Tina Bellon

(Reuters) – Uber Technologies Inc (NYSE:) Thursday announced that the company will begin an optional audio recording pilot program within three U.S. cities. The goal is to increase safety and allow drivers and riders of Uber to transmit trip recordings in case there are any safety issues.

Uber revealed that it received 6 000 reports of sexual assaults and 107 fatalities in road accidents related to its 2.3 billion U.S. trip between 2017 and 2018. Uber stated that the recording function is designed to give riders and drivers additional security in case they are uncomfortable. It also allows users to upload proof to show how an incident occurred.

This audio recording tool was first launched in Latin America in 2012 and can be found in 14 of its member countries. However, it will soon roll out in America for the very first time.

Riders and drivers will soon be able opt for audio recording to record individual Uber trips in Kansas City and Louisville, Kentucky, and Raleigh-Durham and North Carolina, later this month.

Uber stated that riders are alerted by an Uber banner to driver potential recording of a ride and they can cancel it if uncomfortable.

Sachin Kansal, Vice President for Product Management at Uber, stated that the company learned from Latin America in order to protect privacy and transparency as well as convenience.

Kansal explained that encrypted recordings can be stored in Uber’s app, and the users cannot play them. Kansal stated that users can file a safety complaint and send the recording to Uber employees who will be able decrypt it.

Kansal explained that “we anticipate that people will very accept this feature.” Kansal said, “As we learn more from the cities and receive feedback, it will be possible to expand it further.”

Uttara Sivaram is Uber’s senior public policy manager. She stated that the company will initially concentrate the recording function on U.S. jurisdictions with one-party consent laws.

On Wednesday, a spokeswoman for the company stated that it was still waiting full-year data on traffic deaths from U.S. regulators in order to complete its safety report 2019 and 2020.