FINALLY

Uber to Require Annual Background Checks for Drivers

Embattled ride-hailing company will also add a 911 feature to the app.

Uber will require yearly background checks for all drivers and add a 911 feature to the app. The Associated Press reports new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi insisted the decision is more than a PR stunt for the controversial ride-hailing company. “The first thing that we want to do is really change Uber’s substance, and the image may follow,” he said. The changes will be implemented in the next few weeks. Khosrowshahi also said he “can’t change” Uber’s past mistakes, but hopes to make the service better going forward. Uber has faced lawsuits for drivers’ sexual misconduct, and Colorado sued the company for $8.9 million after many drivers in the state were found to have drunk driving and other criminal records. Last month, a woman died after being struck by a self-driving Uber vehicle, an accident that led the company to suspend autonomous-car testing.