Lyft News

Keeping the Lyft Community Safe in Washington D.C. and Beyond

Jan 14, 2021

At Lyft, we watched the events that unfolded last week at the U.S. Capitol with horror. Our country – and new President – deserve a peaceful transition of power, one free from disruption and violence. In advance of next week’s Inauguration, we want to share what we’re doing to help protect our riders and drivers. 

SERVING OUR COMMUNITIES: We plan to continue operations in the Washington D.C. region and across the country. In times of crisis, affordable and reliable transportation is more essential than ever, and Lyft can be a critical lifeline for those who find themselves in potentially unsafe situations. We are in service of the communities in which we operate, and we will continue providing access to essential transportation unless we are ordered to do otherwise. 

BANNING VIOLENT INDIVIDUALS: Violence has no place in the Lyft community. Discrimination, harassment and violence of any sort are violations of our Community Guidelines, and reports of such behavior – both on our platform and off – can and do lead to account deactivation. We will continue to enforce this longstanding policy in the coming weeks and months. 

PROVIDING DRIVER RESOURCES: We’re working with local officials to make sure riders and drivers are equipped with the information they need to protect themselves and those around them. In D.C., we’ve encouraged drivers to report suspicious activity to local authorities, and have supplied drivers nationwide with resources from the ACLU and NOBLE focused on how to safely interact with law enforcement. We’ve also partnered with the D.C. Department of Transportation to close all Capital Bikeshare stations around the National Mall, Capitol Building, and Union Station. 

REINFORCING OUR COMMITMENT TO SAFETY: Safety is fundamental to Lyft, and it’s one of the key values Lyft was founded on. We continually invest in new products, policies and features to help keep riders and drivers safe, including:

  • Emergency Help, supported by ADT: If a rider or driver ever feels uncomfortable or unsafe, they are able to immediately and silently connect with an ADT security professional. If requested, ADT will alert authorities so they can arrive at the user’s location, equipped with necessary ride details.

  • Smart Trip Check-In: In some cases, if we notice a ride has stopped too soon or for an unusual amount of time, drivers and riders will hear from Lyft. We’ll ask if they need support, and if necessary, we’ll give the option to request emergency assistance. 

  • Share Location: The Lyft app provides real-time ride tracking, so riders can share their exact location and route with family and friends.

  • Critical Response Line: Both riders and drivers can report incidents to our dedicated Safety team available through a 24/7 Critical Response Line so that we can take action – including investigating and working with law enforcement when appropriate – to help to keep our community safe.

In the coming days, we will continue to monitor the situation on the ground and update this blog as needed.