FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — According to new research published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, ride-sharing services, such as Uber and Lyft, appear to have had minimal impact on drunk driving rates.
In an analysis of the 100 most populated regions, experts compared the data from before and after the services’ availability.
To their surprise, they found no association between drunk driving rates and ride-sharing services.
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that ride-sharing services are ineffective.
It’s possible that those who wanted to avoid drinking and driving were already using taxi services, and may have just switched to ride-sharing services, while others are simply willing to take the risk, regardless of the options available.
In a response to the study, Uber maintains that it’s helped to combat drunk driving, especially here in California, the company’s home state and largest market.
