Uber has announced the launch of Uber Teens Accounts in the UAE, KSA, Qatar and Jordan. The new product is designed to help families on the go and allows parents or guardians to invite teens (aged 13-17) to create a specialised Uber account that will enable teens to request their own rides with parental supervision, with key safety features built into the experience.
Through their Family Profile in the Uber app, a parent or guardian can invite their teen to create an account. The teen will receive a link to download the app, create their new teen account, and complete the mandatory safety onboarding process. After that, teens can start requesting trips on their own.
“Teen accounts are built with transparency in mind so that there are no surprises for parents, teens, or drivers. We’re thrilled to offer this innovative feature to families across the UAE, KSA, Qatar and Jordan, with key safety features built into the heart of the experience. Whether their teen is getting a ride to an internship or heading home after football practice, parents will receive real-time notifications and can follow along with live trip tracking every step of the way. We’re committed to helping keep teens safe and getting families moving,” said Pia Tabet, UAE, Qatar and Jordan General Manager at Uber.
How safety is embedded into the family experience:
Live trip and delivery tracking: To help keep parents in the know, they can follow along in the app with real-time updates and live trip tracking whenever their teen requests a ride. Additionally, for teen trips parents will receive the driver’s name,vehicle information, and requested drop-off location so they know exactly where their teen is going and who is behind the wheel.
PIN Verification: Before a teen gets in the car for a trip, they’ll be prompted to give their driver a unique PIN. Drivers will not be able to start the trip until they enter the correct code into their app, providing an extra layer of protection to ensure teens get into the right car with the right driver.
RideCheck: We use sensors and GPS data to detect if a ride goes off course, stops unexpectedly, or ends early. If something like this happens, the Uber app will message the teen and the driver to make sure they’re OK. RideCheck will be adjusted to be more sensitive during teens trips.
Audio Recording available on trips: Uber’s Audio Recording feature allows users to record audio of their trip directly through the app and saves files on the device, automatically encrypting them so that no one – not the driver, not the rider or parents, and not Uber – can listen back to the recording.
Expanded communication: Parents and guardians will be able to contact their teen’s driver at any time during a trip.
Only highly rated, experienced drivers: Only drivers who have passed local screening and background check requirements and are highly-rated and experienced will be able to receive trip requests from teen account holders. Drivers can choose to opt-out of receiving teen trips at any time.
According to the company, Uber Teens is designed to give families added flexibility when they’re on the go without compromising on safety and is now available across the UAE, KSA, Qatar and Jordan.