In a safety report released on Thursday, Uber noted that while the number of fatal car accidents had increased, sexual assaults in its ride-hailing vehicles had decreased significantly since its previous report.
Uber released its second safety report in response to lawsuits and demands for stronger rider safeguards, which revealed that in 2019 and 2020, there were fewer sexual assaults but a higher rate of fatalities while providing trips.
According to Uber, there were 1.4 billion rides taken in the U.S. in 2019 but only 650 million in 2020, a slowdown that was linked to the pandemic when the number of trips made fell by as much as 80% in April 2020.
Despite the fact that 101 people died in collisions, the research found that 99.9% of those trips ended safely. Additionally, 20 people died in assaults connected to trips, an increase of 18% from the two years Uber's inaugural safety report covered in 2017 and 2018.
Uber said, the jump in assaults was a result of a national trend of a rise in violent killings, which rose 30% between 2019 and 2020, according to Pew Research. Uber claims that 67 of the 101 fatalities resulting from collisions were the fault of other drivers who were intoxicated, speeding, or going the wrong way, however, three testimonies specifically blamed an Uber driver for a fatality. The investigation did not specify who was responsible for the fatalities of the unbuckled riders and other drivers, as well as pedestrians, bikers, or third-party motorcyclists.
Uber claimed that many safety steps it implemented in the 2019 and 2020 time frame, including making sure passengers get in the right car, helped to reduce the number of claims of sexual assault. These safeguards were adopted in response to lawsuits filed against Uber by individuals who claimed that the company's drivers had raped and molested them, among other claims of sexual assault during rides.
Uber issued a warning that the effect of the pandemic on Americans' social lives also contributed to the decline in sexual assault complaints. As lockdowns persisted nationwide, fewer people made visits to and from bars and nightclubs.
Uber pledged to produce a new report every two years and released its first one in late 2019. The 2021-22 report will include additional steps Uber has taken to improve safety for both drivers and passengers, such as gradually introducing the ability to record audio of rides and extending the use of its RideCheck feature, which allows users to check in when rides take unexpected detours or stop at unexpected locations.
