Uber reported in a report released on Thursday that the number of sexual assaults inside its vehicles has dropped significantly since its launch. Last report But the number of fatal auto accidents has increased.

According to the company, 3,824 sexual attacks were reported in its U.S. platform between 2019 and 2020. Twenty people died as a result of assaults, and 101 in accidents.

Uber released its initial report in 2019. This report is a follow-up to that report. The company had committed to publishing reports every two-years, but said that the new review was slowed down by a pandemic related delay in 2020 data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Uber analyzes vehicle fatalities using the agency’s data standards and methodology.

Uber’s initial report showed that reported sexual assaults had decreased from 5,981 to 5,981 between 2017 and 2018. However, the company has logged a far lower number of trips in 2020 due to the pandemic. 650 million as opposed to 1.4 billion. Uber reported that the number of sexual assaults has decreased by 38 percent.

The number of deaths from assaults was the same as in previous periods, and so were fatal accidents, which claimed 107 lives in 2017-2018. Uber stated that the increase in fatal car accidents in 2020 was due to a more deadly year on the road. This is supported by NHTSA.

The NHTSA reported that the majority of Uber-related deaths occurred in 2019. However, the rate in 2020 was higher.

Uber said that 99.9 per cent of Uber rides are incident-free, and only 0.0002 per cent of all Uber rides have one of the critical safety incidents listed in the report. This data does not include any injuries, and only counts rides on UberEats.

Uber has attempted to change its image and the release of safety data is seen as a key part of this makeover.

Uber has been adding safety features in recent years. For example, drivers can now film their rides. Both drivers and passengers can also record audio in the Uber app. Uber reported that in 2019 and 2020 more than half a million prospective drivers failed the screening process. More than 80,000 drivers were removed from the Uber app due to the company’s ongoing criminal record checks.

Tony West, Uber’s chief legal officer said that secrecy does not make anyone safer. “That’s the reason we ask companies in the industry to be more transparent and honest about their safety records.”

He said, “By addressing the issue and consistently counting reports, we can help to end sexual violence.”

In recent months, driver advocacy organizations and members of Congress have pressured gig companies to improve the safety of their drivers, and Title =””>One report estimated that 50 gig drivers have been killed in the workplace since 2017. Uber reported Thursday that 19 drivers died in 2019 and 2020, including 14 from crashes and 5 assailants.

Andrew Hasbun said that Uber pays for injury protection in states where the law requires it. He said that the company offers a hotline specifically for victims of sexual assault in partnership with Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network.

Cherri Murphy, a Lyft former driver and spokesperson for Gig Workers Rising (a driver advocacy group), questioned if driving for Uber is safe.

In a press release, Ms. Murphy stated that “Uber executives would like you to believe that by throwing numbers and stats at reporters we will be fooled into believing Uber is a safe service for both workers and passengers.” Workers have known for a long time that the safety features they tout are false and do not keep workers safe.

Uber stated that it was unable to provide any numbers regarding Covid-19 exposure among Uber drivers. However, it did say that $50 million had been allocated globally for safety supplies such as masks and hand-sanitizers, and that more than 40 million dollars in aid has been given to drivers who have suffered from Covid.

Uber categorizes sexual assaults into five categories: nonconsensual touching, rape, and attempted rape. The most common type of report was “nonconsensual touch of a body part sexual.”

In all five categories, the alleged perpetrators of violence and their targets were evenly split between drivers and riders. In 56 percent of the cases, drivers were accused of assault and in 43 percent, riders. In 39 percent of cases, drivers were the victims and riders in 61.

Indira Henard is a member of Uber’s Safety Advisory Board, and executive director of D.C. Rape Crisis Center. She said that releasing information about sexual assaults can help to dispel the stigma surrounding a crime which is under-reported.

In an interview, Dr. Henard stated that Uber’s transparency with its safety record aims to end the silence surrounding gender-based violence.