Backseats of Uber and Lyft cars ‘have 35,000 times more germs than the average TOILET SEAT and 219 times as many as the average taxi’
- A study, conducted by insurance company Netquote, looked at nine cars
- Surfaces were swabbed to find out the number of colony-forming units
- Window buttons and seat belts said to contain the most germs in a rideshare
- Among the germs found were bacillus, which can cause infections and food poisoning, and cocci which is linked to skin infections
The backseats of Uber and Lyft cars have 35,000 times more germs than the average toilet seat and 219 times as many as the average taxi, according to a new study.
Research shows bacteria in a rideshare vehicles is also three times higher than the average toothbrush holder.
The study, conducted by insurance company Netquote, looked at nine cars in total – three rideshare vehicles, three taxis and three rental cars.
Surfaces were swabbed to find out how many colony-forming units (CFU) were present per square inch followed by a breakdown of the germ type.
In rideshares there were more than six million colony-forming units per square inch found on average. The rental cars averaged more than two million CFU/sq. in., while the taxis had an average of just over 27,000 CFU/sq.
Of the nine vehicles tested, rideshares such as Uber yielded the highest bacteria levels
In rideshares such as Lyft there were more than six million colony-forming units per square inch
Window buttons and seat belts were said to contain the most germs in the rideshare cars.
The study does not offer an explanation for why rideshare cars may contain more bacteria than the average taxi.
But among the germs found were bacillus, which can cause infections and food poisoning, and cocci which is linked to skin infections, pneumonia and blood poisoning.
A spokesman for Netquote said: ‘You’ll probably find yourself traveling in a rideshare vehicle, taxi, or rental car at some point, whether you’re on a trip or enjoying a night out.
‘But comfy as they may be, you’re far from the only person who’s rolling down windows, buckling seatbelts, and grasping door handles and steering wheels in these vehicles.
‘Our samples revealed the presence of various germ types – some of which are potentially harmful.
‘In our rideshare vehicles, the window buttons were the worst when it comes to germs. On average, we found more than 5 million CFU/sq. in. on the tiny buttons.
‘The seat belts, too, held high levels of bacteria: more than 1 million CFU/sq. in. Interestingly, the door handles were the cleanest surface, with 1,810 CFU/sq.’
DailyMail.com has contacted Lyft and Uber for comment.
