Six years ago, Uber launched a feature in Saudi Arabia, in which female drivers on the riding app wanted connections with female riders. Since then, the “female preference” feature has been deployed in 40 countries, from Argentina and Brazil to Canada, India and Mexico.
Within weeks, the feature will eventually expand into the US, the company said Wednesday. Uber will pilot the features in Detroit, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Women can prefer female drivers on the Uber app and increase their chances of a match. Afterwards, when a female rider requests a trip, they will be presented with an option called “female driver.” According to Uber, if the wait is longer than expected, riders can choose a different ride.
Female drivers can switch the setting to “female rider preferences.” This setting can be changed if the driver wants to receive travel requests from all riders.
Riding companies like Uber and Lyft are working on ways to improve safety and attract the widest range of users, both drivers and riders. But that wasn’t an easy path.
Ridehale safety has been a long-standing issue, and it frequently employs supporters and regulators for companies like Uber and Lyft. Although rare, reports of sexual assaults and fatal attacks only encouraged these concerns.
Uber reported 36 physical assault deaths in 2021 and 2022, according to the latest US safety report released last year. Uber pointed out that physical assault deaths have jumped out in the past few years. The incident still compensated for just a small portion of the 1.8 billion trips made in the US in 2021 and 2022, but the rise has led the company to launch a variety of features to enhance safety, including verified rider badges and audio and video record ride options.
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Sexual assault cases have declined consistently since Uber began reporting data in 2017. Uber reported 5,981 sexual assaults between 2017 and 2018, with the figure down more than half to 2,717 between 2021 and 2022.
Meanwhile, Uber and Lyft are looking for ways to attract more female drivers. Both companies have more male drivers than female drivers. For example, one in five Uber drivers in the US is a woman. The “female preference” feature, designed to give both riders and drivers some control, helps attract more users on both sides.
Uber was the first major ride company to launch the Women’s Preferences feature. However, rival Lyft was the first person in the US to offer female match features. It’s its main market.
