Uber has announced it will create a permanent global safety advisory board designed to give “critical recommendations and counsel” regarding the safety of passengers and drivers.
In a press release, Uber’s chief security officer Joe Sullivan said: “With over three million trips taking place each day on the Uber platform worldwide, we are focused on doing more. One of our goals for 2015 was to work closely with cities, the public, and external experts to figure out the right ways to tackle the challenges we face as we build technology that allows anyone to push a button and get a ride.
“That’s why we are excited to announce the establishment of the Uber Safety Advisory Board, a group of experts who bring a wealth of expertise and experience spanning several aspects of safety. These advisors will provide critical recommendations and counsel as we continue to develop new methods and technologies that reduce risk and increase safety for riders, drivers, and the public.”
The board is made up of outside experts including:
- John Barton
Former Deputy Executive Director, Texas Department of Transportation
- Rob Chesnut
Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Chegg
Former Senior Vice President, Trust and Safety, eBay - Ed Davis
Former Boston Police Commissioner
- Jessica Eaglin
Associate Professor of Law, Indiana University, Maurer School of Law
Former Counsel, Justice Program, Brennan Center’s Justice at NYU School of Law
- Margaret Richardson
Of Counsel, Covington & Burling
Former Chief of Staff to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder
- Cindy Southworth
Executive Vice-President, National Network to End Domestic Violence
Founder of the Safety Net Technology Project
Board Member of the Global Network of Women’s Shelterss
Uber has faced no shortage of safety and security challenges over the last 12 months. In the US, Californian prosecutors found 25 Uber driver had evaded background checks despite having serious criminal convictions-including murder and sexual assualt. In Sydney, an Uber driver sexually assaulted a woman in Kings Cross, Uber argued although the driver was a contractor for the business “this was not a ridesharing trip but a ride accepted on the street and not through an app.”
