Contrary to what you may think, the popularity of ride-sharing companies like Uber in New Jersey have not led to a decrease in incidences of drunk driving. A recent study found that in areas where Uber operates, there was not a difference in the number of fatal accidents involving drunk drivers, according to CNN Money.
Over a million people each year are put in handcuffs for driving drunk. However, when you take into account that there are more than 120 million cases of drunk driving annually in America, the number of arrests does not seem very large. Not only did the invention of Uber and its competitors fail to lead to overall fewer motor vehicle deaths, it did not even show a difference during times when people are most likely to imbibe, namely at night and on the weekend.
The study took place over a five-year period and examined crash statistics in the most populated cities in the country. One potential reason for why there has not been a decrease is that if you are the type of person who is using Uber, you were most likely planning on using a bus, subway or taxi to get home if a car was not available. Many people in urban areas do not own vehicles.
Despite the findings of the study, Uber insists that it can help make a difference in cutting down on drunk drivers. No study has yet been undertaken to examine how ride-sharing companies could affect incidences of drunk driving in less populated cities, where people are more likely to use personal cars as their preferred mode of transportation.