The next time you hop in an Uber and hear an audio message asking you to fasten the seatbelt, don’t get spooked as the message to strap-in has been added as a gentle reminder by Uber itself. The new safety feature called ‘Audio Seatbelt Reminder’ is basically designed to stop you from flying around the backseat like a human projectile.
The prompt will play at the beginning of every trip. The message says “please use rear seatbelts for your safety” and it will play in the driver’s phone as soon as you enter the vehicle. At the same time, you’ll also receive an in-app push notification reminding you to put on the belt before the trip starts.
The new feature has been rolled out in Hyderabad in the first phase but will soon be expanded to all major cities. Interestingly, India is the first country where Uber is piloting the use of a human voice and an in-app notification to remind riders about the seat-belt.