In a safety report released Thursday, Uber revealed that 3,045 cases of sexual assault were reported in the U.S in 2018.
235 of these reported incidents were cases of rape, which is an increase from the 229 reported in 2017. Instances of non-consensual touching of a sexual body part and non-consensual kissing of a non-sexual body part also increased from 2017 to 2018.
In a tweet, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said:
"Doing the right thing means counting, confronting, and taking action to end sexual assault. My heart is with every survivor of this all-too-pervasive crime. Our work will never be done, but we take an important step forward today."
He added:
"In the long run, we will be a better company for taking this step today — because I firmly believe that companies who are open, accountable, and unafraid are ultimately the companies that succeed."
As Uber faces continued pressure over safety issues, the ride-sharing company is reportedly set to test a controversial new safety feature that will allow riders and drivers to record audio during a trip within its app.
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