In this file photo taken on May 08, 2019 In this pan zoom image, an Uber logo is seen outside the company's headquarters in San Francisco, California, the United States, on May 8, 2019. (AFP Photo)

SAN FRANCISCO, May 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. leading ride-sharing company Uber Technologies Inc. said Wednesday that riders in the United States and Canada with low ratings may risk losing their right to Uber service.

Uber has updated its safety policy with "ratings-based rider deactivations" rules that require riders to show the same good behavior from what they have expected from drivers.

The new rule took effect immediately starting on Wednesday.

"Respect is a two-way street, and so is accountability," Uber said in a statement. "Drivers have long been expected to meet a minimum rating threshold which can vary city to city. While we expect only a small number of riders to ultimately be impacted by ratings-based deactivations, it's the right thing to do."

Riders may lose access to Uber if they develop a significantly below average rating, said the ride-hailing company, without giving further details about what the low-rating threshold would be.

Uber encourages low-rated riders to improve their ratings by showing politeness and refraining from leaving trash in the vehicle and asking drivers to exceed the speed limit.

Uber has unveiled its community guidelines listing specific awful behavior that would lead to deactivation of low-rated riders' accounts.

San Francisco-based Uber has more than 91 million active riders and 3.9 million drivers across the world by December 2018, with its services available in more than 63 countries and regions globally, according to its official website.

In the United States, Uber fulfills 40 million rides every month.