Safety is a top priority for anyone using a rideshare service, but for women—especially those riding alone—it’s a deciding factor. I have personally used both services, but now only use Uber after a Lyft driver dropped me off in a bad neighborhood, insisted it was the right spot, and told me I needed to get out of the car because she had another ride.

Both Uber and Lyft have worked to improve safety in recent years, but the specifics of their tools, policies, and transparency vary. In my case, Lyft’s policy failed me, but more on that later.

Below you’ll find a detailed comparison of the safety features available on each platform, plus my own personal experience, to help you make an informed choice on whether Uber is safer than Lyft for women.

2026 Update: It seems no rideshare is perfect, as Uber horribly failed me and nearly left me stranded at midnight a long way from home. That update is at the bottom of the post.

Why I Choose Uber Over Lyft

When you compare pricing, Lyft is often a few dollars cheaper than Uber, so I used to choose it quite often. I also liked the option to be paired with women drivers. So, on a recent trip to New Orleans, I used Lyft to take myself and a couple friends to a club. I put in the address and waited for the ride.

When our driver came to a stop at a boarded-up house on the side of the highway, we let her know that was not our destination. The destination clearly had the name of the club and a different address than was displayed on this random house, but she insisted her GPS said it was correct.

She was not exactly friendly, and even though we pointed out the numbers on the address were way off, she said we needed to get out of the car because she had another ride. So, she left three women, all dressed up for a night out, alone in a questionable area in New Orleans at night and told us to figure it out.

Lyft Was Unconcerned with Our Safety

I immediately contacted Lyft’s customer service and let them know what happened. Their response was that they would reply back to me by e-mail in a couple hours. I sent them photos of the scary house with the incorrect address on it.

We quickly got on the Uber app and booked ourselves a ride, putting in the same address as before. Uber picked us up and took us to the correct place, which was a couple miles away.

After going back and forth with Lyft, not only did they not seem concerned about this driver’s actions, but they denied my refund saying that the ride was complete! I was pretty shocked, disappointed and have never used Lyft again due to concerns for my safety.

Safety Features Comparison: Uber vs. Lyft

Below you’ll find a detailed chart breaking down the safety features of both Uber and Lyft.

In-Depth Feature Highlights

Uber’s RideCheck and PIN Verification
Uber’s RideCheck monitors GPS and detects if the car has stopped for too long or deviated from the route. This triggers a check-in with the rider and the option to contact emergency services. Additionally, PIN verification ensures you’re getting into the right car, reducing the risk of fake drivers.

You can also share your Uber ride with someone, and they will get updates when you get started and when you arrive at your destination.

Lyft’s Women+ Connect
This is one of Lyft’s few standout safety features: it matches women and nonbinary riders with women and nonbinary drivers. However, it’s only available in a handful of U.S. cities and isn’t guaranteed.

Plus, riding with a woman doesn’t necessarily guarantee your safety, as it was a women driver who left me, and my friends stranded on the side of the road in the dark.

Update: Uber now gives you the choice to request women drivers!

Audio Recording: Uber’s Edge
Uber allows riders and drivers to record trips through the app in supported regions. The recordings are encrypted and can be submitted if an incident is reported—providing crucial documentation that Lyft currently lacks.

Public Safety Records and Transparency

Uber’s decision to publish regular safety reports and partner with safety organizations has positioned it as more transparent. Lyft has released a safety report as well, but it came later and included less context on how issues were handled. Both companies have faced lawsuits over passenger safety, but Uber has responded with more public reforms.

Final Thoughts

If you’re a woman who values proactive, tech-based safety tools, Uber currently has the edge. From PIN verification to audio recording, it provides more built-in layers of protection. Lyft’s Women+ Connect is promising, but as I’ve pointed out, women are not a guaranteed safe ride. So, in my opinion, Uber is safer than Lyft for women. (Update: this is no longer my opinion. You are taking your chances either way.)

Whichever app you choose, always:

• Check the license plate before getting in.
• Share your ride with a friend.
• Trust your instincts and use the safety tools—don’t hesitate.

Rideshare safety is improving, but knowing the tools at your disposal is your first step in riding smarter and safer. Double check your destination address, and make sure your phone is charged up and ready should you need to book yourself another ride like in my experience.

Update: Uber’s Major Fail

I took Uber to go to an event and planned to use it to get home as well. So, at midnight I went to book my ride home and suddenly Uber says it needs to verify my identify.

It’s late, I’m in a dark bar, had several drinks, and now I’m digging around in my purse trying to find my ID to satisfy this ridiculous request.

I was booking the ride from my phone, with my verified Uber One account. There’s no reason for this sudden security check.

I put my ID in the little window, but there was no button or “enter” option for it to actually take a photo. Maybe it was supposed to do it automatically? If so, the bar was too dark for it to function properly.

No matter what I tried, it wouldn’t work.

So, my friend Heather brings up her Uber app to get me a ride, and it does the same thing to her! She got stuck on the verification page as well.

So, in an ironic twist after writing this article, it was Lyft who saved the day (or night) and got me home. And now I don’t trust Uber at all. I can only imagine if this happened to my not-so-app-savvy mother who takes Uber all the time and probably doesn’t even know about Lyft. How many women are getting stranded by this feature?

I contacted customer service and nobody has gotten back to me yet, even though it has been 6-12 hours since my initial complaint. I’m trying to get some answers as to why this happened.

I will update the post if I hear back. I guess in the end, you are always taking a chance using either service. It’s always good to have a backup plan!

Update 6 Days Later

So much for 6-12 hours! I finally heard back SIX DAYS later. And what I got was ridiculous. They didn’t even read my complaint.

Luis from Uber support either can’t read, or is just an AI bot. If it’s an AI response, why is their AI so darn slow?

Luis says he understands I had a bad experience with a driver due to inappropriate behavior. Obviously, Luis doesn’t understand anything, because I never said anything of the sort, and I gave my driver 5 stars.

And even if I was complaining about inappropriate behavior, Luis wasn’t offering much help besides leave a bad rating and block them.

So not only did Uber take nearly a week to respond, but they also don’t read the complaints and are totally unhelpful. So, if you ever do get in a bad situation, Uber doesn’t care.