Usually, when thinking about dangerous professions, most people consider police officers or oil rig workers. Surprisingly, driving a taxi proves to be on top of the list. On the other hand, passengers also occasionally face crimes ranging from assault to murder.
We compiled a list of taxi driver crime statistics to help you better understand the topic. The data includes rates of homicide, physical and sexual assault, and other crimes happening in taxis across the country.
Let’s take a look at the most recent data on the taxi service industry.
(Statista, Lawyer Friend)
The US has been employing more and more taxi drivers over the last few years. For example, back in 2013, the country had a little over 170,000 cab drivers, while in 2016, the number grew to 188,860.
Most recently, the number of taxi drivers in the US has almost reached 208,000.
Their biggest challenger is Uber, a rideshare industry giant, with over 327,000 employees in the US.
Taxi industry statistics on gender demographics show 3.3 per 100,000 female cab drivers die while working. For comparison, the rate for males is 15.
When adjusted to the number of employees of each gender, the difference is over six times.
New York City has an agency called Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC). Among other things, this institution tracks the taxi service industry statistics in the city.
The TLC’s latest data reveals that around 40 taxis and limos in NYC had crashes with fatal outcomes and critical injuries in a year. That doesn’t include the pedestrians killed by taxi drivers statistics.
People who don’t wear a seatbelt in taxis are twice as likely to wind up seriously hurt. Interestingly, research has also shown that partition glass also contributes to more fatal car crash outcomes.
Perhaps the most hazardous factor of all is the driver’s experience. Taxi driver statistics warn that inexperienced drivers are a staggering 5.5 times more likely to violate traffic laws.
(Driving Tests, The Sun)
Limo and taxi traffic violations statistics warn that only 57% of passengers in hired vehicles wear seatbelts.
In some parts of the world like the UK, taxi drivers don’t have to buckle up. Due to the high rates of taxi driver crime stats on robbery and assault, drivers are allowed to ride beltless to be less vulnerable.
According to the most recent data, taxi drivers and chauffeurs’ annual fatal car crashes have decreased from 62 to 47.
Taxi accidents statistics have fluctuated between 70 and 63 in the past few years. In fact, 2018 had the fewest fatal taxi or limo crashes in the last 17 years.
Also, taxi statistics indicate a decrease in homicides. The annual driver murders slumped from 31 to 14 — around 60% — in four years.
Taxi safety statistics show 82% of fatal attacks happen at night, and two-thirds — 66% — of all attackers are under the age of 20.
A further look into the taxicab statistics indicates only 25% of all assailants attack from outside the cab, and approximately 47% act alone.
Since the 90s, the annual number of murders has steadily declined across the US, directly affecting the taxi driver victim statistics.
Cab drivers, however, still face a substantial danger, with an average murder rate of around 16 per 100,000.
The data on workplace death rates for 2019 reveal over 2000 transportation fatalities in general.
(Wall Street Journal)
According to the most recent taxi rape statistics, 14 instances occurred in New York City in a year, showing a general increase.
These were part of 116 rapes committed by strangers, meaning taxi drivers account for 8.4% of such offenses annually.
Unfortunately, stats of sexual assault by taxi drivers in the US are not updated often.
(Taxi Library, Uber Safety Report)
Taxi driver crime statistics show unlicensed drivers face more risks than regular employees.
One of the main reasons is that they are more inclined to work in dangerous neighborhoods, making them more vulnerable to robberies, assault, and murder.
Throughout the 90s and early 2000s, approximately two murders happened every month. For comparison, Uber statistics say that seven of its drivers and nine passengers in the US were murdered in a year.
Taxi driver assault statistics show higher rates than those of bus drivers who account for six instances annually.
Uber and Lyft, however, with three million and 1.4 million drivers, respectively, have around 127 physical assaults yearly.
These cab driver crime statistics cover the US, the UK, and Australia.
Statistics on taxi safety show that cab drivers are 30 times above the national average workplace homicide rate. They rank as the employees with the highest probability of dying due to violence, surpassing police officers and security guards.
Taxi driver gun violence statistics account for most fatalities in the industry. The majority of fatal gunshot wounds — 64% — are to the head.
A further look into stats on taxi injuries in the United States reveals 74% of death cases involve head or neck wounds.
Taxi driver crime facts reveal a troubling picture of the profession.
As hundreds of thousands of people work for taxi services, an awareness of the danger they face and the one they pose is essential. Unfortunately, this proves to be one of the most dangerous professions in terms of violent offenses.
Taxi drivers perpetrating physical and sexual assaults or reckless driving are still a significant concern.
Working as a taxi driver is more dangerous than most other jobs. The assault, murder, and car crash rates of taxi drivers are relatively high.
Unlicensed taxis, in particular, are hazardous to work in. Data from NYC shows that around two illegal cab drivers get murdered in the city every month.
Statistically, Uber drivers seem to be safer than taxi drivers.
Far more people work as Uber drivers than in taxis. As such, the overall number of criminal incidents is higher for the former. Nonetheless, taxi drivers are more likely to end up victims of murder and assault.
Safety depends on many factors, such as where you live or when you order a ride.
One safety advantage of Lyft and Uber is the app, allowing you to order a ride and wait somewhere safe for it. As opposed to trying to hail a taxi on the streets.
Another aspect of the security features is the background check. The screening process is much stricter for taxis than for Uber and Lyft. On the other side, the new digitized services allow you to pick the gender of your driver and quickly report any misdeeds if necessary.
Working as a taxi driver can be stressful for various reasons — high chances of encountering violent customers or unfortunate events like car crashes.
Irregular working hours, driving in dangerous neighborhoods, and a sedentary work environment also contribute to stress levels for taxi drivers. Moreover, relatively low wages make drivers work overtime to earn enough.
The most recent stats available reveal 34 taxi drivers get murdered annually. Most of them die of gunshot wounds inflicted by young attackers from inside the taxi.
Unlicensed taxi drivers suffer even worse. Since the 1990s, over 180 have been murdered in NYC alone, as taxi driver crime statistics indicate.