After two tragic New Year’s Day incidents involving vehicles rented on its platform, Turo is taking action to prevent such horrors from happening again. The peer-to-peer car-sharing company is reeling from the events, which left communities heartbroken and raised tough questions about safety in the car rental industry.
New Orlean New Year’s Day attack coverage:
Recommended Videos
“Heartbroken and Outraged,” Says Turo CEO
Turo CEO Andre Haddad didn’t hold back when addressing the tragedies. In New Orleans, a Ford F-150 Lightning rented in Harris County through Turo was used to plow into a crowd on Bourbon Street, killing 14 and injuring dozens. Just hours later, in Las Vegas, a Tesla Cybertruck rigged with explosives detonated outside President-elect Donald Trump’s hotel.
WHAT IS TURO? Here’s how the car rental process unfolds on the app
“These individuals had valid driver’s licenses, clean criminal backgrounds, and were decorated US military servicemembers,” Haddad said. “One was honorably discharged and even awarded a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and one was an active duty Green Beret. They could have boarded any plane, checked into any hotel, or rented a car or truck from any traditional vehicle rental chain. We do not believe these two individuals would have been flagged by anyone — including law enforcement.”
A wake-up call for Turo
Though Haddad says Turo’s safety record is solid — with less than 0.10% of trips involving serious incidents — the company knows it needs to do more. Haddad made it clear that Turo is already moving to improve its trust and safety measures.
“While we wait for law enforcement to finish their investigations, we’re consulting with national security and counterterrorism experts to learn how we can get even better,” Haddad shared.
AIRBNB FOR CARS: Here is how you can rent your car for extra income
What’s Next for Turo?
The company is doubling down on its already safety system, which uses a proprietary Risk Score based on over 50 data sources. This system, paired with a team of former law enforcement professionals, has been key to Turo’s strong track record. But Haddad says there’s always room to improve.
“We’re heartbroken, but we’re not standing still,” he emphasized.
A pledge for a safer future
With more than 27 million trips and 8.6 billion miles driven in its history, the company is taking this moment to ensure it’s doing everything possible to protect its users and prevent future tragedies.
While the investigations into these attacks continue, Turo’s message is clear: it’s committed to learning from this and taking every possible step to ensure safety moving forward.
