Ride-sharing giants Lyft and Uber have struck a data-sharing deal designed to protect passenger safety.

The Industry Sharing Safety Program will for the first time enable the companies to view which drivers and delivery people have been deactivated from the other’s platform for serious safety incidents.

These will relate to the five most serious safety incidents described by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s (NSVRC) Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Violence Taxonomy, including sexual assault and physical assault resulting in fatality.

Workforce solutions provider HireRight will collect and manage the data and ensure each company abides by industry best practices.

“Safety should never be proprietary. You should be safe no matter what ridesharing platform you choose. We’re thrilled to come together with Lyft to improve safety for the entire industry,” said Tony West, senior vice-president and chief legal officer at Uber.

“Tackling these tough safety issues is bigger than any one of us and this new Industry Sharing Safety Program demonstrates the value of working collaboratively with experts, advocates and others to make a meaningful difference. We encourage more companies to join us.”

The initiative will be opened up to other transportation and delivery network companies within the US. However, they must adhere to specific requirements including: data accuracy, consistently applying the shared taxonomy to incident reporting, maintaining consistent and fair handling procedures and privacy measures, and communicating data on deactivated drivers with HireRight.

“Uber and Lyft have demonstrated thoughtful leadership with the Industry Sharing Safety Program. By putting aside competition, they are placing users first and building a safer rideshare community for all,” said Scott Berkowitz, president and founder of US non-profit The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).

“Sexual violence thrives in secrecy. Thanks to this initiative, perpetrators will no longer be able to hide or escape accountability by simply switching ridesharing platforms.”