BALTIMORE — Uber is launching a new addition to their app allowing Baltimore area teens, ages 13 to 17, to order food or request a ride.
Here's how it works.
A parent or guardian has to first sign their teenager up through their family profile in the app.
Then the teen will receive a link to download the app themselves, which guides them on how to set up their own account.
Uber says the teen account includes several safety features including a "mandatory safety onboarding process."
Each delivery or ride ordered by a teen will have live tracking.
Before a teen gets into their Uber, they will need to provide the driver with a unique PIN which the driver will have to enter into their own app.
This the company says adds "an extra layer of protection to ensure teens get into the right car with the right driver."
Additionally Uber said sensors and GPS will be used to notify them if or when a ride goes off course, stops unexpectedly, or ends early.
In that case the teen and driver would each receive a message checking on their safety.
Audio recording is another feature of the app.
According to the company, users can "record audio of their trip directly through the app and saves files on the device, automatically encrypting them so that no one - not the driver, not the rider or parents, and not Uber - can listen back to the recording."
Finally parents and guardians can always contact the teen’s driver during any part of their trip.
Only high rated drivers will be allowed to receive trip and delivery requests from teen accounts.
They will also have had to pass a background check.
Uber teen accounts began in late 2022 are now available in 250 cities across 49 states in the US.
"We’ve received overwhelmingly positive feedback from both families and drivers in the pilot cities," Uber said in a press release. "Parents and guardians have said the feature gives them added flexibility and peace of mind, while teens say it makes them feel more independent as they get to and from after-school activities, and more."
For more information, click here.
