Ridesharing services, with companies such as Uber and Lyft, have become a daily method of transportation for millions of Americans, with half of all 18- to 29-year-olds and 24% of adults ages 50 and older having used a rideshare service. As a result of this wide usage, there have been growing concerns regarding the safety of rideshare drivers and passengers using these services.
 
In 2019, a tragedy occurred when Samantha Josephson, a college student at the University of South Carolina, was kidnapped and killed after mistakenly getting into a car she believed was her Uber ride. In response, several states enacted laws to improve identification requirements for rideshare service drivers, and I believe we must take similar steps to prevent similar tragedies from occurring and ensure that passengers remain safe while using rideshare services.
 
For these reasons, I will be introducing legislation to require rideshare company drivers to display three separate identification materials while the driver is performing services for the rideshare company. Specifically, this legislation will require drivers to display the following identifying markers: 1) markers or signs that are reflective or capable of being illuminated; 2) barcodes or other machine-readable codes in the rear windows and passenger side windows that can be scanned by the rider to confirm the identity of the driver; and 3) credential placards that must include the driver’s name, picture, and license plate number of their vehicle. This legislation is based on a New Jersey law, which was enacted shortly after the 2019 tragedy.
 
The General Assembly has the responsibility to protect these passengers. One of the best ways to accomplish this is by enabling them to better identify the driver and vehicle performing the rideshare service. These necessary steps must be taken to prevent criminals or predators from posing as a rideshare driver and to improve safeguards for every passenger that utilizes rideshare services. Bottomline, this legislation will implement common-sense safety measures that will provide greater protections for riders, improve driver identification tools, and enable passengers to better protect themselves from dangerous or harmful situations.
 
I hope that you will join me in supporting this legislation to protect rideshare customers and overall improve public safety within the Commonwealth.
 

Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 3367: 66-2605(b)(8)