Uber vs Lyft Safety Policies
Safety policies are crucial on rideshare platforms to protect passengers and drivers. Without such rules in place, rideshare sexual assault, harassment, accidents, and other misconduct can occur. A rideshare company can also be held liable for negligence in hiring, oversight, driver retention, or failing to adequately protect users.
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Author: Kathryn Kosmides
Survivor Advocate
- Uber and Lyft are two of the largest rideshare platforms in the U.S., with each service providing hundreds of millions of trips annually.
- Sexual assaults and misconduct by both drivers and passengers are not uncommon in rideshare rides, and Uber and Lyft each have safety policies in place to try to prevent sexual misconduct and assist victims when it occurs.
- If you or a loved one was assaulted during an Uber or Lyft ride, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit against the rideshare company for negligently failing to protect you.
Uber and Lyft Safety Policies
Driver Screening & Background Checks
Before anyone can drive with Uber, they must undergo a multi-step safety screening that includes background checks for impaired driving and violent offenses. Uber re-screens drivers at least every year. Similarly, drivers must pass a background check before they are approved to work for Lyft. Like Uber, Lyft also continuously monitors drivers for criminal convictions and driving record violations and performs additional background checks at least once a year.
In-App Safety Features
Uber has various in-app features to further support driver and passenger safety. The app’s RideCheck feature utilizes sensors and GPS data to detect if a trip deviates unusually from its intended course or if a crash has occurred. If anything out of the ordinary happens, Uber will reach out to provide resources for help. Users also cannot see each other’s phone numbers when communicating through the app. Once a trip is completed, the app conceals specific pickup and drop-off addresses in a driver’s trip history to protect rider information.
In July 2025, Uber introduced its Women Rider Preference feature in select U.S. cities, allowing female users to request trips with drivers and riders of their same gender. Other core safety features include a safety toolkit, Follow My Ride, an in-app emergency button, live help from safety agents, and two-way rating systems.
Lyft offers some similar safety features, but not on the same scale as Uber. The Lyft app requires user age verification, includes a no-weapons policy, and offers real-time ride tracking and privacy protections. In 2024, Lyft introduced Women+ Connect, which is similar to Uber’s Women Rider Preference program. Women+ Connect gives women and non-binary drivers and riders the option to prioritize matches with nearby women and nonbinary drivers and riders. Lyft’s online safety team is also available 24/7.
Driver & Rider Responsibilities
According to Uber’s Community Guidelines, all users must treat each other with respect. Aggressive, confrontational, and harassing behavior from drivers or riders is not allowed. Post-trip contact, physical contact, discrimination, and sexual assault and misconduct are all explicitly prohibited.
Lyft’s Community Guidelines are less thorough than Uber’s. They do not reference discrimination based on protected classes or explicitly condemn sexual misconduct. The app simply requires users to respect each other’s personal boundaries and property, and to provide honest feedback and user ratings.
Emerging Rideshare Laws in New York
In November 2024, NYC Council member Shekar Krishnan introduced Intro 276, a bill aimed at protecting rideshare drivers from sudden deactivation by rideshare companies. In theory, this bill protects workers from sudden loss of income without due process, but in practice, the bill could allow unsafe drivers to remain on the platform for at least two weeks following their misconduct. Drivers also have the opportunity to appeal their deactivation statuses under this bill, meaning survivors may face additional, stressful loopholes to holding bad actors accountable.
Details of the bill include:
- Drivers will be required to have at least 2 weeks notice of an impending permanent deactivation.
- Drivers will be able to appeal the deactivation through a number of means, including arbitration, or a complaint with DCWP.
- If reactivated, drivers would also get back pay for the time that they were not allowed to work.
- The company must provide the justifications for deactivating the account.
Incident Reporting and Response
Uber has a dedicated public safety team that works with law enforcement agencies to support investigations, providing information through a secure portal to assist with active cases. Additionally, if you call 911 from the Uber app, the app will display your live location and trip details, allowing you to share them with the emergency dispatcher. In some U.S. cities, this information is automatically provided to the authorities. Uber support is also available 24/7 and is handled by a team of trained safety agents.
Riders and drivers using Lyft have multiple options to report incidents or request emergency assistance through the Lyft app, and nearly all safety-related chats or calls are answered within 60 seconds.
Uber vs Lyft Safety Incident Statistics on Sexual Assault
Uber released its first safety report in 2019, and the company’s most recent report covers information collected in 2021 and 2022. According to the 2024 report, 99.9% of trips in 2021 and 2022 ended without a safety report of any kind. Of the 1.8 billion U.S. trips during that period, only 0.0002% reported a critical safety incident—equal to 360,000 reports. Uber also publicly reported that it received 2,717 reports of sexual assault in 2021 and 2022.
In August 2025, the New York Times published an expose of Uber’s sexual assault data, revealing that the company received a report of sexual assault or misconduct in the U.S. almost every eight minutes between 2017 and 2022. This highlighted a rate of abuse far higher than what the company disclosed. Additionally, the report found that despite testing tools that proved effective at making trips safer, Uber delayed or did not require its drivers to adopt these programs and did not warn passengers about factors it linked to attacks.
According to Lyft’s 2024 Safety Transparency Report, serious safety incidents occurred in only 0.0002% of rides. With 1.41 billion rides from 2020 to 2022, this equates to 282,000 reported incidents. Lyft publicly reported 2,651 instances of the five most serious categories of sexual assault in the same period.
Uber and Lyft Safety Tips for Riders
When using a rideshare application, such as Uber or Lyft, it’s essential for riders to remain vigilant and protect themselves from harm whenever possible. Some practical safety tips that may help include:
- Verify the vehicle’s specifics before getting in.
- Review the driver’s profile.
- Confirm you are the passenger by asking the driver who they are picking up.
- Travel with a friend or use the ridepooling option when possible.
- Always roll down your window enough to get your arm out.
- Video or audio record the trip.
If a driver harms you during a rideshare trip, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the rideshare platform for failing to implement policies to adequately protect passengers.
FAQs on Uber vs Lyft Safety Policies
Which Is Safer: Uber or Lyft?
It’s difficult to say which rideshare platform is safer. Uber has more safety features for riders and drivers, but Lyft has reported fewer incidents of sexual misconduct in recent years. Whichever rideshare you choose is up to you, but it shouldn’t have to be a risk every time you use the app. It’s important to stay safe and know your rights in case harm occurs.
How Often Do Safety Incidents Occur in Uber or Lyft?
Uber and Lyft both reported that in 2021 and 2022, critical safety incidents occurred in 0.0002% of their U.S. rides. However, reports from court documents and news outlets such as The New York Times have found that Uber significantly misrepresented its safety data regarding sexual assaults.
What Should I Do After a Rideshare Assault?
After a rideshare sexual assault, seek medical attention and mental health support as soon as possible. Collect and preserve any evidence such as chat messages, witness testimony, audio and video recordings, or clothing. Then, report the assault to the rideshare platform and local law enforcement. Depending on the circumstances of the assault, you may also be able to file a civil lawsuit against the rideshare platform to recover compensation.
When Should You Contact a Rideshare Sexual Assault Lawyer?
Legal representation is crucial for rideshare sexual assault and misconduct survivors because an attorney can seek to hold the rideshare company accountable for failing to protect passengers from predatory drivers. Rideshare lawsuits enable victims to seek monetary compensation for the harm they have endured.
At Helping Survivors, we work to connect rideshare sexual assault survivors with experienced attorneys who can file civil lawsuits against the individuals and corporations that perpetrated and enabled the misconduct.
To learn more about your legal rights and options after experiencing rideshare sexual assault, contact Helping Survivors today.
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