All new vehicles signed up for the Uber ride share app will need to have a five-star safety rating from October, according to an email sent to drivers on Tuesday night.Most UberX trips in Australia are already taken in cars that have a five-star rating, Uber says.The safety rating scheme is administered by ANCAP , an independent assessment program.
"Uber is deeply committed to the safety of our customers, communities and everyone who shares the road," he said.Safety experts say older vehicles are over-represented in fatal crashes. Those manufactured before 2001, for example, which make up 20 per cent of the 14.1 million light vehicles on the road, were involved in 36 per cent of fatal crashes.
On an Uber forum on Wednesday, some drivers seemed unfazed by the new requirement, while others said that meant they would have to stop driving. All state and federal governments' cars are required to be five star, except the Northern Territory, which has a four-star minimum.Telstra, Rio Tinto and Thrifty have also adopted the five-star policy.
Does that include the driver too?