'You Have To Take A Step For Your Safety': Rideshare Drivers, Users Praise New Jersey's 'Sami's Law'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – New Jersey is taking steps to make ridesharing safer. Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday signed "Sami's Law," named after a University of South Carolina student who was kidnapped and killed after getting into a car she believed was her Uber in March.
The designated rideshare parking lot at Philadelphia International Airport is a constant buzz of Uber and Lyft drivers waiting for their next call. Many will take them over the bridge into New Jersey.
"When I get there I make sure I call their name," Tubman, an Uber/Lyft driver, said. "I'm aware of their name and make sure I call their name to make sure that they are comfortable when they get in the car."
Tubman says he received a corporate email on Thursday informing him of a measure signed into law by Gov. Murphy called Sami's Law, named after New Jersey native Samantha Josephson, who was killed in March after getting into a car in South Carolina that she thought was her Uber ride.
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It's a situation too many people could relate with.
"There have been times where I have walked up to a car, not really thinking about it, popped in thinking it was my Uber and they were like, 'I'm not an Uber,'" an Uber rider said.
Since Josephson's death, riders have prioritized safety.
"I wait for them to say, 'Are you Linda?' and I always check the license plate," a rider said.
Under Sami's Law, New Jersey rideshare drivers will have to display illuminated or reflective signs in their front window and rear windshield and require a scanable ID card.
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"They always say New Jersey is one of the most regulated states in the nation," Rudolph Lewis, who was waiting on his first Uber, said.
Long-time Uber driver Selma told CBS3 that she appreciates Sami's Law because she feels it protects drivers along with riders.
"I think it's good, I think regardless of the regulation you have to take a step for your safety," Selma said, "so you don't leave your safety up to someone else."
New Jersey congressman Chris Smith is working on passing a similar measure on the federal level.
