The Uber for Business Safety Guide
The Uber for Business Safety Guide2
At Uber, our mission is to make transportation available at the push
of a button, everywhere for everyone. Safety is a fundamental part
of everything we do as we work to deliver on this mission.
Uber’s technology makes it possible to focus on safety for riders
and drivers before, during, and after every trip. This guide provides
a detailed breakdown of how we’re combining technology with
traditional methods to make Uber a safe, reliable, affordable, and
convenient way for companies to get their employees from point A
to B in countries around the globe.
The Uber for Business Safety Guide2
There are five key pillars that we follow as we think about safety at Uber
Global safety team
Expert advisors Safety before, during,
and after the ride
On-going quality
assurance
Insurance
The Uber for Business Safety Guide4
Innovating to find new ways to improve safety
using technology
Global safety team
Joe Sullivan
Chief Security Officer
Gus Fuldner
Head of Insurance
Named Risk Manager of The Year in
2016 by Business Insurance.¹
¹ http://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20160218/NEWS06/160219805
The Uber for Business Safety Guide4
“ When I joined Uber last spring, my first priority was to keep building a
world-class Global Safety & Security Team worthy of the trust riders and
drivers put in us each day to help them move safely around their cities.”
Joe Sullivan
Uber’s Chief Security Officer
Third party experts from the fields of law enforcement,
road safety, and women’s safety. In December 2015, Uber
announced its safety advisory board and convened its
inaugural meeting. The board members provide valuable
guidance to Uber in their respective areas of expertise.
Safety advisory board
The safety advisory board comprises the following experts:
John Barton
Former Deputy Executive Director
at the Texas Department of
Transportation
Margaret Richardson
Of Counsel at Covington Burling
and former Chief of Staff to
Former Attorney General Eric
Holder
Ed Davis
Former Boston Police
Commissioner
Cindy Southworth
Executive Vice President, National
Network to End Domestic Violence,
Founder of the Safety Net Technology
Project and Board Member of the
Global Network of Women's Shelters
Jessica Eaglin
Indiana University Bloomington,
Maurer School of Law
Mark Sullivan
Former United States Secret
Service Director (USSS)
The Uber for Business Safety Guide6
Duty of Care
Duty of Care Basics
International SOS is the world’s largest medical and travel security services firm
(Duty of Care), which counts nearly two-thirds of the Fortune Global 500 clients
as customers.
International SOS helps large organisations fulfill Duty of Care obligations. Duty
of Care is a legal obligation, on the part of employers, to protect the well-being,
security and safety of employees, contractors, volunteers and related family
members who are working or posted on international assignments or working in
remote areas.
Who is International SOS?
International SOS is in the business of saving and protecting lives from more
than 1,000 locations in 90 countries. 11,000 employees, led by 5,200 medical
professionals service multinational companies, governments and NGOs globally.
International SOS can help prepare the people in your organisation for travel
and support them if they are in unfamiliar with remote locations. The ISOS
“TravelTracker” solution gives administrators a dashboard view of their
travellers, broken down into locations with current medical or security alerts,
and high and extreme risk countries. Administrators can also search for specific
travelers by location, flight, name, event, and risk level.
Uber is now a global partner with International
SOS. Organisations using both Uber for Business
and International SOS TravelTracker will get
enhanced Duty of Care features through the
integration.
Organisational Benefits
With the Uber for Business and International ISOS integration, your organisation
will have unprecedented access to important location and safety information,
when you need it the most, in order to take action in critical situations.
At a time when organisations are increasingly seeking out location-based
safety tracking, the integration also connects your business traveller’s journey
beyond their hotel and flight itinerary data. Activating the integration allows
Uber for Business to push more data points, such as the employee’s last known
Uber drop-off location, to TravelTracker dashboards so that support can be
dispatched.
The Uber for Business Safety Guide8 The Uber for Business Safety Guide8
Before getting into the car
Using technology to ensure safety
before, during, and after every ride
No more street hails
The Uber app allows for a safe and seamless
pickup experience. Your employees can start the
Uber app from anywhere and wait safely inside
for their car to arrive. That means no standing on
the street to hail a cab or struggling to find the
nearest bus stop late at night.
No discrimination
Requests are sent to a nearby available driver—
strongly reducing discrimination based on skin
color, gender, the time of day, or pickup or drop-
off point.
Easily identify your driver
When a driver accepts a request, your
employees see his or her first name, photo,
vehicle make and model, and license plate
number. They can check whether others have
had a good experience with him or her via the
rating system. This means that they can rest
assured that they are getting in the right car
with the right person behind the wheel.
No more street hails
The Uber app allows for a safe and seamless pickup experience. Your
employees can start the Uber app from anywhere and wait safely
inside for their car to arrive. That means no standing on the street to
hail a cab or struggling to find the nearest bus stop late at night.
No discrimination
Requests are sent to a nearby available driver—strongly reducing
discrimination based on skin color, gender, the time of day, or pickup
or drop-off point.
Easily identify your driver
When a driver accepts a request, your employees see his or her first
name, photo, vehicle make and model, and license plate number.
They can check whether others have had a good experience with
him or her via the rating system. This means that they can rest
assured that they are getting in the right car with the right person
During the rideUsing technology to ensure safety
before, during, and after every ride
Share your location
With Uber, riders can easily share live trip
details for an added layer of security. Through
the app, your employees can easily share a link
with their friends and colleagues that shows
the name and photo of the driver, vehicle
information, and where they are on the map so
you can track them real time until they arrive at
their destination. With Uber for Business, you’ll
get access to a central admin dashboard that
provides you with employee's trip information as
soon as a trip is complete.
Never get lost
With Uber, your employees can see the route
on the map in the app. The location is clearly
marked so they know where they are, and if
they are on the right route.
No need for cash
Uber allows for seamless, cashless transactions,
which means no more arguing about fares,
broken credit card readers, or a lack of change.
Business Profiles on Uber also help ensure that
business rides are charged to the right card and
automatically expensed.
The Uber for Business Safety Guide10
No more street hails
The Uber app allows for a safe and seamless pickup experience. Your
employees can start the Uber app from anywhere and wait safely
inside for their car to arrive. That means no standing on the street to
hail a cab or struggling to find the nearest bus stop late at night.
No discrimination
Requests are sent to a nearby available driver—strongly reducing
discrimination based on skin color, gender, the time of day, or pickup
or drop-off point.
Easily identify your driver
When a driver accepts a request, your employees see his or her first
name, photo, vehicle make and model, and license plate number.
They can check whether others have had a good experience with
him or her via the rating system. This means that they can rest
assured that they are getting in the right car with the right person
After the rideUsing technology to ensure safety
before, during, and after every ride
Feedback after every trip
After every ride, the rider and driver are asked
to rate each other and provide feedback. Uber’s
Global Safety Team reviews this feedback,
investigates issues related to negative trip
experiences, and follows up with affected
parties. This process helps ensure that our rating
system continues to be a valid and robust quality
control check.
24/7 in-app Support
Whether someone left their umbrella in a car or
has a question about their ride, our customer
support team is ready to respond to any issues
24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Rapid response
We have a dedicated Incident Response Team
to quickly respond to the most urgent issues.
If we receive a report about an accident or
incident during a ride, we can quickly suspend
the driver or rider accounts in question,
preventing them from accessing the app while
we investigate.
The Uber for Business Safety Guide10
The Uber for Business Safety Guide12
Contact without providing personal
information
While riders and drivers are able to contact
each other through the app, they won’t actually
see each other’s real phone numbers. Where
available, Uber uses technology that masks the
phone numbers of riders and drivers so they
do not have one another’s contact details going
forward.
On the map
Accountability is one of the things that makes
riders feel safe in an Uber. We use GPS to
keep a record of where a driver goes during
the ride, allowing us to verify that the most
efficient routes are being used, which creates
accountability.
Behind the scenesUsing technology to ensure safety
before, during, and after every ride
Working with law enforcement
We have a team of former law enforcement
professionals who are on call to work with
police at any time to respond to urgent needs
and walk them through how we can assist in an
investigation.
Driver screening
All drivers must undergo an in-depth screening
process before they can use the Uber app. Once
online, we continue to evaluate driver quality
with every trip.
No more street hails
The Uber app allows for a safe and seamless pickup experience. Your
employees can start the Uber app from anywhere and wait safely
inside for their car to arrive. That means no standing on the street to
hail a cab or struggling to find the nearest bus stop late at night.
No discrimination
Requests are sent to a nearby available driver—strongly reducing
discrimination based on skin color, gender, the time of day, or pickup
or drop-off point.
Easily identify your driver
When a driver accepts a request, your employees see his or her first
name, photo, vehicle make and model, and license plate number.
They can check whether others have had a good experience with
him or her via the rating system. This means that they can rest
assured that they are getting in the right car with the right person
Innovative TechnologyUsing telematics, data, and smartphone
technology to improve road safety
Real-Time ID Check prompts drivers to share
a selfie before going online to help ensure the
driver using the app matches the account we
have on file
A daily report is sent to drivers about how their
driving patterns compare to other drivers in
their city, and suggestions on how to provide a
smoother, safer ride
Reminders to drivers of the importance of
taking a break when they need it
Messages in the driver app informing drivers
that mounting their phone on the dashboard is
safer than holding the phone in their hands
Speed display in the app that alerts drivers to
the speed of their vehicle
We believe that technology can help improve safety in new ways. Using available technology in smartphones
helps us understand what’s happening during a ride so we can better prevent problems. For example, we recently
announced new pilots to improve safety for riders and drivers on the road.
Safety Behind the Wheel
Driver Screening and On-going Safety Monitoring
Driver screening is just the first step in our approach to safety. That’s why we’re
leveraging technology to help deliver on recurring safety and quality control
checks with every ride.
Driver-Partner Pre-Screenings & Documentation
Before a person is allowed to drive with Uber, we complete a screening process
that requires an applicant’s full name, date of birth, social security number,
driver’s license number, a copy of his or her driver’s license, vehicle registration,
vehicle insurance, and a valid bank account. Our system keeps track of every
document’s validity; if a document expires, Uber’s system automatically
prevents the driver from accessing the app until their documents are updated in
our system.
To run the screenings, we work with Checkr, a third party background check
provider accredited by the National Association of Professional Background
Screeners. Checkr runs a social security trace to identify addresses associated
with the potential driver, and then checks the potential driver’s driving and
criminal history.
Driving History Review
A driving history check is not usually part of a traditional background check, but
we believe it is an important part of assessing who should be allowed to drive
with Uber. This check ensures that individuals with a recorded history of serious
and repeated driving violations are prevented from joining the app as drivers.
In many cities across the US, over 95% of people who fail our screening process
do so during the driving history check.
Criminal History Review
The Uber for Business Safety Guide16
Individuals who pass the driving history screen then undergo a criminal history
check that screens a series of national, state, and local databases including the
US Department of Justice National Sex Offender Public Website, the PACER
database for federal crimes, and several different databases used to identify
suspected terrorists.
The purpose of these pre-screenings is to identify offenses and other
information that may disqualify potential drivers from using Uber. The
following chart explains the criteria applied when reviewing a potential driver’s
driving and criminal history—this is not an exhaustive list, but covers the
primary criteria that, along with any other disqualifying criteria required by
law, lead to disqualification.
Improving Road Safety
We believe that technology can help improve safety in new ways. For example,
we recently announced four new pilots to improve safety for riders and drivers
on the road:
• A daily report to drivers about how their driving patterns compare to other
drivers in their city, and suggestions on how to provide a smoother, safer ride
• Reminders to drivers of the importance of taking a break when they need it
• Messages in the driver app informing drivers that mounting their phone on
the dashboard is safer than holding the phone in their hands
• Speed display in the app that alerts drivers to the speed of their vehicle
Using available technology in smartphones helps us understand what’s
happening during a ride so we can prevent problems before they even exist.
Driver-partner pre-screenings & documentation
P2P
• If age 21 or 22, the applicant must have a
driver’s license for THREE or more years
• If 23 or older, the applicant must have a
driver’s license for ONE or more years
Non-fatal accidents, moving violations, speeding tickets, traffic light violations
Any felony, Any driving-related offenses, Violent crimes,
Sexual offenses, Child abuse or endangerment
No more than THREE in past THREE years
None of the following convictions in last SEVEN years
Valid personal auto insurance that meets or
exceeds state requirements
None of the following in the last THREE years
• Driving on a suspended, revoked or invalid license or insurance
None of the following in the last SEVEN years
• DUI or drug-related driving offenses
• Speeding 100+ MPH, hit and run, reckless driving, street racing or speed contest
• Valid commercial auto insurance
• Valid commercial registration
• Valid licensing
• Age 21 or older with 1 year of licensing
No more than FIVE in past FIVE years
Age
an
d d
ocu
men
tati
on
Dri
vin
g h
isto
ryC
rim
inal
his
tory
Age
Minor
violations
Documentation
Major
violations
Livery
The Uber for Business Safety Guide18
Incident ResponseOur specially trained incident response team is located in cities around the
world to quickly handle any critical safety issues that may arise. In responding
to incidents, Uber can quickly disable riders’ and drivers’ accounts, preventing
the parties in question from accessing the app until the investigation is
complete. We also have a team of former law enforcement professionals who
are on call to work with police at any time to respond to urgent needs and walk
them through how we can assist in an investigation.
Of course, accidents and incidents will happen in any transportation system.
But we’re working our hardest to ensure that these are kept to an absolute
minimum on Uber—including through new technology, increased investments
in customer support, and using the advice of our independent Safety
Advisory Board.
The Uber for Business Safety Guide18
Insurance
Vehicle requirements
Since February 2013, Uber has offered ridesharing as an affordable, reliable
on-demand transportation alternative. Bringing ridesharing to market in the
U.S. has also required robust insurance coverage. Uber’s insurance coverage for
ridesharing in the U.S. includes the following:
• $1 million of liability coverage per incident. Uber holds commercial
insurance with $1 million of coverage per incident. Driver's liability to third
parties is covered from the moment a driver accepts a trip to its conclusion.
This policy is expressly primary to any personal auto coverage. It does not
take precedence over any commercial auto insurance for the vehicle. We
have provided a $1 million liability policy since commencing ridesharing in
early 2013.
• $1 million of uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage per
incident. In December 2013, we also added uninsured/underinsured motorist
coverage. In the event that another motorist causes an accident with an
ridesharing vehicle and doesn’t carry adequate insurance, this policy covers
bodily injury to all occupants of the rideshare vehicle. This is important to
ensure protection in a hit and run.
• UberBLACK, UberSUV, or uberTAXI rides are provided by commercially
licensed and insured partners and drivers. Those transportation providers
are covered by commercial insurance policies, in accordance with local and
state requirements.
Rides arranged via the Uber app follow all local ridesharing vehicle
requirements:
• Valid vehicle insurance and registration
• Vehicle age requirements
• Third party vehicle inspections completed based on local requirements
• Vehicle inspections offered as part of in-person driver on-boarding at select
Greenlight centers