Uber Launches 911 'Panic Button' Feature Directly Within Its App

Uber launched an in-app 911 feature this week, which is now live across all US cities where Uber operates.

The feature, first announced in April, dials 911 on behalf of passengers who feel threatened during an Uber ride. The emergency button can be found under the "safety center" menu located on the home screen of the app. The call will go through once passengers tap on "911 assistance," and confirm their intent to dial 911. For users in Denver, Charleston, Nashville, Chattanooga and Naples, Florida, the new app update will also share their location and trip details directly with the 911 dispatcher. This functionality is designed to help improve location accuracy for dispatchers to pinpoint the source of the distress call.

If all goes well, the feature will soon be available for drivers as well, who can just as easily feel threatened by difficult riders.

Uber continues to push updates and revisions in hopes of shaking the notoriously unsafe reputation that dogs the company for various reasons, including the self-driving car that killed a pedestrian, as well as a continued stream of sexual assault and harassment accusations.