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Lyft Adds New Safety Features After Claims Company Ignored Sexual Assaults

A civil complaint filed by 14 women alleges the company ignored sexual-assault complaints from riders.

Lyft premiered new features on Tuesday intended to increase the safety of passengers and drivers using the ride-share app, according a post on the company’s blog. The announcement follows growing complaints that the company does not have adequate safety measures in place, including a civil lawsuit filed by 14 women earlier this month that alleges the company ignored sexual-assault complaints from riders. “The reality is that certain populations carry a disproportionate burden simply trying to get to work or back home after a night out—in the U.S., one in six women will face some form of sexual violence in their lives,” reads the announcement. “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.”

The new measures include app updates and changes to driver training requirements. A new feature called “Smart Trip Check-In” will alert Lyft when a ride has experienced unexplained delays, and riders and drivers will now be able to call 911 through the app while it prominently displays your current location and vehicle information. And, beginning this fall, drivers will be required to complete a new safety training in partnership with RAINN, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network.

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