Grab to double investments on safety measures by 2019

It is taking a smart driver fatigue model that will remind drivers to rest.

As part of its ‘Safer Everyday Tech Roadmap’, Grab will double its investments for safety measures by the end of 2019, an announcement revealed.

The initiative unveiled product enhancements that eye to raise transport safety standards for the industry. For its rollout, Grab partnered with government agencies across Southeast Asia to develop tailored, localised initiatives that address their top safety concerns.

In Singapore, Grab drivers will have access to a more holistic healthcare programme with the Health Promotion Board as they come across challenges related to sitting and driving for long hours.

“We’re not going to compromise on our users’ safety, and that’s why even as Grab has grown much larger, safety remains a core part of our DNA and it was an easy decision to double our investment into safety next year,” Grab co-found Tan Hooi Ling said.

Grab will also team up with Unique Speed, LTA's appointed training provider, for the Safe Riding Programme in which the agency will deliver an education programme for delivery partners on safe riding practices and proper use of PMDs delivered through an integrated circuit.

The ride-hailing firm is also making a smart driver fatigue model that will automatically push out in-app messages to remind drivers to take a break when it detects that they are potentially tired.

According to the firm, the algorithm of the scheme will not only take into account the number of hours the driver has been on the road, but also includes telematics data, driver’s profile, time of day, rest between shifts and total number of bookings accepted.

“Safety on the road begins with good health,” Grab head of Singapore Lim Kell Jay said. “We understand how draining it can be for our drivers and delivery-partners when they spend hours on the road to serve our customers, and care about their well-being but recognize that we can’t do this alone.”