The South Carolina House has passed a bill to require rideshare vehicles to display illuminated signs, after a USC student died after getting into a vehicle she thought was her Uber ride.
The "Samantha L. Josephson Ridesharing Safety Act" would make it easier for riders to identify Uber and Lyft vehicles. It is sponsored by South Carolina Rep. Seth Rose and Rep. Micah Caskey.
The bill passed by a vote of 99-1, Rose said. The bill now advances to the Senate.
"This legislation creates an initial step by which someone should be able to start the process of verifying that a rideshare is in fact their vehicle," said Rep. Rose. "You still need to check the license plate, ask the driver to recite your name and follow other safety procedures that are available and in place. But with this bill, we are trying to allow the citizen to verify from a distance that a vehicle may be their rideshare."
