For some women, getting a ride means running through a mental safety checklist before the car even arrives. Share your location. Stay alert. Decide whether making conversation feels safer than staying quiet.
Grace Bishara understands that calculation. The founder and board member of Becoming Grace Foundation, an Arizona nonprofit supporting women and children affected by domestic violence and abuse, sees a lack of reliable transportation as a barrier to independence, and choice as part of reclaiming it.
New Waymo data gives that conversation a distinctly Phoenix perspective: 45% of women riders surveyed locally said the service improved their sense of personal safety, compared with 23% of men. According to the company, personal safety was the only surveyed area where responses differed significantly between women and men.
For Bishara, the gap is familiar. “I think it resonated with me on how much safety awareness has become subconscious to women,” she says.
Phoenix was Waymo’s first commercial driverless ride-hailing market. Now, the company is examining how removing a human driver can change the experience of traveling alone, particularly after dark. Released alongside the latest installment of Waymo’s “Because” campaign, the research addresses the mental energy some women spend managing their surroundings. Across established service markets, more than half of women riders reported an improved sense of personal safety, according to Waymo.
The figures reflect riders’ sense of personal safety, rather than crash statistics. For survivors of abuse, Bishara says, being able to choose a comfortable environment can be particularly meaningful. An interaction another passenger considers routine may feel different to someone who has experienced trauma.
Her foundation works to break barriers to freedom through survivor support, assistance and healing programs. “One of the barriers that we tackle is transportation when it comes to domestic violence,” Bishara explains. A survivor may lack a vehicle, face financial constraints or have a car tied up in litigation, she explained. Those obstacles can complicate grocery trips, school transportation and court appointments.
Bishara described assistance ranging from Lyft credits to connecting survivors with Waymo, emphasizing the importance of letting people choose what feels comfortable. She said the foundation has an existing relationship with Waymo. The company’s accompanying film, created by a women-led production team, depicts the everyday calculations women make around transportation. Bishara says that recognition stood out.
“I’ve never felt more seen when I watched that,” she explains. For her, the significance reaches beyond an empty driver’s seat: It is another opportunity for survivors to make decisions about their own lives.
“We are incredibly grateful for partners like Waymo that shine a light on the importance of women’s safety and empower us with the ability to choose an environment that fits every unique need,” Bishara says.
Insider Takeaways
- In Phoenix, 45% of women riders said Waymo improved their sense of personal safety, versus 23% of men.
- The findings measure perceived safety, rather than crash outcomes.
- Bishara connects transportation access with survivors’ independence and choice.
- Becoming Grace Foundation supports women and children affected by abuse.
