Am I Safe? Understanding Saudi Women Rideshare Drivers Safety Perspectives

Ridesharing is part of the gig economy and is growing at significant rates. Safety in ridesharing is a necessity for both riders and drivers. However, previous research focused more on the riders’ perspective while overlooking the safety of the driver. Since in Saudi Arabia, females were recently allowed to drive and therefore are generally less experienced compared to the male population, we decided to investigate the female drivers’ safety. In this work-in-progress, we interview three female rideshare drivers in Saudi Arabia and ask them about their safety perspectives. The drivers shared that they generally feel safe on the road. However, certain conditions contribute to their lack of feelings of safety such as: limited safety training for drivers, passengers’ ability to abuse the rideshare app features, and lack of technical support. The participants also suggested design features that can improve their safety.