Rideshare giant Lyft announced on Tuesday, September 12, 2023 the launch of a new in-app feature called Women Plus Connect. This new option will prioritize matching women and nonbinary drivers and riders in an effort to both improve safety and encourage more women and nonbinary drivers to work for the platform.
The new Lyft program will roll out in select California cities including San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose. It will also be offered in Chicago and Phoenix before expanding nationwide. Women Plus Connect works by allowing women and nonbinary drivers the option to match with other nearby women and nonbinary riders.
However, according to Lyft’s Economic Impact Report for 2023, only 23% of their drivers are female of nonbinary. This means that in practice teams, due to a lack of female and nonbinary drivers, most of the time Women Plus Connect will not be a viable option towards increasing rider and driver safety.
Uber offers a similar option called Women Rider Preference that launched in May of 2022. Available in Saudi Arabia, Canada, Australia, and 27 other markets, Uber has yet to release the program in the United States.
A History of Questionable Safety
While a move in the right direction towards increasing rider and driver safety, rideshare companies still have considerable work ahead in order to better protect woman and nonbinary individuals. The team at Estey & Bomberger understands the profound, lifelong impact surviving a sexual assault has on women and nonbinary riders. Until Uber and Lyft make can truly protect their riders from their drivers, we will continue to advocate for those who have suffered at the hands of their drivers.
Unfortunately, in reality, rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft have a questionable safety record when it comes to protecting both riders and drivers from sexual assaults. Between 2017 and 2019, 4,158 sexual assaults of Lyft passengers and drivers were recorded. Considering the countless incidents that have gone unreported, rideshare companies still have considerable work to do towards improving the safety of female and nonbinary riders.
Help is Available
If you or a loved one are a survivor of a sexual assault by an Uber or Lyft driver, we can help. Our compassionate law firm includes Sexual Assault Victim Advocates who are here for our clients at every step. While we can’t change what happened, we can provide resources to help you heal and move forward with your life. Our advocates are available whenever you need support.
Consultations are always free and completely confidential. This allows you to ask any questions you may have regarding your case. We want you to be comfortable with our team and our process before you make an informed decision about moving forward with your claim.
To ensure that everyone can afford our services, we never charge a fee unless we win your case. Our attorneys have earned a reputation for success thanks to our perfect record holding sexual predators accountable for their actions.
We will fight tirelessly to achieve the justice you deserve. To learn more, or to schedule a free and confidential consultation with one of our compassionate team members, contact us today.