Uber to utilize new safety features in wake of student's death

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Ride-sharing company Uber will soon roll out a series of new safety measures for its popular service, a little more than a month after the murder of a University of South Carolina student. Columbia Police have said multiple times they believe 21-year-old Samantha Josephson mistakenly got into the back seat of a vehicle she thought was with the ride-sharing service. The driver, 24-year-old Nathaniel David Rowland, was later charged with Josephson's kidnapping and murder after her body was found in Clarendon County. Brad Anderson of Carscoops wrote Monday that the new Uber app features notifications that remind riders to check their ride before entering making sure the license plate and car details match those listed in the receipt; matching the driver's photograph to his or her face; and match the driver's name to the one given in the app. In the Five Points area of Columbia, where Josephson was taken, ride-sharers are now being routed to a "dedicated pickup zone" in a well-lit area, with law enforcement "on hand to ensure the safety of riders."