Uber released an 84-page safety report detailing claims of sexual assaults made by passengers and drivers as well as deaths in assaults or vehicle collisions.
Uber Technologies Inc. found more than 3,000 allegations of sexual assaults involving drivers or passengers on its platform in the U.S. last year, part of an extensive and long-awaited review in response to public safety concerns.
Uber drivers reported nearly as many claims of sexual assault as passengers, who made up 56% of claims. There is little comparable data on assaults in taxis or other transportation systems, and experts have said the attacks are widely underreported. The assault claims reported to Uber ranged from unwanted kissing to forcible penetration.“Uber is very much a reflection of society,” said Tony West, Uber’s chief legal officer who helped spearhead the two-year research effort.
Any number of deaths or violence is a reminder of the risks inherent to taking a ride with a stranger and the limited oversight the company has over what occurs. In publishing the data, Uber is taking an unusual step for a company by drawing attention to the dangers of its product.Regulators in London cited uncertainty about Uber’s ability to ensure the well-being of its passengers as a reason they revoked the company’s license to operate there last week.
Counting assaults is a complicated matter. Only about a third of claims the company received about penetration without consent were reported to the police, Uber estimated. In about a quarter of cases, Uber said its team didn’t successfully communicate with the victim after the initial report. Women reported 89% of the rape allegations, the company said.
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