Two-thirds of Lyft and Uber drivers reported harassment in 2022

Rideshare drivers are responsible for getting their passengers to and from their destination quickly and safely. Their companies, however, may not be doing enough to make sure drivers get the same courtesy. 

Two-thirds of Uber and Lyft drivers have been threatened, harassed or assaulted while on the job in 2022 alone, according to a new survey of over 900 rideshare drivers across 35 states conducted by the Strategic Organizing Center, a coalition of local and national labor organizations. Among drivers of color, 86% reported being called a racial, ethnic or religious name or slur. As gig work grows in popularity, driver safety will have to become a priority if those companies plan on recruiting successfully. 

"These statistics are just from the last 12 months, and it's not that something has changed in the last year," says Joan Moriarty, director of strategic research and campaigns at the Strategic Organizing Center. "It's that the corporate policies of Uber and Lyft force workers to accept rides they don't feel are safe, and don't let them stop rides in the middle if they're being harassed."

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Currently, rideshare drivers have no way of choosing where they pick up passengers or verifying who gets into their vehicle, according to the survey. They also have very few options available to them when it comes to dealing with aggressive passengers. More often than not, it's the driver who gets penalized for canceling rides or falling below a certain customer rating. In 2023, drivers reported negative customer complaints as the leading cause for deactivation, the process by which app-based corporations temporarily or permanently block drivers from accessing their platforms. Lyft and Uber did not respond to requests for comment when contacted by EBN.

"They literally have to choose between their own livelihoods and safety," Moriarty says. "Drivers depend on this income to survive and have their families survive. So when forced to make these choices, they'll choose to put themselves at risk."

The fear of deactivation has made rideshare drivers less selective with their rides. In fact, 59% of all drivers and 70% of drivers of color stated they accepted rides they felt were unsafe because they were concerned about negative reviews leading to deactivation. When asked in the survey what would make them choose their own safety over potentially dangerous rides, drivers identified eliminating the threat of deactivation as the most effective measure the corporations could take to make their rides safer.  

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"That's not an expensive thing to do," Moriarty says. "That's not a piece of equipment. That's not making changes to a car. It's a simple policy change that could be implemented immediately. But the companies are unwilling to do so." 

Desperate drivers are starting to make their voices heard. Last month, Uber shareholders voted at the company's annual meeting on a proposal calling for an independent, third-party audit of driver health and safety. The proposal cited a number of reports, including records of 52 murders of app workers who were killed on the job between 2017 and 2022 gathered by the Action Center on Race and the Economy. However, the proposal at Uber's shareholder meeting was denied after only receiving 9% of shareholder's votes. 

"The companies don't want there to be wait times or any hesitation or delay for passengers," Moriarty says. "I can understand that there's a business imperative that they have, but that business imperative should not stand before driver safety."

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Moriarty says that smaller actions can go a long way toward improving safety for drivers, like guaranteeing compensation if drivers are injured or hurt. Ride share apps could also institute a more robust passenger verification program, allowing drivers to compare photos with IDs for their passengers, a policy that drivers must already adhere to. 

"Both Lyft and Uber really actively promote their passenger safety measures," Moriarty says, referring to the apps' route share options and 24/7 response teams as examples. "Driver safety is not antithetical to passenger safety and companies are going to really need to take a hard look at their policies."