Lyft has announced that the company will release new safety features on its app Tuesday, less than a week after it was sued by 14 women allegedly assaulted by drivers.
The changes include asking riders and drivers if they’re OK if their ride has unexplained delays, an in-app “Call 911” button and mandatory driver training.
A check-in feature will roll out later this year, according to Lyft. If a ride has unexplained delays, a window will pop up on the app asking if the passenger or driver is all right. The passenger or driver will have the option to report an issue to Lyft or request emergency assistance from law enforcement. Lyft would not contact law enforcement on their behalf if the driver or rider don’t confirm they’re OK.
When calling 911 from the app, which Lyft said is available today, it will display the car’s current location and vehicle information to pass along to dispatchers.
Lyft also announced all drivers will be required to participate in sexual assault prevention training through the app, according to a spokeswoman.
“The onus is on all of us to learn from any incident, whether it occurs on our platform or not, and then work to help prevent them,” Lyft president and co-founder John Zimmer said in a statement. “Today, we’re taking further action toward our goal of making Lyft the safest form of transportation for everyone.”
Attorneys who filed a lawsuit last week on behalf of 14 women allegedly sexually assaulted by Lyft drivers say these changes are inadequate and a “cheap public relations stunt.”
Their lawsuit alleges Lyft is acting negligently by not doing enough to prevent assaults by its drivers and not cooperating with law enforcement. They argue Lyft does this because it has a financial incentive to recruit as many drivers as possible.
Attorney Michael Bomberger argues Lyft should be doing more, like video recording each ride.
“Nearly 100 percent of the responsibility for the safety measures is for the victim themself preventing their own assault,” Bomberger said. “How’s a woman gonna, once an assault starts, grab their phone and start to do these things, especially if they’re intoxicated and/or they’ve been sleeping? It’s just not gonna work.”