Two features that Uber has said would go countrywide to increase driver safety are passenger authentication and the ability for users to use their smartphones to record audio and video while traveling.

According to the corporation, both functionalities will be available in all 50 states after being tested in pilot projects on Tuesday, September 17.

According to the post, the rider authentication feature will launch countrywide on Wednesday, September 18. It will allow passengers who have uploaded an ID or had their account information verified against reliable third-party databases to be seen by drivers with a new “Verified” rider label.

According to the post, Uber is introducing this functionality in response to input from drivers who expressed a want to learn more about the individuals boarding their vehicles.

“Earlier this year, we began testing the program in a handful of cities across the U.S.,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi wrote in the post. “In those pilot markets, the majority of riders are verified, and they tend to give drivers 5 stars more often. Riders who are verified also get fewer serious complaints from drivers.”

Following a test program, the company’s Record My Ride is now accessible to drivers in all 50 states, according the post. This function enables drivers to capture audio and video while traveling using the front-facing camera on their smartphone.

Keep a record According to the post, My Ride is designed to provide drivers with an extra degree of security on their travels without requiring them to purchase a dashcam.

“As we mentioned in the past, 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 in for review,” Khosrowshahi wrote in the post. “We believe this feature will help promote safety and allow us to more quickly and fairly resolve any incidents that may arise.”

Uber stated in November 2023 that it was improving the passenger verification process to supplement the current procedure for users utilizing specific anonymous payment methods, and that it had extended the Record My Ride test program to drivers in twelve U.S. cities.