What’s Turo? The ‘Airbnb of cars’ was used in New Orleans and Las Vegas incidents

New Orleans: Turo is in hot water after being linked to two alarming incidents. On Wednesday, a pickup truck rented through Turo crashed into a crowd, and a Tesla Cybertruck filled with explosives went up in flames outside a hotel in Las Vegas.

The company, often called the “Airbnb of cars,” lets people rent out their vehicles. Turo confirmed that both vehicles involved in these incidents were rented through their platform. They expressed their condolences to the victims and their families.

Interestingly, Turo stated that they didn’t think the renters had any criminal backgrounds that would raise red flags. They also mentioned that there’s no evidence suggesting the two events were connected.

Authorities had previously indicated that the use of Turo in these cases seemed coincidental. They clarified that there wasn’t a clear link between the two incidents.

Turo, which started in 2009, has grown alongside other peer-to-peer services like Airbnb and Uber. While it has disrupted traditional car rental markets, it has also faced criticism over safety concerns, especially when cars are stolen for illegal activities.

Despite the worries, Turo claims that such incidents are rare. However, a report from NBC News highlighted that between October 2019 and February 2020, there were 49 thefts in Washington, D.C., involving cars rented from Turo or its competitor, Getaround.

As of late September, Turo had around 150,000 active hosts and 350,000 vehicles listed worldwide. They assure hosts that their platform is safe, claiming to screen each guest thoroughly.

However, Turo keeps the details of its screening process under wraps, only stating that renters must upload their driver’s licenses and that they might conduct background checks. They believe that revealing too much about their screening would compromise its effectiveness.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com.