Uber will warn ​its drivers if they're speeding

Uber and safety are two words that can often sound like strange bedfellows depending on who you ask. The company famously refuses to issue basic safety checks to new drivers, with sometimes catastrophic results. Still, the firm is now rolling out an update to its driver-facing app that'll monitor their activity and advise on things that they're doing wrong. For instance, if a heavy-footed chauffeur is constantly edging the speed limit, they'll be warned, as well as receiving a log of excessive braking and acceleration events after the ride. The platform will also know if you're driving and holding your phone at the same time, issuing a reminder to keep it on the window mount. Finally, those who've been working extra-long hours will be advised to take a break before they become a danger to themselves and others.

The company has also taken the opportunity to burnish its safety credentials, which are often questioned because of, you know, stuff. Uber believes that its rise has seen a sharp decline in instances of driving drunk after a night on the tiles. The firm pulled data from Atlanta's police department, implying a correlation between the upswing in Uber rides and drop in DUI arrests. Of course, the company chose to strip the labeling from the graph and admitted that they've been plotted against separate y-axes before being combined. Which means that the evidence could have been exaggerated to suit the cause, although it seems common sense that if taking a cab home gets exponentially easier, people would wise up.