Sexual assault has been on the minds of college students nationwide as numbers of incidents continue to accumulate. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, crime warnings alert the campus community about particular crimes in the area that may be a threat so that students are able to better protect themselves.
Unfortunately, these crime warnings have been frequent and because of this, many students have looked for more ways to ensure their own safety, including using a multitude of apps. Students at the University of Michigan recently released “Companion,” an app that allows people to reach out to friends, family and even the local safety department when walking alone at night.
While “Companion” is an app that aided the movement to stop sexual assault, others have not been as helpful nor safe. After BuzzFeed released Uber’s internal data on rapes and sexual assaults, the safety of such driving apps have been called into question.
In response to one Uber driver’s own experience, he decided to create a female-operated alternative for women and children: SafeHer for Women. App creator Michael Pelletz hopes to offer the safest practices in order to provide the most secure and fun ride service.
According to the SafeHer website, every driver has undergone a thorough background check prior to driving their first passenger. Every day, the driver must confirm her identity via different security questions and each time a user requests a ride, a “safe word” is shared between the driver and passenger’s phone that must be said before the ride may begin. In the event that the safe word is incorrect, the passenger knows to not get into that SafeHer car.
Due to SafeHer’s exclusive nature, the app has come under scrutiny and may not be released, but keep your eyes peeled for new and upcoming tools to guarantee your safety on walks home and late-night errands.