Uber will start using smartphones to track its drivers as part of a pilot program to "verify feedback" from riders.
The program will use a smartphone's gyrometers, GPS and accelerometers to record data such as a vehicle's speed and how often it starts and stops.
"Over time, we hope to use technology to improve safety proactively," Joe Sullivan, Uber's chief security officer, wrote in a company blog post on Tuesday.
The data will be used to improve the ride feedback for both the driver and riders.
"If a rider complains that a driver accelerated too fast and broke too hard, we can review that trip using data. If the feedback is accurate, then we can get in touch with the driver," wrote Sullivan. "And if it’s not, we could use the information to make sure a driver’s rating isn’t affected."
In the blog post, Sullivan explains how distracted driving was responsible for more than 3,000 car crash-related deaths in 2013, and speeding was responsible for more than 10,000 deaths in 2012.
"For example, if gyrometer data shows that drivers are constantly moving their phones around, we can offer them mounts to fix the problem," wrote Sullivan. "Or we could use technology to determine that the average South Florida Uber driver goes 50MPH and takes 50 minutes to drive from Miami to Fort Lauderdale. For drivers who go much faster on that stretch, we can ask them to curb their enthusiasm."