HONOLULU (KHON2) — Honolulu Uber passengers now have the capability to use the emergency feature on the Uber app, without making an actual 911 call.
“At Uber, we believe technology can help make the roads safer than ever before,” said Rebecca Payne, Uber’s safety product manager. “We partnered with RapidSOS because every second counts in an emergency, and with their network of more than 5,000 Emergency Communications Centers in the U.S.”
According to Uber, the app will now be able to share critical information automatically to 911 telecommunicators in a time of emergency.
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Before this announcement was made on Thursday, Uber passengers could use the Uber emergency button during a trip, and the car’s information would come up, which the passenger could then verbally pass on to first responders.
Now that Uber added the upgraded feature, passengers only need to press the emergency button on the app which will automatically send the car and the rider’s information to 911. The dispatcher can then share the information with first responders.
In addition, movement of the vehicle will be updated in real-time. If the vehicle crosses 911 jurisdiction lines, the information will be handed off for a seamless response, according to Uber.
Uber’s plan is to make this integration technology available in more than 2,000 plus cities — which covers over 74% of all rides across the nation.