I hadn’t even realised that you can’t sign up for an Uber account if you’re under 18, but never mind now, because Uber Teen is coming to Australia – launching in Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart initially, it’s a potential game-changer for Parents.
And no, this isn’t about being a lazy parent. This is about having a backup option for your teen to get home from work if you are out or busy working yourself. This is about juggling several kids pickups with a single car – send one of them home in an Uber.
And it’s all controlled by the parent.
Parents and Guardians can now invite teens (13-18) to join and create an Uber account, which not too dissimilar to Apple Family Sharing, means the Guardian has the core power of the account, while the Teen has the independence to use it.
There’s a couple of key differences with a Teen account. Firstly, the Uber Safety features are “always-on”. So things like PIN verification before you ride, and RideCheck – the system that can detect unusual activity, like a crash, or if the ride goes dramatically off course – and alert both the driver and rider.
Plus, while the teen is riding, Parents can monitor the trip.
Aside from those always-on safety checks that are not optional, Uber Teens are only picked up by the highest rated drivers. This ensures some level of confidence for parents and the teen rider.
Additionally, every Uber Teen driver has a working with children background check.
This is also why it’s launching in select cities to start with – Adelaide, Hobart and Canberra already required WWC checks for Uber drivers.
If you’ve got kids and know the juggle, you’ll be on the lookout when this hits your City.
Trev is a Technology Commentator, Dad, Speaker and Rev Head.
He produces and hosts several popular podcasts, EFTM, Two Blokes Talking Tech, Two Blokes Talking Electric Cars, The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen, and the Private Feed. He is the resident tech expert for Triple M on radio across Australia, and is the resident Tech Expert on Channel 9’s Today Show and appears regularly on 9 News, A Current Affair and Sky News Early Edition.
Father of three, he is often found in his Man Cave.
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