Report of sexual assault every 8 minutes
NYT feature on Uber assault captures public’s attention
From 2017 to 2022, a total of 400,181 Uber trips resulted in reports of sexual assault and sexual misconduct in the United States, court documents show according to the New York Times. Previously, the company had disclosed 12,522 accounts of serious sexual assaults for that same time period, without indicating the total number of sexual assault and sexual misconduct reports it received.
Uber has not released data for the years since then, though the court records indicate reports of incidents have increased.
Reporter Emily Steel’s August 6th feature “Uber’s Festering Sexual Assault Problem” has made significant impact across mainstream media since publication. The information mainly predates 2022, as Uber has not filed updated results since that time. However, information contained within Steel’s piece appears to be coming as new information to consumers, regulators and media.
“As early as 2014, it (Uber) started exploring the idea of using cameras in cars,” Steel quotes a 2016 presentation. “But the company decided not to require cameras in cars, largely because it conflicted with its business model, according to internal communications.”
In Canada, the class-action lawsuit “C.K. v. Uber Canada Inc. et al”was filed on March 15, 2024, in the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench.
C.K.’s statement of claim states that Uber has been negligent in “failing to exercise reasonable care in the hiring, training, retention, and supervision of individuals acting on the Defendants’ behalf as Uber drivers,” among numerous other serious accusations.
