Uber’s Scary New Safety Reports
Uber recently released its safety reports for last year. The reports documented a shocking 3,045 sexual assault cases, nine murders, and 58 people were killed in car crashes within the year of 2018.
The number of incidents actually only account for 0.0002 percent of the 1.3 billion rides Uber performed in the United States last year, according to The New York Times. But that doesn’t mean the car-sharing company is taking these numbers lightly.
“The numbers are jarring and hard to digest,” Tony West, Uber’s chief legal officer, said in an interview that The New York Times later reported on. “What it says is that Uber is a reflection of the society it serves.”
Uber is now being transparent about its safety reports after being sued in 2017. A woman using their service was raped by her driver in India. She later sued the company and their executives for reportedly obtaining and mishandling her medical records.
Uber has been introducing new safety features since 2018 in order to do its best to keep its customers safe. They have started using a new technology that automatically checks drivers’ driving records and criminal history.
Since they rolled out this function in 2018, they have deactivated 40,000 drivers in the United States alone after they failed to pass the automated driver check.
The company hopes that making the public aware of these safety reports will keep the public on alert and hopefully keep people safe.
Uber does have a page on their website with tips to keep users safe on rides.
Those tips include: stay inside while waiting for your ride, make sure the car you’re getting into has the same make, model, color and license plate number as shown on the app, ask the driver who they’re picking up instead of you giving your name first, sit in the back seat when you’re alone and always wear a seatbelt, share your trip details with loved ones, give feedback on the app after your trip if you felt unsafe, and finally, follow your intuition.
Uber hopes that more ride-sharing companies will follow in its lead by sharing their safety reports with the public.
