There are many campaigns in Nevada urging drivers to not get behind the wheel after drinking alcohol. Drinking and driving causes serious accidents, injuries and deaths every year in the state, so it is in everyone’s best interests to stop drunk driving. When Uber introduced the concept of ride-sharing in 2012, it was a chance to help stop drunk driving accidents.
According to Safety.com, with ride-sharing being quite new, it is difficult to understand the full impact it is having on reducing drunk driving incidents. However, in the years since its introduction, there are promising statistics showing that it can help to stop people from driving drunk.
Assessing the impact
When looking at the numbers of drunk drivers and accidents related to drinking and driving, it requires some knowledge of overall traffic statistics. The number of drunk driving incidents has gone up since the introduction of ride-sharing, but that may be because the number of drivers has also increased. The total number of drunk driving accidents based on the percentage of drivers has actually decreased since the introduction of ride-sharing.
Major cities seem to have seen the most benefit. This is likely because these areas have higher populations and more access to the services. Some smaller areas may not have ride-sharing available just yet.
Reducing the number of drunk drivers on the roads is a huge accomplishment. It has not yet been a decade since the introduction of ride-sharing as an alternative to driving under the influence, so there will surely be additional information in the coming years that shows the true impact of this type of service.
For now, it is safe to say that giving people the option of a safe ride home is always beneficial when it comes to stopping people from getting behind the wheel after drinking. With ride-sharing companies, such as Uber, partnering with groups working to stop drunk driving, it seems the impact could become quite large in the coming years.