Skip to main content

Concern over Uber’s vetting processes after US shooting

The arrest of an Uber driver in Kalamazoo, Michigan, has prompted renewed interest in the company’s driver vetting process. Uber has confirmed that Jason Brian Dalton, accused of injuring two and killing six people over the 20-21 February 2016 weekend in Kalamazoo, Michigan, was an Uber driver who had passed the background checks with no criminal records. The company’s website says that Uber operates an extensive driver screening process which includes collecting detailed information from potential d
February 22, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
The arrest of an Uber driver in Kalamazoo, Michigan, has prompted renewed interest in the company’s driver vetting process.

Uber has confirmed that Jason Brian Dalton, accused of injuring two and killing six people over the 20-21 February 2016 weekend in Kalamazoo, Michigan, was an Uber driver who had passed the background checks with no criminal records.

The company’s website says that Uber operates an extensive driver screening process which includes collecting detailed information from potential drivers, including address, age, social security number, driving licence, vehicle registration and insurance details. These are then checked by the investigation service Checkr, which also checks the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website, National Criminal Search and several different databases used to flag suspected terrorists.

Uber says it also uses technology to enable a safer ride by giving passengers information about their driver, tracking all trips using GPS from beginning to end and incorporating feedback from riders and drivers.

However, according to the Wall Street Journal, Californian prosecutors alleged that the process was unable to detect drivers who can possibly be harmful.

Uber’s chief security officer, Joe Sullivan, has confirmed that the company is helping the police with their investigations.

Related Content

  • December 5, 2013
    Terrestrial solution to stellar shortcomings
    Inherent weaknesses in satellite communications are leading several countries to re-evaluate terrestrial-based backup systems. There is a tale frequently told in satellite navigation circles, of how landing systems at Newark Airport were disrupted by a truck driver using GPS jamming equipment as he drove along the New Jersey Turnpike. While there was no threat to flight safety as the interference to GPS reference stations being tested, the story highlights how apparently benign threats have the potential t
  • January 12, 2016
    Driver with 51 penalty points still allowed to drive
    Three drivers with more than 40 points on their driving licences are still allowed on the road, according to a Freedom of Information request to the DVLA by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM). The enquiry also found that 13 people in Britain currently have 28 or more points on their driving licence, the worst of those amassing 51 points. In addition, the numbers of drivers with 12 or more points has gone up by nine per cent in just seven months between March and October 2015 – from 6,884 to 7,517.
  • March 28, 2017
    Commuting habits come under scrutiny
    Cities have a moral responsibility to encourage the smart use of transportation and Andrew Bardin Williams hears a few suggestions. Given the choice of getting a root canal, doing household chores, filing taxes, eating anchovies or commuting to work, nearly two-thirds of Americans said that they wouldn’t mind commuting into work—at least according to a poll conducted by Xerox (now Conduent) over its social media channels at the end of 2016.
  • January 26, 2017
    Call for targeted safety measures to prevent road deaths among young drivers
    Zero tolerance on drink driving, additional hazard perception training and graduated forms of licensing should become the norm to help tackle the risks faced by young drivers and motorcycle riders in Europe, according to the YEARS report (Young Europeans Acting for Road Safety. More than 3,800 young people (aged 18-24) are killed each year on EU roads – the biggest single cause of death for this age group. A report by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) and the UK Parliamentary Advisory Council