2017-2018 US Safety Report Uber Technologies, Inc. San Francisco, CA Published: December 5, 2019 Disclaimer: The data included in this Report is being provided for informational purposes only and reflects incidents report- ed to Uber in numerous ways, as discussed further herein. The data consists of reported incidents that allegedly occurred in connection with (as defined here) an Uber-facilitated trip. Given the limitations described herein, the Report does not assess or take any position on whether any of the reported incidents actually occurred, in whole or in part. Accordingly, no data, analysis, statement, representation, or other content contained in this Report can be relied upon by any party for any other purpose. This Report is issued as of the publication date listed above. Uber has undertaken reasonable efforts to ensure that the data, analysis, statements, representations, and other content contained in this Report are accurate as of the publica- tion date, and will not update the Report or its contents after such publication date. Table of Contents 4 Terms used in this Safety Report 6 Foreword 8 An introduction letter 10 Executive summary 20 Safety investments 33 Methodology 49 Uber’s scale in the United States 50 Data insights 50 Motor vehicle fatalities 57 Fatal physical assaults 58 Sexual assault 71 Conclusion Appendix I: Why data standards matter Appendix II: Examining Uber’s Use of the Sexual Misconduct and Violence Taxonomy and the Development of Uber’s United States Safety Report (by National Sexual Violence Resource Center, RALIANCE, and Urban Institute) Appendix III: An Evaluation of Safety Incident Categorization Capabilities for Uber (by The Chertoff Group) Appendix IV: Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Violence Taxonomy Terms used in this Safety Report Audit function (or audit process) Safety support agent(s) Uber’s data-quality assurance process, which is designed Customer support personnel at Uber who are tasked with to ensure data classification accuracy, reliability, and handling and responding to reported safety incidents and consistency across all safety incident reports. actioning user accounts as necessary. FARS Sexual assault The Fatality Analysis Review System. Operated by the Based on the Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Violence National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Taxonomy, sexual assault is defined as any physical or FARS is a nationwide census of fatal traffic crashes within attempted physical contact that is reported to be sexual the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. in nature and without the consent of the user. This can include incidents within the taxonomy ranging from Guest rider Attempted Touching of a Non-Sexual Body Part (e.g., a user Any rider in an Uber-facilitated trip who is not the rider who trying to touch a person’s shoulder in a sexual/romantic requested the trip through their Uber account. Guest riders way) to Non-Consensual Sexual Penetration. (For further can accompany rider account holders on trips or take the sexual assault categories and their definitions, please see trip without the rider account holder present. Appendix IV.) Section Three Section NISVS Sexual misconduct The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey. The Sexual Misconduct & Sexual Violence Taxonomy Administered through the Centers for Disease Control defines sexual misconduct as non-physical conduct (verbal (CDC), NISVS is an ongoing survey that collects national- or staring) of a sexual nature that happens without consent and state-level data on intimate partner violence, sexual or has the effect of threatening or intimidating a user violence, and stalking victimization in the United States. against whom such conduct is directed. This can include incidents within the taxonomy ranging from Staring/ Relevant facts Leering to Verbal Threat of Sexual Assault. (For further During the incident-report review process, safety support sexual misconduct categories and their definitions, please agents may gather relevant facts that may aid in the see Appendix IV.) ultimate resolution of a report. These relevant facts may include but are not limited to: GPS information, trip Statement of experience timestamps, and any additional information provided During the case-review process, specialized safety support to us, such as dashcam, phone, or audio recordings and agents aim to speak directly with the victim or survivor to screenshots of text conversations. Although these relevant obtain a firsthand account on the details of their reported facts can be useful, they are not necessary for an accused incident. In cases where a survivor is not able or willing to party’s account to be removed from the platform, and we provide that statement of experience, Uber considers all rely heavily on a survivor’s statement of experience. other relevant facts obtained during the review. Ridesharing (or ridesharing platform) Taxonomy For the purposes of this report, the Uber ridesharing A system used for incident categorization. Uber’s Safety platform involves peer-to-peer ride services inclusive of, Taxonomy is used to categorize safety incidents for proper but not limited to, UberPool, UberX, Uber Black, Uber SUV, agent routing, support protocol design, data tracking, and and UberXL. It also includes ride services in markets where other purposes. professional rideshare drivers are commercially licensed (e.g., New York City). Third party Any person who is not a driver, rider account holder, or guest rider involved in a reported safety incident. Terms Uber 4 User Victim/Survivor Any person using the Uber platform. For the purposes of We’ve learned from experienced advocates that people this report, it pertains specifically to drivers and riders. impacted by sexual violence may identify in many different ways, which can be deeply personal to the individual. In an effort to be inclusive and to ensure that all people impact- ed by sexual violence can identify with the language used in this report, Uber has chosen to use the terms victim and survivor throughout this report. Both terms are intended to refer to a person who has experienced any type of sexual misconduct or sexual assault. Section Three Section Terms Uber 5 Foreword From Karen Baker, Chief Executive Officer, National Sexual Violence Resource Center As an advocate who has been working in the movement to end sexual violence for the past 20 years, I welcome this unprecedented report, which provides an opportunity to shed light on how this information-sharing emboldens our work for a safer future. When the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) began working with Uber and the Urban Institute two years ago to create a classification system for unwanted behaviors, we didn’t anticipate how much we would learn about informing and enhancing the way industries and corporations enact meaningful change, and how those changes contribute to efforts to prevent and end all forms of sexual violence. The publication of this report is a bold step that builds off of that effort and sets a new bar for corporate responsibility and transparency. Never before have we seen a company disclose this level of information proactively. As experts in this field, we know first-hand that sexual harassment and abuse occur in all industries because they are a part of our larger society. All too often we have seen institutions respond to this reality by dismissing, denying, and downplaying the data and the broader problem. A 2019 national study found that 81% of women and 43% of men report experiencing some form of sexual harassment Section Three Section and/or assault in their lifetime1—the research speaks for itself, and it is irresponsible and unconscionable to deny the pervasive harms experienced by so many. All too often, victims of sexual assault and rape don’t know where to go or how to report, and are silenced by the fear that they won’t be believed or that their report won’t be taken seriously. This contributes to why sexual assault is such an under-reported crime across society. A recent US Department of Justice study found only 25% of sexual assaults or rape were reported to police.2 Technology can make it easier for people to come forward, and it has the potential to increase accountability. For example, trip information and track- ing in ridesharing apps may make it more likely for riders and drivers to report incidents. We also know that reporting goes up when people know how to report and feel that their reports will be taken seriously. By releasing this data publicly, Uber is confronting these challenging issues head-on rather than shying away from or minimizing the numbers. In fact, they made the intentional decision to be overinclusive, capturing data by accepting every report at face value, without requiring corroboration; and by placing incidents in the highest possible category of severity, when the descriptions were vague. More than ever, business leaders have a unique opportunity to play a role in addressing the pervasive problem of sexual assault and harassment. In order to contribute, they need to first accurately assess the nature and scope of sexual misconduct in their context. Second, they must respond appropriately when incidents occur; and third, they must enforce standards of safety and respect to reduce and prevent further occurrences. 1. Holly Kearl, “The Facts Behind the #MeToo Movement: A National Study on Sexual Harassment and Assault,” February 21, 2018, p. 7, http://www.stopstreetharassment.org /wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Full-Report-2018-National-Study-on-Sexual-Harassment-and-Assault.pdf. 2. Rachel E. Morgan, Ph.D., and Barbara A. Oudekerk, Ph.D., “Criminal Victimization, 2018,” Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, September 2019, p. 8, https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv18.pdf. Foreword Uber 6 Consistent categorization of reports of sexual harassment, misconduct, and assault make it possible for companies to capture reliable data and to hold themselves accountable to handling reported incidents responsibly.