Lyft Making Changes to Ride Options After Thousands of Sexual Assault Claims in 2 Years

Lyft’s latest initiative aims to address a hugely pressing concern: rider safety. The San Francisco-based rideshare giant has been faced with a distressing surge in sexual assault claims, recording over 4,000 such incidents between 2017 and 2019. In response, the company is introducing a novel feature, ‘Women+ Connect,’ designed to provide women and non-binary riders with an added layer of security by allowing them to select female drivers.

The alarming frequency of sexual assault allegations within the rideshare industry has spurred demand for enhanced safety measures. In an attempt to bolster riders’ confidence when using the platform, Lyft has launched this innovative tool. While it’s not a guarantee of a female driver, ‘Women+ Connect’ will cater to those who identify as female or non-binary, as well as individuals with commonly identifiable women’s names.

This initiative, initially rolled out in select early-access cities across the US, including Chicago, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose, intends to empower women and non-binary individuals both as drivers and riders. Lyft’s CEO, David Risher, highlighted the broader implications, stating, “Women+ Connect is all about providing more women and non-binary people the opportunity to earn money on their terms and giving riders more choice.”

The move towards greater inclusivity and safety hasn’t gone unnoticed. Lyft’s efforts have garnered praise from various quarters. Jay Brown of the Human Rights Campaign noted that “Lyft is rolling out an inclusive product at a time when so many companies are shying away from explicit inclusion of transgender and non-binary people.” He emphasized the deliberate intent behind ‘Women+ Connect’ to improve the rideshare experience for women and non-binary riders, emphasizing that when it’s safer for these individuals, it benefits everyone.

Introducing Women+ Connect – our new feature that matches women and nonbinary drivers with more women and nonbinary riders.

Learn more: https://t.co/W2WZvkW1zf pic.twitter.com/hMOshXnRQ6

— Lyft (@lyft) September 12, 2023

Lyft’s commitment to transparency regarding safety concerns is commendable. Their first safety report in 2021 revealed the alarming statistics, with over 4,000 claims of sexual assault reported between 2017 and 2019. Lyft’s chief competitor, Uber, released their data in 2019, which revealed approximately 6,000 reported cases of sexual assault between 2017 and 2018. For Lyft, the figures are equally distressing: 1,096 reports in 2017, 1,255 in 2018, and 1,807 in 2019, including a total of 360 reports of rape over these three years.

In response to the concerning numbers, Lyft emphasized that they included all incidents reported in 2017, 2018, and 2019, regardless of when the survivor came forward. They acknowledged the chronic underreporting of sexual assault and the challenges survivors face in coming forward.

This proactive stance on addressing safety issues comes after Lyft faced a lawsuit in California in 2019, involving 14 plaintiffs who alleged that the company had not taken sufficient measures to prevent sexual assault or violence by its drivers.

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One particularly disturbing case involved Alison Turkos, who claimed she was kidnapped and sexually assaulted by her driver and two men during a ride from Brooklyn to a park in New Jersey. Despite notifying Lyft of the horrifying incident, she was still billed for the ride and “unpaired” from the driver. The incident was reported to the NYPD and investigated as a potential human trafficking case.

Lyft’s move to prioritize rider safety through ‘Women+ Connect’ is a step in the right direction towards addressing sexual assault within the rideshare industry. While the initiative seeks to provide more options and security for women and non-binary riders, it also signals a broader industry-wide commitment to confronting these challenges head-on.

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