SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Recently, companies like Lyft and Uber have been increasing safety measures for riders. And now Sacramento is getting in on the action.
On Thursday, the Sacramento Police Department announced a new partnership with Uber and RapidSOS, which will enable Uber riders to call 911.
"We are the first law enforcement agency in the region to have this new technology," said Sacramento Police Chief Daniel Hahn.
So here's how it works. Anyone who uses the Uber app is now able to call 911 directly from the app. But that's not all. Additional data is automatically sent to the 911 center and made available for dispatchers to use in the event of an emergency.
That data includes the name of the caller, the make and model of the Uber vehicle, the license plate, and the live GPS location of that Uber vehicle. This information will help dispatchers respond to an emergency much more quickly.
"We built this feature so that we could put the ability to call 911 when you need it and get emergency help as soon as possible," said Andrew Hasbun, Uber communications manager of safety.
"Having that peace of mind while on a trip, we think, will help Uber riders and drivers feel more comfortable that they have more access to emergency assistance as soon as possible."
This feature has already been rolled out in 60 other locations around the US. Uber is hoping that this will make riders feel more assured while using the app.
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