Uber Rolling Out New 'Verify Your Ride' Safety Feature
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Uber is rolling out a new safety feature for riders.
Riders in Fort Worth's Sundance Square Tuesday night told CBS 11, they appreciate anything that adds extra protection and security.
Verify Your Ride, is what Uber is calling its new system launching nationwide this week.
"Being alone, I like walking out of my apartment complex and realizing, yeah this is my Uber, this is a safe person and I imagine it makes my betters feel better, too," said Uber customer Anna Rule.
Dallas is one of seven cities that's been testing the feature.
Here's how it works:
You can opt to have the Uber app send you a four-digit pin code just before your driver arrives.
You then give the code to your driver-
Once the driver inputs the correct PIN—you'll get a notification saying your ride is verified and the trip can begin.
It's an additional step beyond the others you already should be taking.
"I usually check out the license plate and make sure it's what's in the app, and make sure the car is all the same, and look at the picture and make sure it's the same person," said Uber customer Kaleigh Callender.
The move comes in response to a safety report Uber released last year that revealed more than 5,900 reported sexual assaults over a two year period from 2017 through 2018—464 of those were reported rapes.
"Sometimes when you Uber, you're under influences. That's scary, and you're more vulnerable so I'm glad that they're responding to that," said Uber customer Lauren Lloyd.
Uber says more than 3 million people take rides every day.
Competitors point out this doesn't address concerns about who's behind the wheel, but people I spoke with tonight say at least it's a move in the right direction.
It is an optional feature—so you don't have to use it-- and it should be available to everyone by the end of the week.