SAN ANTONIO – Uber is implementing new safety measures to help give drivers extra peace of mind.
Riders can get a new verified badge after undergoing additional verification steps that help confirm their identity.
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Uber will review a rider’s account details, such as names and phone numbers and cross-reference them with trusted third-party databases. The company said the majority of its riders would be verified without additional action being needed on their part.
Riders will also be able to upload government-issued identification along with a selfie to get the verified badge.
Drivers will be able to see the riders’ verified badges when deciding whether to accept a trip.
Uber leadership said drivers who participated in the pilot program agreed that knowing riders’ identities made them feel safer, and verified users had fewer serious complaints from drivers.
The verification program is part of other safety features rolling out to Uber drivers nationwide.
Those new verification measures are also part of other features, including the following:
Record My Ride - Allows drivers to use their front-facing camera to record trips without a dash camera.
PIN Verification - Allows drivers to help confirm they’re picking up the correct person by asking the rider to provide a four-digit code before the trip can start.
Ride Accountability - Sends a rider a warning and shares tips to improve their experience next time if a driver reports a rider’s disrespectful behavior. If a driver rates a rider two or three stars, they can block future requests from that rider.
Rider fare clarity - Drivers will be able to better understand their earnings and where every dollar a rider pays is going.
Find more details on the new features here.