Another Uber driver questioned for sexual assault. How safe is Uber, really?
Police in Avon, Ohio, said Thursday that a driver for the popular ride-sharing聽service Uber聽has been accused of sexually assaulting one of his passengers.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is currently reviewing a sexual assault kit to send to a grand jury, which will decide if charges should be filed, according to . A detective told the station that聽the driver is cooperating with the investigation and agreed to come in for questioning.
As the app continues to grow both in popularity and controversy, the incident marks the latest headline in a collection of stories raising questions about the safety of Uber and its hiring practices.
鈥淗ow dangerous is Uber compared with a taxi or limousine?鈥� asked in March. 鈥淪uch incidents seem frighteningly common now.鈥�
A Boston police spokesperson said there is no data to compare reports against Uber drivers with, say, taxi drivers or limo drivers, reports the magazine. 鈥淭his is meaningful because it underscores how the narrative about ridesharing and public safety is largely anecdotal.鈥�
Unless official figures come together, all the public has to rely on are pieces of the puzzle. Who鈥檚 Driving You, a public awareness campaign launched by the national Taxicab, Limousine &聽Paratransit Association (TLPA), lists on its website since 2013, with the garnering of reports filed around the world.
The group says both Uber and Lyft 鈥� via inadequate insurance, background checks and more.鈥�
In response to high-profile sexual assault cases in Boston and Chicago last year, in January the company added verification features to prevent customers from getting into the wrong car, reports Car Connection.
Uber has also vehemently defended its hiring practices, saying its background checks 鈥�
鈥淯nlike the taxi industry, our background checking process and standards are consistent across the United States and often more rigorous than what is required to become a taxi driver,鈥� spokesman Taylor Bennett told .
But prosecutors say some drivers on the app have been 鈥渃onvicted of murder, sexual assault, driving under the influence and other felonies,鈥� reports .
Looking at the records of Uber drivers who have been issued citations by airport police in San Francisco and Los Angeles and by the Los Angeles Police Department鈥檚 Bandit Cab unit, district attorneys in those cities found 鈥� who had criminal records or driving records that disqualified them from driving for Uber,鈥� they told Bay City News.
The San Francisco and Los Angeles district attorneys鈥� offices filed a joint complaint against Uber last month, saying that the company鈥檚 statements that it runs checks of its applicants using the National Sex Offender Registry 鈥渁re false, because that particular database is
鈥淯ber uses the National Sex Offender Public Website, which such as certain California offenders convicted of child pornography offenses,鈥� according to Bay City News.
