Is Uber Dangerous?
Maybe you’re meeting up with friends for a drink and you don’t want to drive. Or maybe you missed the bus and don’t want to be late to work. So, you decide to get out your phone, open the Uber app—a few minutes later someone arrives to pick you up. There are many instances when taking an Uber is a convenient and efficient option.
According to the Pew Research Center, the number of Americans who use ride-sharing apps has increased dramatically in recent years. A 2018 survey found that 36% of U.S. adults say they have used a ride sharing service like Lyft or Uber. Only 15% of Americans reported using a ride sharing service in 2015.
There are many advantages to using a ride-sharing app like Uber.
- Convenience-Uber is available 24/7. You can see in real-time how far away your ride is.
- Save money-You can share rides with your friends and split the cost. You can share rides with strangers for a discounted rate.
- Efficiency-You can save addresses of places you frequent for faster service.
More and more people are getting used to the idea of hopping into a stranger’s car, despite occasional news reports about unsafe drivers. But are ride sharing services safe?
Do Ride-Sharing Users Feel Safe?
In the 2015 study, the Pew Research Center also asked people how they feel about ride hailing services like Lyft and Uber. Here were their responses:
- 86% said they saved users stress and time
- 68% said they were less expensive than a taxi
- 60% said they were more reliable than a taxi or public transit
With these kinds of statistics, ride-sharing is probably here to stay, despite some of its dangers.
If you don’t know where to turn when you have been the victim in an Uber accident in the Las Vegas area, or elsewhere in Nevada, call Anthem Injury Lawyers at (702) 857-6000. You don’t have to navigate the potential gray areas that come with these new ride sharing services and how the laws may apply – that’s our job. Call us for a free consultation today!
For a free legal consultation, call (702) 857-6000
Is Uber Dangerous: Uber’s First Ever Safety Report
Uber is a large and far-reaching company (as of 2019, Uber is estimated to have 110 million worldwide users). In 2018, Uber reported revenue of 11.3 billion dollars. When there is a big company, there are often big scandals.
Since its inception in 2009, Uber has had its fair share of controversies.
Uber Scandals and Controversies
- In January 2012, Uber told customers prices would increase for New Year’s Eve. However, even with fair warning, customers were upset when they were forced to pay up to six times the normal rate.
- In November 2012, New York City’s public transportation was down during Hurricane Sandy, which led to Ubers being in high demand. When Uber’s prices doubled they were accused of price gouging and forced to revert the prices back to normal.
- In 2014, Uber’s branch in Lyon, France launched a promotion to pair customers with “hot chick” drivers. After receiving much backlash, the promotion was quickly removed.
- In 2016, Uber founder Travis Kalanick joined Trump’s economic-advisory council, which prompted the viral #DeleteUber movement. 200,000 customers deleted their accounts in just one weekend.
- In 2017 Waymo (formerly Google’s self-driving car division) accused Uber of using stolen technology to advance their autonomous-car division. Waymo sued Uber over claims of property theft.
In addition to these scandals, countless reports of assaults, robberies and harassment have haunted the company. Although many of these reports were all over the news, the full extent of Uber’s problem regarding driver and customer safety wasn’t publicly known. But now that Uber has released their first-ever safety report, we have some insight into the company’s safety record.
Current Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi worked with the company’s top executives to strategize how Uber could become the safest ride-sharing app in the world. The company conducted a 21-month investigation into the safety of Uber, which culminated in Uber’s first-ever safety report. This report was just released last month.
Key facts and highlights from Uber’s US Safety Report:
- The 2019 report examines data from 2017 and 2018, during which more than 3.1 million trips took place each day in the US
- 2.3 billion total US trips taken between 2017 and 2018
- 97 fatal car accidents and 107 total deaths
- 6,000 reports of sexual assault
- 464 of the 6,000 involved allegations of non-consensual penetration or rape
- 587 of the 6,000 involved attempted rape
- 3000 of the sexual assault complaints were of non-consensual touching of a sexual body part.
- 92% of the victims of rape were passengers, about 7% were drivers
- Uber drivers committed 19 fatal physical assaults
Although Uber claims these numbers show that critical safety incidents are “statistically, extremely rare” these stats can be alarming to the potential rider. These numbers in the report might not be telling the whole story since, for example, only one in three women report their sexual assault.
According to Uber, the report is an effort to hold themselves accountable. In addition, Uber aims to share best practices with other companies to improve safety for people using ride-shares.
Safety Tips When Riding Uber
There are inherent safety concerns when you step into any ride-share or yellow cab. Is the person behind the wheel a safe driver? When you enter the vehicle, are there terms and conditions you agree to by default? If an accident happens, what does the insurance policy cover? You also can’t predict what will happen on the road.
There are some things you can do to help stay safe when using Uber:
- If you can, wait inside for your Uber ride until the app shows your driver has arrived. Don’t stand outside holding out your phone. Someone pretending to be an Uber or Lyft driver could try to pick you up. Anyone can buy a Lyft or Uber logo sticker.
- Make sure you’re getting into the right car. Check the make, model, and license plate of the car that pulls up matches what is listed in your app before getting in.
- Confirm the identity of the ride-share driver. Ask the driver’s name and who they are here to pick up before getting in.
- If you’re alone, sit in the back seat. This will give you two exit options in case of emergency and it will give yourself and your driver some personal space.
- Always use a seat belt
- Let your family and friends know your ride-share details by selecting the “Share Status” option in the app. This will text a link to your trip details to up to 5 people you select. Details include driver’s first name and vehicle information and your map location in real time.
- Rate your driver and give feedback. The rating system is there to improve the experience for all.
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End of Mandatory Arbitration and Non-Disclosures
Uber famously had a practice of mandatory arbitration when it came to sexual assault and harassment cases. As of May 2018, Uber eliminated this controversial policy.
This means that victims of assault can file personal injury lawsuits and seek compensation for damages. Victims can agree to a settlement and not be forced to sign confidentiality agreements.
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Experienced Las Vegas Injury Lawyers
If you or a loved one has been injured in an Uber accident, you deserve compensation for your injuries, damages, and pain and suffering. It may seem with ride sharing that it’s hard to understand how the law applies to these new services. That’s why it’s imperative to discuss your Uber accident case with Anthem Injury Lawyers. We understand how the laws apply to ride sharing companies. We can help ensure that you receive the compensation that you deserve. Work with an attorney who has experience with ride share company accidents.
To speak with an experienced rideshare accident lawyer in the Las Vegas area, contact Anthem Injury Lawyers today. We work with clients all over the Las Vegas Valley, including North Las Vegas, Summerlin, Spring Valley, Anthem, and the Strip. We offer Free Consultations. Our phone number is (702) 857-6000. You can also request a Free Case Evaluation through our website Contact Form.
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