Ride sharing apps like Uber and Lyft have billed themselves as being safer and more convenient than the more traditional alternatives. However, a new survey from Jumio suggests that the sharing economy is only delivering on half of that promise. The survey found that nearly one fifth of all riders (18.1 percent) felt unsafe when using ride sharing services, with only two-thirds feeling very or somewhat safe when entering the car.

According to Jumio, the results highlight the importance of trust in the sharing economy, underscoring the importance of reliable biometric identity verification. 

“Online sharing services are facilitating an in-person meeting between two strangers, so it is imperative that businesses foster a relationship of trust and an environment of safety to protect all parties involved,” said Jumio President Robert Prigge. “The first step is ensuring, beyond any doubt, that a person’s digital identity matches their physical identity and they are who they claim to be.”

With that in mind, it’s a positive sign that a full 50 percent of respondents would already be willing to opt into a system that requires online identity checks for sharing services.

Of course, Jumio is one of the leading providers of biometric identity verification services. The company’s selfie authentication solution boasts iBeta-certified liveness detection from FaceTec, while the award-winning Netverify platform has been leveraged for identity verification in a number of areas. Some version of that kind of technology would make it easier for consumers to trust their drivers and make it safer for more people to engage in the sharing economy.