Uber allowing teens to request their own rides and order food in DC
WASHINGTON - The ride-share app Uber will allow parents and guardians the option to invite their teens to create a specialized account where teens can request their own rides and order food with parental supervision and other safety features in the D.C. area.
Through their new Family Profile in the Uber app, a parent or guardian will be able to invite their teen (ages 13-17) to create an account. The teen will receive a link to download the app, create their new teen account, and complete the mandatory safety onboarding process. After that, teens can start requesting trips and ordering meals on their own.
All teen trips will have safety features automatically enabled, including PIN verification, live trip tracking, unexpected event alerts, and access to Uber’s Safety Line. These features cannot be turned off by the teen, the driver, or the parent, so teens will always have access to them with the touch of a button.
"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. "We’re thrilled to offer this innovative feature to families in more cities across the US, with key safety features built into the heart of the experience. Whether their teen is getting a ride to an internship or heading home after soccer practice, parents will receive real-time notifications and can follow along with live trip tracking every step of the way. We’re committed to helping keep teens safe and getting families moving."
"Safe Kids is proud to partner with Uber for the launch of this new feature for families," said Safe Kids Worldwide President Torine Creppy. "As part of our work, we were able to provide advice and expertise to Uber to help ensure teens have a safe experience from pickup to drop off. By providing parents with safe alternatives to help their teens get around, we hope this will help create more equitable solutions for families facing barriers to transportation."
Riders in the D.C. area being offered 40% off teen riders’ first 3 trips during their first month on the platform (up to $15 per trip). This offer expires 30 days from sign up and is available September 8, 2023 - January 14, 2024. You can learn more about how Uber teen accounts work and get answers to common questions on the teen accounts information page.
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