Uber’s recent announcement unveils a new pilot program—Women Preferences—allowing women riders to request female drivers, and women drivers to opt into serving only women riders. This feature is being tested in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit in the coming weeks.
Uber’s recent announcement unveils a new pilot program—Women Preferences—allowing women riders to request female drivers, and women drivers to opt into serving only women riders. This feature is being tested in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit in the coming weeks.
Legal Implications for Sexual Assault Risk and Liability
- Addressing Safety Claims and Mitigation of Liability
Uber faces consolidated litigation in the U.S. (MDL No. 3084) involving more than 2,300 claims of sexual assault by drivers or riders. Legal arguments pivot on whether Uber’s safety offerings—especially gender-preference tools—constitute reasonable efforts to prevent harm or simply reactive measures.
- Duty of Care and Reasonable Accommodation
From a legal standpoint, sexual assault in ride-share settings implicates Uber’s duty to implement safety policies and features. The Women Preferences feature may help satisfy this duty as evidence of forward-looking risk reduction—though plaintiffs may argue the changes are too little, too late.
- Platform Design and Discriminatory Risk Exposure
With only about 20% of Uber drivers identifying as women in 2023, the feature may lead to longer wait times. Riders and drivers must weigh safety preferences against possible delays or lower earnings.
- Future Litigation and Policy Expectations
Plaintiffs’ attorneys may use Uber’s prior failure to offer gender match options earlier as evidence that the company neglected risk mitigation. The feature may reduce risk going forward, but it won't fully shield the company from past abuses or claims where features were unavailable.
Key Takeaways for Clients and Counsel
- Survivors: If you experienced harassment or assault, especially pre-feature rollout, you may have grounds for a claim—and this policy update reinforces awareness of industry obligations.
- Ride-share Platforms: Gender-preference tools are positive steps, but companies must ensure training, oversight, and enforcement accompany them.
- Regulators & Advocates: Industry standards may soon evolve to require gender-matching or other protective features as part of baseline safety expectations.
📚 Cited Sources:
- CBS News
“Uber to test women-only rides in 3 U.S. cities”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/uber-women-drivers-los-angeles-san-francisco-detroit - The Washington Post
“Uber is testing a women-only driver service. Here’s how it works.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/07/24/uber-women-request-service - Forbes
“Uber To Let Female Passengers And Drivers Opt For Women-Only Rides”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimelsesser/2025/07/24/uber-to-let-female-passengers-and-drivers-opt-for-women-only-rides - Business Insider
“Uber is finally releasing a female driver option in the U.S.”
https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-is-finally-releasing-a-female-driver-option-2025-7 - The Verge
“Uber’s making it easier for women riders and drivers to find each other”
https://www.theverge.com/2025/07/24/uber-women-driver-preference-feature - Wikipedia – Uber (Sexual Assault Lawsuits)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uber#Sexual_assault_lawsuits
