NNEDV Commends Uber on its U.S. Safety Report, Urges More U.S. Companies to Follow Suit

Today, NNEDV joined Uber announcing its December 5 release of their U.S. Safety Report. The Report — the first of its kind — includes data about sexual assaults related to Uber rides in 2017 and 2018. Sexual assault is vastly underreported, and this is a groundbreaking step in raising awareness and encouraging survivors to share their stories. The Report also includes information about steps Uber has taken to support survivors and prevent violence before it ever occurs.

“Uber has been a longtime partner in standing against sexual assault – not just through accountability and transparency, but also by supporting survivors, eliminating barriers to reporting, and taking steps to prevent violence and harassment,” said Cindy Southworth, NNEDV Interim Chief Executive Officer and member of Uber’s Safety Advisory Board. “We call on other companies to follow Uber’s lead by partnering with anti-violence organizations to release similar.”

Sexual violence is a pervasive crime that occurs everywhere from the home to public spaces and during our movement in between, including in cars, buses, planes, trains and wherever we walk. Rideshares are no exception, and Uber’s Safety Report, for the first time, documents the experiences of both riders and drivers.  

NNEDV urges all companies, whether they be engaged in transportation or other sectors of the economy, to both collect and share similar data on the prevalence of domestic and sexual violence and work with the community to take steps to prevent it and raise awareness. 

The movement to address and end sexual and domestic violence will only succeed through a multi-level approach. This includes industry leaders like Uber partnering with organizations like NNEDV to make significant strides in changing in cultural norms.

Since 2014, NNEDV has worked with Uber on their efforts to improve their response to sexual assault and domestic violence, including its Driving Change initiative and its Safety Advisory. In 2015, NNEDV teamed up with Uber to offer safety and privacy tips for riders on the Uber app. Many survivors of domestic violence use Uber, both as drivers and as riders, and NNEDV deeply appreciates Uber’s commitment to openly addressing sexual assault and to creating innovative ways to improve safety.

More information is available at https://www.uber.com/us/en/safety/womens-safety/.