Uber has launched a new update for its app that helps prevent drowsy drivers from working too long.
The update, announced earlier this week, mandates six hours rest for every 12 hours of driving time. Drivers will receive a warning from the app after 10 hours of driving if they have not taken their six-hour break. If drivers still do not take a break by the 11th hour, they will receive a second warning. A third notification serves as a 30-minute warning before the 12th hour.
After 12 hours, the Uber app will automatically go offline, and drivers will be unable to pick up fares for six hours. Once this mandatory rest period passes, only then will the app reactivate.
According to the ridesharing company, the update is an effort to address the issue of drowsy driving.
Reuters reported that the app update is expected to roll out nationally over the course of the next two weeks.
Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration say that drowsy driving is the cause of up to 6,000 fatal crashes each year.
Uber has been criticized in the past for allowing its drivers to push extended working hours. In a February 2016 investigative piece, New York Post followed some drivers who were working more than 12 hours a day to support themselves. The company later agreed to limit its working hours to 12 in New York City after the piece ran.
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