Uber launches teen accounts in Bloomington

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — Uber launched a new feature in Bloomington on Monday that allows parents to invite teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 to create their own account and request rides with parental supervision, the rideshare service announced.

Parents can invite their teenager to create an account through the Family Profile in the Uber app. The teenager will receive a link to download the app where they can create an account and complete the necessary safety onboarding process.

After completing the training, they can request rides of their own.

Parents are notified when their teen requests a ride, and they can monitor the progress of the trip. They’ll also be able to see the driver’s name and vehicle information.

Before a teen gets in a car, they’ll be asked to give their driver a pin number. Drivers can not start a trip until they enter the correct code into their app.

If a driver goes off course, stops unexpectedly, or ends early, both the driver and the teen are notified.

The Uber audio recording feature allows users to record audio of their trip through the app. The audio is automatically encrypted and saves.

Bloomington is the only city in Indiana that is offering this service.

“Teen accounts are built with transparency in mind so that there are no surprises for parents, teens, or drivers,” Mariana Esteves, product manager at Uber, said. “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.”