After student’s slaying, Uber rolls out new safety feature

Uber is releasing a new feature to help riders ensure they're getting into the right vehicles.

The development comes several weeks after a University of South Carolina student from New Jersey was killed after getting into a car she had mistaken for the Uber ride she hailed.

Uber said Thursday it would send a push notification to riders reminding them to check the driver and vehicle. The push alert will include the driver's name, photo, license plate number and vehicle make and model.

The ride-hailing giant is rolling out the feature first in Columbia, South Carolina, and later nationwide.

Uber is also sending emails to every rider to outline the steps to make sure they're getting into the right car.

The death of Robbinsville resident Samantha Josephson has prompted a review of ride-sharing safety features and regulations.

Jersey City is considering requiring ride-sharing vehicles to clearly identify themselves with illuminated signs on their dashboards or windshield.

Assemblymen Wayne DeAngelo and Dan Benson, whose district includes Robbinsville, are considering a proposed South Carolina law named after Josephson that would mandate the illuminated signs.

Josephson's parents have been campaigning for safety features, such as requiring ride-sharing vehicles in South Carolina to have a front license plate. Unlike in New Jersey, cars in that state only have to have a rear license plate.

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