Uber is rolling out a Safety Toolkit that will offer its passengers, drivers and couriers a raft of new safety features.

The features are being introduced to cities in 22 European countries, including 40 locations in the UK.

Now, when users begin a journey with Uber a shield icon representing the app’s safety information hub will automatically pop up. The hub includes details about driver licensing, background checks and GPS tracking, as well as information on how to contact Uber’s 24/7 helpline.

Uber has also introduced ‘trusted contacts‘, allowing users to share trip details with friends and family members. The pre-existing ‘Share Trip‘ function is featured more prominently, and users can now share details with up to five trusted contacts with a single tap. The app prompts users to share details of their trips based on their own pre-set parameters – including all trips, night trips, or no trips at all.

Users can now also contact emergency services from within the app, and allows users to share their real-time location with the person on the other end of the phone.

Sachin Kansal, Uber’s global head of safety products, said: “With more than 15 million trips on the Uber app every day, there is nothing more important than the safety of riders and drivers. It’s a top priority for us: for our riders, our drivers, our couriers and the communities that we serve.

“We’re constantly learning what are the most important things for our users. They want more safety capabilities but also easily accessible in the app. Over the past year, we’ve been working to develop innovative features that increase transparency, accountability and peace of mind for all users.

“The rollout of these new safety features across Europe is the next step in making sure that we’re helping everyone stay safe and connected, wherever you might be.”