Lyft on Monday officially launched teen accounts nationwide in a bid to match competitor Uber .
CEO David Risher addressed Lyft's delayed teen accounts rollout, saying the company "wanted to get it right" and is distinguishing itself with parent and driver communication tools.
"We've been really thoughtful as we've talked to parents and teens to come up with a product that meets what they both want," he said.
The new program will match passengers between 13 and 17 with drivers, and includes safety features such as pin verification, real-time tracking and recordings. Risher said the drivers who can transport teens require a high star rating and cannot be blocked by a "significant" number of riders.
Bloomberg first reported the news that the company was working on the feature last month. Following the report, Risher confirmed on X that Lyft would launch teen accounts early this year in hundreds of cities nationwide.
Lyft rival Uber rolled out teen accounts nationwide in May 2023. Last year, Uber said it had expanded the offering to more than 50 countries.