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I'm pretty sure uber doesn't do any of that locations or traffic routing stuff you mentioned. When I take uber the driver just has their favorite app if Waze, Google or Apple Maps for the actual routing or directions.

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Or the passenger in the case of Uber Pool. I couldn't believe what Uber expected of a driver when a new Pool request came up. They had to hit a button, look at the screen, rethink how they were going to go somewhere. Oh and then worry if the requester will cancel.

That happened on my last trip. I felt bad for the driver so I helped him out finding the best way to pick up a passenger after the first two cancelled.

I think Pool is a good thing but not in rush hour traffic where going slightly off the route adds 10 minutes to a trip minimum.

It has to for the time estimates and finding the 'closest' driver to you.

For me the time estimates are always super incorrect and seem only based on the distance.

I use to live next to a highway with the closets exit being a few miles away and I would constantly get drivers on the highway as my closest driver. I always had to cancel since they were actually ~15 minutes away, not 3-5.

I have found that Uber's estimates get better with time. When Uber was newer in my city, it used to give ridiculous underestimates. They've become far more realistic now.

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