A proposed California law would require rideshare companies to adopt stricter safety standards and take legal responsibility for sexual misconduct.
By Anahita Jafary, KCRA3
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
A sexual assault survivor is advocating for a proposed California law that would enforce stricter safety standards for rideshare companies like Uber and hold them legally accountable for misconduct.
Danielle Tudahl, a sexual assault survivor, shared her experience to highlight the need for change.
“I was sexually harassed by a driver, who was making comments about how I looked so young. He said I looked 16, and was asking me, you know, why don’t you have a boyfriend?” Tudahl said.
Signs displayed on the steps of the California State Capitol echoed alarming statistics, citing a New York Times investigation that revealed Uber receives reports of sexual assault or misconduct approximately every eight minutes in the United States.
Carmen Balber, executive director of Consumer Watchdog, emphasized the importance of stricter safety measures. “
It should not be harder to rent an apartment than to qualify to drive an Uber, and I should feel safe as a woman getting into a car when I call it, but I don’t,” Balber said.
The proposed law, called the Sexual Assault Against Rideshare Passengers and Drivers Prevention and Accountability Act, would require rideshare companies to follow the same safety rules as taxis, buses, and trains, including stricter background checks for drivers. Balber also referenced a tragic case involving an UberEATS driver.
“Sylvia was killed by an UberEATS driver who was speeding 120 miles an hour while intoxicated. According to the family’s lawsuit, the driver already had a criminal history and was on probation for their second DUI,” Balber said.
The initiative would also hold rideshare companies legally responsible for sexual misconduct. Tudahl described her frustration with Uber’s response to her experience.
“There was no action taken. There were no follow-ups. It was so painful to get a reply from them. It was hard to even get a refund for those rides that obviously neither of them were completed, which should be obvious within the app,” she said.
Just this week, an Associated Press article reported that a federal jury found Uber liable for sexual assault in another case.
Micha Liberty, founder and attorney at Liberty Law, criticized Uber’s handling of such incidents. “When I was a kid and would go into a fancy store with my mom, and there was a sign that said, ‘if you break it, you buy it’, […] Uber’s fine breaking it. It doesn’t want to pay for how it’s breaking human beings, how it’s breaking its customers by exposing them to sexual violence,” Liberty said.
Rideshare companies Uber and Lyft were contacted for comment but did not respond.
The proposed law will be placed on California’s November ballot, marking a potential first in the nation.
