Uber updates safety protocols in wake of driver leaving with five year-old asleep in back seat of vehicle

An Uber driver's vehicle is seen in this file photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Uber says that it has made updates to its safety protocols in the wake of a “deeply destressing” incident this past winter in which one of its drivers unknowingly drove off with a five-year-old child asleep in the back seat of their vehicle.

Uber issued a statement on Friday following the completion of an internal review into the March 10 incident.

It said that while the child was safely returned to their parent, it took more than an hour “for Toronto police to get connected with the driver through Uber’s support processes.”

CBC News reported at the time that the delay was, at least in part, due to the fact that Uber’s representatives refused to provide contact information for the driver when contacted by police and instructed them to fill out a form.

“While our standard protocol for serious safety incidents directs that only trained law enforcement should initiate contact with a driver, we recognize that exceptional circumstances, such as the incident on March 10, 2025, may require frontline customer support agents to step in and facilitate communication. As a result, we have updated our internal procedures to reflect this important clarification,” Uber’s statement reads.

“We are deeply sorry for the distress experienced by the family in this incident. No parent should ever experience the fear and uncertainty of being separated from their child in this way.”

The incident on March 10 occurred when the Uber driver drove off while the mother of the child was unloading her other two kids from the vehicle, according to media reports at the time.

Uber said in its statement that it began a review as soon as it learned of the incident and provided Toronto police with a “comprehensive overview” of how it handles emergency requests as part of that process.

It said that in-person training sessions with Toronto police officers have also been scheduled for the fall.

In its statement, Uber said that it has implemented multiple updates “to specific safety protocols and operational procedures” in the wake of the incident but is unable to disclose the “full scope” of those changes in order to “protect the operational integrity and security” of its security systems.

“Uber acknowledges the deeply distressing nature of this incident for the family involved. We are grateful that the child was safely reunited with their parent,” the statement reads.