Uber plans to improve driver safety amid national carjacking surge

Uber Technologies, a ride-sharing company with more than 6.5 million drivers and couriers worldwide, announced this week that it is improving safety features by verifying a rider’s identity to protect drivers against the increase of carjackings and violent attacks.

“Next year, we will significantly expand verification of rider identities to compare rider account details against trusted data sources or an ID document. Over time, we will inform drivers whether they’re picking up a verified rider, so they can have more peace of mind before accepting a trip request. This is on top of our existing verification process for riders who use certain anonymous payment methods,” the company said in a statement.

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Uber, which operates in over 10,000 cities, is planning to add a feature “Record My Ride” to more cities for drivers.

“We’re expanding the Record My Ride pilot to iOS drivers in a dozen US cities,” Uber said.

The company added, “Record My Ride allows drivers to record video of trips using their smartphone’s front-facing camera, without the need to invest in a separate dashcam. Similar to the in-app audio recording feature we rolled out nationwide earlier this year, we built Record My Ride with privacy in mind: every recording is encrypted and stored directly on drivers’ devices, and nobody — not Uber, not riders, not drivers — can access it unless a driver chooses to send it to us for review.”

Carjackings are up 104% this year in Washington, D.C., according to the FBI.

Recent victims of car thefts and carjackings include Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), who was carjacked outside his apartment building.

Over the weekend, a rideshare driver was targeted by three teenage boys who assaulted the driver and stole the vehicle.

D.C. police are advising drivers to drive in the center lane to avoid potential carjackers.

Rideshare workers are not the only workers to worry about carjackings and thefts in the Washington area.

On Sunday, a Secret Service agent protecting President Joe Biden’s granddaughter opened fire after three people tried to break into an unmarked Secret Service vehicle in Washington, D.C.

Meanwhile, car thefts are up 98% in Washington compared to 2022 data, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

Police in the district recently arrested a man accused of stealing a University of District of Columbia Police cruiser.

On Sunday, a Secret Service agent protecting President Joe Biden’s granddaughter Naomi Biden fired a gun after spotting three people breaking the window of an unmarked Secret Service SUV.

Earlier this week in Montgomery County, Maryland, police arrested 13 teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18 involved in carjackings and theft of vehicles.

Police used helicopters and cruisers to track down a stolen Amazon delivery van on Tuesday from the District to Prince George’s County, Maryland.

Earlier in November, two delivery trucks, UPS and FedEx trucks, were stolen in one afternoon in Prince George’s County.

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Last week, an ambulance was stolen in the district while the first responders crew responded to an emergency call.

Over the weekend in Memphis, Tennessee, a FedEx tractor-trailer was overrun by dozens of people stealing packages and boxes.