What is Turo? Car sharing app responds to terror investigations involving vehicles from the platform
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- A car sharing app is responding after two separate attacks being investigated for terrorism on New Year's Day in Las Vegas and New Orleans used vehicles rented through the platform.
The company posted a statement on Turo.com on Wednesday as more details came to light in the aftermath.
"We are heartbroken by the violence perpetrated in New Orleans and Las Vegas, and our prayers are with the victims and families," the statement read. "We are actively partnering with law enforcement authorities as they investigate both incidents. We do not believe that either renter involved in the Las Vegas and New Orleans attacks had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat. We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards in risk management, thanks to our world-class trust and safety technologies and teams that include experienced former law enforcement professionals."
Turo allows car owners, or hosts, to list their vehicles for short-term rental to guests who sign up through the app and provide a valid driver's license. The app is available in the U.S., Canada, Australia, France and the U.K. The app lists more than 100 vehicles available for rent in the El Paso area.
As the investigations continued and more information was released to the public, a company spokesperson sent ABC-7 a follow-up statement.
"We remain shocked and saddened by yesterday’s horrific events, and our hearts are with the victims and their families," the spokesperson's statement said. "We are outraged by the misuse of our marketplace by the two individuals who perpetrated these acts.
"Every Turo renter is screened through a proprietary multi-layer, data-science-based trust and safety process. We utilize over 50 internal and external data sources to build, maintain, and improve on our best-in-class Turo Risk Score.
"These individuals in question had valid driver’s licenses, clean background checks, and were honorably discharged from the US military. They could have boarded any plane, checked into a hotel, or rented a car or truck from a traditional vehicle rental chain. We do not believe these two individuals would have been flagged by anyone – including Big Rental or law enforcement.
"Turo operates a safe and trusted marketplace. As of September 30, 2024, we have collected data from over 90 million booked days, 27 million trips, 8.6 billion miles driven, through 12 years of operating history, less than 0.10% of Turo trips end with a serious incident such as a vehicle theft."
