Uber will start using smartphones to check if its drivers are speeding

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." Read more...