance, Call Uber Safety Line, and Share My Trip.

If the app detects that a crash possibly happened, Uber will reach out to ask: "Were you involved in a crash?” If a user taps "yes,” they will be prompted with buttons like 911 Assistance, Report a crash, and Insurance Hub.

RideCheck alerts can optionally be deactivated if deemed by the user unnecessary.

This feature started rolling out yesterday alongside existing safety tools within the app including Trusted Contacts, Driver Hour Limits, the Safety Toolkit. — AFP-Relaxnews