According to a study released by Safe-D, there’s confusion regarding the transportation of young children in rideshare vehicles. Because child safety seat laws vary widely by state, parents and rideshare drivers are often unaware of the policy for safely transporting passengers under the age of five.

Safe-D, which was a collaboration between Texas A&M Transportation Institute, San Diego State University, and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, conducted a nation-wide survey and a 50-state review of laws and examined focus groups with rideshare drivers in Dallas, Houston, and College Station.

Earlier this year, Uber launched a new safety feature to allow riders to make sure they’re getting in the correct vehicle when they order a ride through the app. Now, a four-digit PIN verification is sent to the rider prior to the driver’s arrival. The two parties have to confirm the code through the app to know for sure they’re in the right place.

A number of rideshare-related incidents have been happening recently in and around Chicago. In the city’s Fulton River District, a kidnapping and robbery incident occurred. There were also multiple reports of rideshare carjackings in Lawndale.

According to 5 Chicago, the kidnapping and robbery incident occurred on January 16, 2020. The victim was leaving a bar near Grand and Halsted around 2 a.m. when a 2003 Gold 4dr Acura MDX approached. The victim spoke with the driver and entered the car, being led to believe the driver was operating the rideshare vehicle they requested.

As increased discussions happen regarding the future of self-driving cars and how they could impact our roadways, you might wonder just how you’ll be able to tell if a vehicle on the road is autonomous. While the designs will vary by manufacturer, it’s likely most driverless cars will have similar, identifiable features. It’s also possible traditional features drivers are used to seeing could be missing.

The two most popular rideshare companies, Lyft and Uber, are testing autonomous vehicles in certain cities across the country. Learning how to recognize a driverless car now could help you prepare for how traffic and driving will change in the future.

Rideshare services like Lyft are supposed to offer safe, efficient, and cost-effective rides to those who request them. Whether a person needs to get across town because their car is in the shop, taking a taxi would be too expensive, or someone is getting home responsibly after a night out at the bar, rideshare drivers have a responsibility to take passengers to their requested location. Some drivers, however, are committing heinous acts of sexual assault.

According to an article published by USA TODAY, a lawsuit has been filed against Lyft, claiming the company is mishandling a “sexual predator crisis.” The case was filed on September 4, 2019 and involves 14 women who say they were sexually assaulted by Lyft drivers in 2018 and 2019.