Uber launched a new feature on Monday that enables female passengers and drivers across the United States to prioritize matching with each other for rides. This move expands a pilot program designed to address safety concerns on the ride-hailing platform.

The feature, announced via a blog post, allows female users to select an option labeled "Women Drivers" in the app to request a female driver. If the wait time for a female driver is too long, passengers can choose other available vehicles or schedule rides in advance with female drivers. A third option allows female users to set a preference for female drivers in their app settings, increasing the likelihood of being matched with one—though a match is not guaranteed. Uber also permits users of its teen accounts to request female drivers.

Female drivers using Uber can similarly set a preference in their app settings to prioritize picking up female passengers. They may turn this preference on or off at any time.

The San Francisco-based company noted that approximately one-fifth of its drivers in the U.S. are women, though this proportion varies from city to city.