Uber announced last month that it’s piloting a new, in-app safety feature using publicly available mapping data in three select U.S. cities, including New York. The feature pinpoints where bike lanes and shared roads are in the city, and will encourage Uber drivers to safely coordinate pick-ups and drop-offs away from bike lanes.
Riders will receive a push notification informing them whether their upcoming drop-off is near a bike line or along a bike route. Additionally, it’ll remind them to take a second and look out for people on bikes before opening their door – a means to prevent “dooring.” The Dutch Reach, pioneered in the bike-friendly Netherlands, is a universal technique when exiting a vehicle that makes road travel safer for cyclists. With this method, riders and drivers reach towards the car door with their faraway hand, twist their body towards the window, and look over their shoulder before slowly opening the door to safely exit.
“This pilot is just the start,” said Kristin Smith, a road safety product marketing manager at Uber, in a statement. “We look forward to continue working with safety experts to increase awareness and build safety products for everyone – regardless of the mode of transportation.”
George Fiala has worked in radio, newspapers and direct marketing his whole life, except for when he was a vendor at Shea Stadium, pizza and cheesesteak maker in Lancaster, PA, and an occasional comic book dealer. He studied English and drinking in college, international relations at the New School, and in his spare time plays drums and fixes pinball machines.
