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Uber to let riders use pin codes to help identify right car

The new security feature is being rolled out across the U.S. and Canada Tuesday, after a woman was killed.
Credit: AP
FILE - In this Wednesday, March 15, 2017, file photo, an Uber car drives through LaGuardia Airport in New York.

Uber is offering riders a four-digit pin code to help ensure they're getting into the right car. 

The ride-hailing company is rolling out the new feature across the U.S. and Canada starting Tuesday. 

The development follows the death of 21-year-old Samantha “Sami” Josephson, who was murdered in March after getting into the car of a man impersonating an Uber driver. 

Since then, states have been pushing for additional safety requirements for Uber drivers. Riders can choose whether or not to use Uber's new pin code feature.

Uber, along with most ride sharing services, have long provided riders with license plate numbers and the make and model of cars coming to pick them up. 

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While the pin code offers an additional layer of security, a senior product manager who helped develop the feature told the Associated Press the best way to make sure you're getting in the right car is to check the license plate. 

Rebecca Payne explained to the AP that "the license plate is not going to match another license plate that’s out on the road, and so that is really a great piece of information the rider can validate before getting in the car." 

In December, Uber released a report detailing for the first time the number of sexual abuse complaints made to the company in 2017 and 2018. The 84-page report revealed there had been 235 reports of rape in 2018, up from 229 in 2017.

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