How Safe Is It To Ride in an Uber or Lyft?

Getting into a stranger’s car, whether that’s a classic cab or a rideshare vehicle, can be understandably stressful for a lot of people. However, the overwhelming majority of passengers who use Uber and Lyft face zero safety problems. According to Uber’s US Safety Report, 99.9998% of trips from 2021 to 2022 ended without a safety incident, and 99.9% of trips over that time ended without any kind of safety report. Lyft’s numbers are extremely similar — according to the company’s Safety Transparency Report, safety incidents only occurred in 0.0002% of rides between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2022.

While these numbers can be reassuring, they do show that risk, while highly improbable, isn’t impossible. One of the most highly publicized issues surrounding the dangers of rideshare services involved human trafficking, specifically when it comes to transporting unaccompanied minors. According to a NBC News report, there have been 10 instances of planned sexual abuse involving hiring a Uber or Lyft since 2017 to take a minor to a home or hotel room.

In the NBC News report, a major issue with the rideshare companies’ written policies was highlighted — while both Uber and Lyft make claims around instituting specific protections for minors, including specific teen accounts in the United States, the policies do not require the drivers to act when they suspect that an unaccompanied passenger is under 18.

Drivers face additional complications in these instances since neither of the apps actually require passengers to verify their age, leaving their independent contractor drivers as the key enforcers of these policies. In the NBC News report, several message board posts from reported drivers claiming that actually enforcing the unaccompanied minor policies resulted in negative consequences for them. There is increased scrutiny over Uber and Lyft’s efforts in actively combating human trafficking, and while the companies have rolled out new training requirements, a lack of accountability at the top is a clear hurdle that still needs to be cleared.

What Are the Most Common Risks When Using a Rideshare App?

Human trafficking, while one of the most publicized issues surrounding rideshare apps, is not the most common source of risk for passengers of Uber and Lyft. Instead, the following factors are:

Car Accidents

Just like any time you get in a vehicle, accidents and crashes are among the most common sources of risk on the road. Over the past couple of years, Nevada roads have become increasingly dangerous. According to Nevada Departments of Public Safety & Transportation statistics, more than 800 fatalities have occurred on Nevada roads in 2022 and 2023, the two deadliest years on state roads since 2006. Some of the most common causes of fatal crashes include:

• Impaired drivers
• Lane departures
• Intersections
• Speeding

Whether your driver is responsible for the crash or if another person caused the crash, it may be possible to file a claim to recover damages to help cover medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. Because a multi-billion-dollar company like Lyft or Uber is involved in these types of crashes, it’s increasingly important to work with a car accident attorney that you can count on to best represent you in court or at the negotiation table. As with any crash, don’t make any agreements with insurance companies or lawyers before you have a chance to speak with your own legal representation.

Assault

Another rideshare-specific risk to be aware of is assault. There is inherent risk in getting in a stranger’s car, and despite all of Uber and Lyft’s screening policies, bad actors still end up behind the wheel of vehicles offering these services. According to past safety reports, thousands of reports of sexual violence or assault are reported every year. There are a number of ongoing cases regarding rideshare driver assault that involve numerous claims, including negligence, breach of contract, and product liability.

Driverless Rideshare Cars Add New Risks

As both Lyft and Uber expand their interest in utilizing driverless vehicles, new challenges and security problems will arise as the technology continues to increase in prevalence. These vehicles are far from foolproof, but there just isn’t enough data to know just how much safer or more dangerous they are. One of the main issues is the sheer lack of miles covered. As of 2023, Waymo, one of the companies designing driverless cars, had covered around 7 million miles compared to the estimated 3 trillion miles that human drivers cover every year, according to NBC Bay Area News.

Driverless vehicles also raise the question of liability — is it the company hiring out these cars that’s liable for a crash, or is it the company that designed the car that’s liable? How much fault can be assigned to a driverless vehicle compared to a human-driven vehicle in a multi-car collision? All of these questions are still in limbo, and will likely not have concrete answers for quite some time.

Filing a claim against a massive corporation like Uber or Lyft can be intimidating, but it’s valuable to remember that you have rights and protections that need to be honored, no matter the size of the opposition. At the Law Office of Matthew L. Sharp, our legal team is ready to help. Whether you were injured in a crash or were the victim of assault, give our firm a call or fill out our contact form to discuss your case today.