INDIANAPOLIS — If you're the parent of a teenager, you probably spend half of your life driving them around. Between school, sports practices, events or trips to the mall, it's a never-ending cycle of go, go, go.
In May, Uber launched teen accounts — ages 13 to 17 — in 14 cities nationwide, including Bloomington.
The service is now available in 250 cities, including Indianapolis, across 49 states.
We know parents have a lot of questions, so here is the breakdown:
- Once you set up a teen account through the Family Profile in the Uber app, they'll be able to request their own rides.
- Parents can follow along in the app with real-time updates.
- Parents will get the driver's name, vehicle information and requested drop-off location so they know exactly where the teen is going and who is behind the wheel.
- Before a teen gets in the car for a trip, they will have to give their driver a unique pin, and the driver won't be able to start the trip until they enter the correct code into their app.
- Sensors and GPS data are used to detect if a ride goes off-course, stops unexpectedly or ends early.
- Uber's Audio Recording feature allows users to record audio of their trip directly through the app and save the file on their device.
- Parents and teens can contact their teen's driver at any time during a trip.
While all drivers undergo background checks, the company said only the highest-rated and most experienced drivers will be used for teen rides.
Here's more info on how to set up an account.
To celebrate the national expansion of teen accounts, Uber is offering 40% off teen riders' first three trips during their first month on the platform (up to $15 per trip). The offer expires 30 days from signup and is available Sept. 8 through Jan. 14, 2024.
There is also now a teen-friendly view on Uber Eats for teens to order food. Items teens are not old enough to buy are filtered out, and parents will be able to see each item in their teen's Uber Eats order.
