Uber may help South Carolina residents avoid drunk driving

Although public policy tends to favor taxi companies over ride-sharing services like Uber, ride-sharing could lead to fewer DUI fatalities. According to a study by researchers at Temple University, DUI fatalities were reduced by 3.6 to 5.6 percent in markets served by Uber’s basic service, Uber X. Researchers used data from California between the years of 2009 and 2014 to come to this conclusion.

Ride-sharing services such as Uber have long been marketing themselves as a safe way to get home after having too much to drink at the bar. In Toronto, Uber set up Breathalyzer stations as a promotional gimmick to call attention to the danger of driving while intoxicated. In fact, the Temple researchers suggested in their study that restaurants and other establishments that serve alcohol should partner up with companies like Uber.

Research has also indicated that markets being served by Uber experience fewer accidents overall, which goes against the belief that taxi drivers are safer than Uber drivers. Furthermore, favoring taxi companies over ride-sharing companies may increase the number of drunk driving accidents. This is because in many areas there are not enough taxis to get drunk drivers home at night. Therefore, people who may have wanted to get a ride home might be forced to operate their own motor vehicles instead.

Those who are injured in car accidents caused by an impaired or otherwise negligent driver will often face significant medical expenses, and in some cases their financial situation will become even worse due to an inability to return to work for a prolonged period. An attorney can often assist an injured victim in filing a personal injury lawsuit seeking damages from the responsible party.