Safest Way App: A New Tool for Women’s Safety in London

In 2026, a new app called Safest Way is helping women navigate London's streets more safely. But does it address the root cause of violence against women?

In the heart of London, a new digital companion is emerging for women navigating the city’s streets after dark. Safest Waya free route-planning app, promises to guide users through the safest paths using public data on street lightingCCTV coverageand violent crime.

Launched this year, the app offers three route options: the fastest, the safest, and a balanced compromise.

More than 10,000 people, predominantly women and Londoners, have already downloaded the app. Five years after the murder of Sarah Everard sparked a national conversation about women’s safety, many women still feel vulnerable walking home at night.

The app aims to address these concerns by providing more information about the environment, but it also raises important questions about the root causes of violence against women.

The Technology Behind Safest Way

The app’s technology is rooted in extensive research, combining multiple sources of public information.

Roads with a lamp-post every 30 metres are classified as fully lit. According to the app’s data, the City of London is the most well-lit borough at 86%, followed by Hackney at 77%. At the bottom of the list is Harrowwith only 16% of roads fully lit. The app also reveals that Richmondknown for its vast green spaces and residential streets, scores relatively poorly in terms of lighting.

The app’s development team includes street crime professors from UCL and King’sas well as a retired Google executive. Co-founders Alesja Gilvear and Ilya Ilyankoua product manager and a geospatial researcher, have spent a long time thinking about how women move through cities. They are keenly aware of the criticism but maintain that their motivations are well-meaning.

The Debate: Treating the Symptom or the Cause?

The app has sparked a debate about whether it treats the symptom rather than the cause of violence against women. Rebecca Goshawk of Solace Women’s Aid points out that the list of daily actions taken by women and girls to survive is long and rooted in injustice. Jamie Klinglerco-founder of Reclaim These Streetssuggests that a better app would be one to identify predatory and violent men and police officers.

Critics argue that the app puts the onus on the victim rather than addressing the root cause of the problem. Comments like “A shameful and damning indictment of the state of London in 2026” and “how about an app that continually reminds men not to rape people?” highlight the ongoing discussion about who is responsible for women’s safety.

Information as Empowerment

Despite the criticism, the app’s strongest defence is the notion of information as empowerment. Ilya Ilyankou emphasizes that the data already exists, and the app is simply giving people access to it so they can make more informed decisions. The app is not designed to guarantee safety but to provide more information about the environment.

Jackie Childsa yoga instructor from Wimbledon and one of the app’s early beta testers, compares using the app to changing her route because of football crowds or traffic. She acknowledges that people should stop attacking women but believes that in the meantime, women should do what they can to keep themselves safe. “People need to stop breaking into houses, too — but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to lock my front door,” she says.

The app’s early success suggests that it fills a gap in the market for tools that help women feel safer as they navigate the city. However, it also highlights the ongoing need for broader societal changes to address the root causes of violence against women.