While drunk drivers still remain a problem throughout the nation, there are thankfully more options now to get home without risking any lives on the road. One of these options is calling a ride-sharing service such as the increasingly popular Uber or Lyft to pick the passenger up and take them to their destination.
Within the last decade, nearly a 13 percent of DUI incidents have gone down in Pennsylvania. Many believe that the popularity of riding services to be the primary cause of this decrease, but a report by the Philadelphia Inquirer hints that there are other variables at play.
An unsure answer
The Inquirer notes that there have been several changing factors over the years besides the increasing availability of ride-sharing services. Increased awareness of drunk driving consequences since the late 90s has helped decrease negligent alcoholic actions, and the paper suggests that the fluctuating police supervision has kept the amount of DUI arrests down.
The report also cites a University of California study which suggests that ride-sharing and the DUI decrease have no correlation. It suggests that the people who take Ubers are those who do not drink and drive to begin with and that those extremely drunk will make irrational decisions regardless of the options available. However, the study’s latest data came from 2014, so the paper is aware that there could have been potential shifts since then given how Uber and Lyft gained far more usage afterward.
Is it still a good option?
While the Inquirer did not come with a definitive conclusion on whether Ubers and Lyfts were minimizing DUI crashes, the report ends by still suggesting that it is an option for drunk residents to use to get home safely. With the number of warnings and laws against it, Pennsylvania drivers have no excuse to drive on the road while drunk and put others at risk.
Crashes from drunk driving are entirely preventable and could result in lifelong injuries for you or a loved one. If you were the victim of a negligent, intoxicated motorist, you have the right to seek out a personal injury attorney to help you financially recover from this incident.