Beginning around 2015, ridesharing drivers have been accused of sexual assault crimes in news reports. This has led to several questions concerning the safety of these services. In a bid for deeper understanding, Min-Seok Pang and his co-authors decided to investigate the relationship between ridesharing services and sexual assault crimes.

Pang and his co-authors discovered that contrary to common belief, the introduction of ridesharing services into large metropolitan areas overall helps to deter sexual assault.