TAMPA, Fla. — Uber announced a new product Friday that will allow teenagers in Tampa to create their own specialized accounts.
According to the ride-sharing company, the program will allow parents and guardians to invite their teens ages 13-17 to make a specialized Uber account that will allow the teens to request their own rides and order food with parental supervision built in.
Uber said built-in safety features include live trip and delivery tracking, which will allow parents to follow along with real-time updates when their teens request a ride or delivery. Parents will also be able to check the driver's name, vehicle information, and requested drop-off location.
With Uber Eats, teen accounts will automatically filter out items teens are not old enough to buy. These safety features embedded into the account cannot be turned off by the teen, driver, or parent.
“Teen accounts are built with transparency in mind so that there are no surprises for parents, teens, or drivers,” said Mariana Esteves, Product Manager at Uber.
Uber said they spent over a year developing this new initiative and even consulted with safety experts like Safe Kids Worldwide.
Brian Anderson-Needham is the co-owner and co-founder of Weapon Brand, a self-defense company that teaches a variety of programs, including rideshare safety. He advises that teens watch what's going on and trust their intuition.
"Sit in a position to where you could see the road. Make sure it's going the same way that the actual GPS or map is showing on your phone," said Anderson-Needham. "Make sure that if you don't recognize the area and it should be the area you usually recognize, say something, call somebody."
It's also a good idea to check the license plate and picture of the driver.
Christie Bruner, a parent, said she thinks she'd be open to using this in the future.
“My middle one is 15, about to get her license, about to turn 16," said Bruner. "They want to have their freedom, but cars break down and things happen and friends get sick that were supposed to drive them, and parents have to stay home or at work later, so I think this is really a great option.”
Parents who want to use the program can use the Uber app to invite their teen to create an account. Once they receive the link to download the app, the teen can create their account and complete the required safety onboarding process.
The app is also offering 40% off of teen riders' first three trips during their first month on the platform. For more information on teen accounts and safety features, click here.
