Uber tests color-coded lighting system for its cars

Hailing cabs the traditional way by going to an office or by randomly waving it down from a road is a thing of the past. With online ride hailing services like Uber, getting a taxi ride is a piece of cake. But there have been instances when passengers get in to the wrong car by mistake. Uber is trying to help you avoid that awkward moment.

The company will start testing a color-coded “Spot” lighting system that promises to enlighten your pickup by making it smooth and seamless.  Uber cars in Seattle will start flashing a color LED light near the windshield that will match the color on your Smartphone.

After you hail a ride on the Uber app, you will be asked to choose one of the six colors. When your ride arrives, the LED light will glow in that chosen color. Then you can press and hold the color on your smartphone to light up your screen so the driver can identify you as the correct pickup.

“When riders and drivers can easily find each other, we’re able to trim down wait times,  which is a win for everyone.” the company posted on its news blog.  This feature is especially helpful after a huge event such as after a football match when a fleet of Uber rides are all requested to arrive at once. Previously, the only way you could identify your Uber ride is by looking at the car’s license plate number, which is shown on the Uber app after hailing a ride.

This is the second new feature Uber has added to its ride-sharing service this week. On Wednesday, the company announced an API update for iOS and Android developers to add an official “Uber Ride Request Button” on their apps. This request button can pull address data from the third-party app, so Uber will automatically know where you intend to go once you tap it.