Uber adds 911 assistance to rider app
https://techcrunch.com/2018/05/29/uber-adds-911-assistance-to-rider-app/
Uber has officially launched its 911 in-app calling feature, after first announcing it in April. As you can see below, riders can tap the safety icon at the bottom right corner of the app to call 911. Once on the line with the 911 dispatcher, you can easily communicate your location, since Uber clearly shows it in the app. In seven test markets, Uber is integrating with Rapid SOS to enable automatic location sharing with 911 dispatchers. Clicking on the safety icon also brings up an option to share trip details with trusted contacts.
Uber is testing the automatic location sharing with 911 dispatchers in seven cities: Denver, Colo., Charleston, S.C., Nashville, Chattanooga and Tri-Cities, Tenn., Naples, Fla. and Louisville, Ky. In terms of determining which cities to deploy automatic location sharing, Uber Director of Product Management Sachin Kansal told TechCrunch said it came down to “readiness of cities” and “how fast some of them were able to move in terms of training agents and testing functionality.”