Uber's safety chief is promising to improve driver screening using biometrics and voice verification.
In a blog post entitled “Our Commitment to Safety,” Philip Cardenas, Uber’s global security head, defended the company’s current safety procedures—such as a driver rating system and “multi-layered background checks”—but acknowledged that Uber still has “more work to do, and we will do it.”
First, Uber will attempt to improve safety through new technology, which will involve biometrics and voice verification for “enhanced driver screening,” and more ways to communicate with Uber and personal contacts in the event of an emergency, it said.
The company will also take steps to improve background checks internationally, where Cardenas says standards vary widely. Once again, Uber promises to solve this problem partially by “using scientific analysis and technology to find solutions.” Customer support will also become a focus for the company, with former Amazon executive Tim Collins joining the company to lead a global support initiative, said CNN Money.
Last, Cardenas wrote that Uber will be “working with partners that have deep expertise in issues like women’s safety, conflict resolution, and road safety and incorporate their counsel into our global safety roadmap.”