New Data From Uber Will Have You Fearing For Your Safety
A new transparency report published by Uber contains concerning data that will have you fearing for your safety.
Every time one uses a ride-share service there is always some level of risk that goes along with it. Companies like Uber and Lyft, due to the inherent nature of their business models, only have so much control over the safety of both drivers and riders. Uber recently published a report on just what those risks entail, particularly the risks related to sexual assault. The transparent report reveals data regarding how many sexual assault incidents the company recorded between the years 2019 and 2020.
According to Uber’s report, between 2019 and 2020 a total of 3,824 sexual assault incidents were documented. In 2020 specifically, a total of 998 of those incidents were classified as severe. The assaults fell into the following five categories per the report: non-consensual sexual penetration; non-consensual kissing of a sexual body part; non-consensual touching of a sexual body part; attempted non-consensual sexual penetration; non-consensual kissing of a non-sexual body part. Of the 998, 141 were classified as non-consensual sexual penetration assaults or rape.
A total of 81% of all reported rape victims (both Uber drivers and riders) were women. A total of 15% of the victims were male. Both figures are exceedingly concerning. Especially considering that the male sexual assault statistic increased by 8% compared to the year prior. In all sexual assault cases, including rape, there were a total of 20 fatalities (15 riders, 5 drivers).
These statistics are both sobering and disturbing. That being said, the one bright spot is that compared to Uber’s first sexual assault transparency report based on data collected between 2017 and 2018, the latest statistics represent a 38% decline in recorded incidents. Although Uber did admit that that decrease could partially be attributed to the widespread lockdowns and other safety protocols that erupted in 2020 as a result of the pandemic “The change in rate of sexual assault reports over time may have been impacted by a number of factors, including how the COVID-19 pandemic altered usage of the platform…,” highlighted a portion of the report.
However, the ride-share company also pointed to their enhanced safety measures as a tertiary reason for the incident decline. At that, they also emphasized that while a decline in the occurrence of these incidents is encouraging, not one incident is ever acceptable. Uber has asserted its commitment to continuing to work on making its service as safe as possible for both riders and drivers. Uber also noted that it intends to keep releasing these transparency reports in an effort to keep its patrons and the public at large abreast of incidents. Ironically, Uber competitor Lyft, which has come under scrutiny for the number of sexual assault incidents associated with its platform, has only released one report dating back to 2019 and has not indicated its intentions to do so again.
Overall, Uber’s report serves as a distinct reminder of the risks associated with using ride-share services. Arming oneself with information and being smart about when and where you use the service can help one to better safeguard themselves against becoming a victim of sexual assault. Data like this shows just how important that is.
