Could Michigan Be Getting Uber-Like Ride-Hailing Service for Kids?
I am all for everyone having their own freedom, but this may or may not be pushing a boundary.
We know that parents are busy but still want their kids to be safe.
What if there was a way for your child to get around without you having to be their designated driver or chauffeur?
Uber may have fixed that issue for you.
What Is Uber Teen?
Uber has officially launched teen accounts for select cities.
Uber is hoping that this new account will help make parents and teens' lives easier.
According to Uber,
Between school, practice, the mall, and friends, your teen has places they need to be - and so do you. With a teen account, they'll have the freedom to request their own rides - and you'll be notified every time they do so.
Is Uber Teen Safe?
There are several features and benefits that Uber is claiming will help teens.
We all know you can easily request an Uber just by having the app ready.
I know this will ease some parents' nerves because you will be able to live tracking the Uber trip.
Whenever your teen requests a ride, you can follow their location directly in the app and get status updates with live trip tracking. Teen trips are destination locked, meaning that drivers can't change the destination of the trip - only your teen can.
Plus there is another safety feature called Always-on Safety.
Uber says it is,
All the rideshare safety features you know and love, like PIN verification and RideCheck, will always be automatically turned on and cannot be turned off. If your teen chooses to set it up, the Audio Recording feature will also be automatically turned on for every trip. They'll also always have access to our on-trip safety features, such as being able to call 911, contact Support, or report an issue through the app.
Uber Teen Cities
- Tucson, Arizona
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Bloomington, Indiana
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Kansas City, Missouri
- New York City + New York suburbs
- Columbus, Ohio
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Dayton, Ohio
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Dallas, Texas
- Houston, Texas
- San Antonio, Texas
There are also several areas in Canada where the new feature is also available.
Will Uber Teen Come To Michigan?
With the fact that several cities in Indiana and Ohio, including Columbus and Bloomington, are already testing out the new feature, it will not surprise me if the new feature comes to a city in Michigan.
However, the real question is...
Will Michigan parents like this new feature or will this new feature flop and cause more problems than solutions?
If you want to know when new cities (potentially a Michigan city) are available, you can sign up for the waiting list.