Senator Anna M. Kaplan Introduces "Samantha L. Josephson Ridesharing Safety Act" Following Tragedy in South Carolina

(Mineola, NY) Following the tragic death of University of South Carolina student Samantha Josephson, who entered a vehicle believing it was an Uber ride she had ordered and was later found murdered in a rural area, Senator Anna M. Kaplan (D-Great Neck) has introduced legislation in the New York State Senate seeking to prevent such a tragedy from happening to another innocent victim.

"Without uniform identification for Uber and Lyft vehicles, it's so easy to mistakenly get in the wrong car when you're expecting to be picked-up" said Senator Anna M. Kaplan. "But no family should have to experience such a terrible loss over a simple mistake."

The bill (S.5031), titled "The Samantha L. Josephson Ridesharing Safety Act," amends the vehicle and traffic law to require rideshare drivers to display visible, consistent, and distinctive signage clearly identifying the rideshare service provider at all times when the driver is active on the service platform or providing rideshare service. The signage must be readable during daylight hours from a distance of 50 feet, and at night should be illuminated so that the logo is patently visible.

Senator Kaplan concluded, "this is a simple fix for a very dangerous situation, and I look forward to passing this bill and enacting it into law as soon as possible."