{"id":5447,"date":"2016-08-01T17:45:34","date_gmt":"2016-08-01T23:45:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scramsystems.com\/blog\/?p=5447"},"modified":"2021-08-26T11:49:22","modified_gmt":"2021-08-26T17:49:22","slug":"ridesharing-apps-may-not-reduce-drunk-driving-deaths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scramsystems.com\/blog\/2016\/08\/ridesharing-apps-may-not-reduce-drunk-driving-deaths\/","title":{"rendered":"New Study Questions Uber’s Impact on Drunk-Driving Deaths"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the past couple of years ridesharing\u00a0apps have claimed<\/a> that they\u00a0reduce drunk-driving arrests and fatalities in cities where the services are\u00a0popular. Uber in particular has tapped into this claim by partnering with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). In 2015 MADD published a report<\/a> stating that there is \u201cmeaningful evidence of the power Uber\u2019s network of safe, reliable rides has on drunk driving in major metropolitan cities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cause and effect?<\/h3>\n

But the studies that ridesharing services cite come with a caveat: without more information, the link between lower drunk driving and the use of the apps is one of correlation rather than causation. In other words, just because two things happen at the same time doesn\u2019t necessarily mean they are connected. Researchers note that many things can influence the rate of drunk-driving deaths and arrests, such as new laws, changes in DUI enforcement, or even the economy.<\/p>\n

Now, a new study<\/a> published in the July 2016 edition of The American Journal of Epidemiology<\/em> says that when additional factors are taken into account, ridesharing apps don\u2019t appear to lower drunk-driving fatalities after all. Scholars from the University of Southern California and Oxford University compared Uber\u2019s launch in 100 of the most populated U.S. cities with alcohol-related traffic fatalities on weekends and holidays\u2014times when both DUIs and app usage soar\u2014and found no clear link between the two.<\/p>\n

Drunk drivers don’t think they’ll get\u00a0caught<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Ridesharing apps are easy to use and have a devoted following\u2014so why haven\u2019t they made more of a difference on impaired driving?<\/p>\n

In \u201cUber and Metropolitan Traffic Fatalities in the United States,\u201d<\/a> the authors speculate that\u00a0when drunk,\u00a0most people just don’t have the decision-making capacity to pick a ridesharing app over their own car (which is why anti-drunk-driving\u00a0advocates urge people to arrange for a safe ride home before<\/em> that first cocktail).<\/p>\n

In addition, despite ongoing campaigns about the financial costs of a DUI, many would-be drunk drivers still think there\u2019s a low chance\u00a0they’ll actually\u00a0get pulled over. After having one too many, people may believe that a free (though dangerous)\u00a0drive home is worth the risk.<\/p>\n

Moreover, while the apps are well-used among certain demographics, their overall adoption is still relatively small. The researchers acknowledged that if the services continue to grow, it\u2019s possible they could show an impact on drunk-driving deaths in the future.<\/p>\n

Certainly, anything that gives people another safe and easy alternative to driving after drinking is a step in the right direction. But for now,\u00a0claims that ridesharing apps are making a noticeable dent in alcohol-related crashes and deaths seems to be premature.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Over the past couple of years ridesharing\u00a0apps have claimed that they\u00a0reduce drunk-driving arrests and fatalities in cities where the services are\u00a0popular. Uber in particular has tapped into this claim by partnering with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). In 2015 MADD published a report stating that there is \u201cmeaningful evidence of the power Uber\u2019s network of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,13],"tags":[79,829,237,475,826,670,828,825,827],"class_list":["post-5447","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-drunk-driving","category-electronic-monitoring","tag-alcohol-fueled-offenses","tag-cost-of-a-dui","tag-drunk-driving-2","tag-mothers-against-drunk-driving","tag-ridesharing-apps","tag-technology","tag-the-american-journal-of-epidemiology","tag-uber-and-drunk-driving","tag-uber-and-metropolitan-traffic-fatalities-in-the-united-states"],"yoast_head":"\nRidesharing Apps May Not Reduce Drunk Driving Deaths After All<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Researchers compared Uber use in 100 U.S. cities with alcohol-related traffic 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