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Lyft recorded more than 4,000 cases of sexual assault including 360 reports of rape over just three years

Ride-share company Lyft has recorded more than 4,000 sexual assault cases between 2017 to 2019

The company had previously received criticism for not detailing safety methods for riders in situations such as sexual assault

The report was released two years after Uber made public their own with 5,981 cases recorded

Lyft's new report is one of many safety measures that the company is implementing for their riders and drivers

By TOMMY TAYLOR FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

PUBLISHED, 22 October 2021


The ride-share company Lyft recorded more than 4,000 sexual assault cases between 2017 to 2019, its first safety report released on Thursday reveals.

The Lyft report comes after fellow ride sharing company Uber released similar data in a 2019 report which revealed around 6,000 reported cases between 2017 to 2018.

In total, Lyft reported 1,096 reports of sexual assault in 2017, 1,255 in 2018 and 1,807 in 2019. There were also 360 total reports of rape between the three years.

The company, which received criticism for not addressing sexual assault, was initially seen as the safer ride-sharing option as compared to Uber.

The ride-share company Lyft has recorded more than 4,000 sexual cases between 2017 to 2019 in their new safety report that was released on Thursday


Fellow ride-share company Uber had released their own report two years earlier with 5,981 cases recorded between 2017 to 2018

'We recognize that sexual assault is chronically underreported, and it can sometimes be months or years before a survivor is ready to come forward and report what happened — if they choose to do so at all,' the company wrote in a statement, according to the Washington Post.

'Knowing this, Lyft included any incident reported in 2017, 2018 and 2019, regardless of when the incident was reported to have occurred.'

'Lyft intentionally uses broad definitions … to classify instances of sexual assault.'

The report also states that the highest number of these assaults were determined to be in relation to nonconsensual touching of a sexual body part.

Nonconsensual touching of a sexual body part was one of five categories included in the safety report.

The others included were nonconsensual kissing of both sexual and nonsexual body parts as well as attempted and nonconsensual sexual penetration.

Lyft had previously received criticism for their alleged lack of 'awareness' in the treatment of incidents such as sexual assault

The Lyft report appears to be one of the first steps for the company in recognizing sexual assault and ensuring the safety for their riders.

'In putting the safety of its community members as its top priority, Lyft takes all reported incidents seriously and thoroughly investigates each one,' Jennifer Brandenburger, the company's head of policy development and research wrote in the report.

'Lyft’s Safety Specialists are trained to approach each case with respect and care. Doing so helps protect drivers and riders and makes the Lyft community safer for all.'

The company had previously begun enforcing safety measures in 2019 by adding in new features on the app.

Some of these features include hiding contact information between the drivers and riders, using a check-in option for users during their trips as well as a partnership with security company ADT for emergency services.

President and co-founder John Zimmer has commented on the company's new efforts and said 'Safety is fundamental to Lyft'

'Safety is fundamental to Lyft,' the company president and co-founder John Zimmer said.

'That means creating features and policies to give riders and drivers peace of mind, and being clear about what happens on our platform.'

'Our report is just that: a look at where our company has been and where we're heading, in order to help everyone have a safe ride from beginning to end.'

The ride-sharing company also has said that they do not automatically report sexual assault cases to the police unless it is requested by the victim.

They also are providing support services to victims such as counseling, crisis interventions and detailing how to properly contact law enforcement.

Lyft is also providing background checks for the company's drivers to further ensure that their riders in safe hands.

Besides sexual assault, Lyft has also documented 105 motor vehicle deaths and 10 physical assault related fatalities in its three-year report.

Uber's previous 2019 report documented a total of 5,981 cases between 2017 to 2018.

Despite the report, the company was still faced with a $59 million fine by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for not releasing further details on the sexual assault victim's private information in December of last year.

The fine was reduced in July to $150,000 following an agreement after the pair had reached a preliminary agreement.

As part of the agreement, Uber would pay $9million to supp

ort a state victims' fund and help create industry-wide safety and reporting standards.

Alison Turkos, 33, was one of 14 plaintiffs in 2019 to report a Lyft assault after had been gang raped by her driver and two other men a couple years earlier

Lyft had also faced a California lawsuit of their own in 2019 by 14 plaintiffs who claimed that the company did not take steps to prevent sexual assault or violence from its drivers.

One suit involved Alison Turkos, 33, who claimed she was kidnapped and gang raped by her driver and two men in 2017 while on a trip from Brooklyn to a park in New Jersey.

After notifying Lyft of the terrifying incident, she was still forced to pay the fee for the ride and was 'unpaired' her from the driver.

She also reported to the incident to the NYPD who opened an investigation and contacted the FBI. It was said to be handled as a human trafficking case.