Uber and Lyft, the companies that pair riders and drivers, say safety is among their highest priorities. The collect data on traffic fatalities, fatal physical assaults and sexual assaults.

Only 23% of Lyft drivers are women and women make up roughly half of all riders. With this safety feature, Lyft hopes to increase that number. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com ...

Rideshare service Lyft's new gender-based feature is now available in Philadelphia and the rest of the country. Why it matters: Advocacy groups have long questioned the safety of ridesharing services.