Uber Reducing DUI Charges? Not Quite.

Posted Thursday, July 28, 2016 by Andrew Charles Huff

I admit it…I love using Uber. So do many of my friends and family in because it’s so convenient. But what about Uber’s claim that ride-sharing services has reduced drunken driving? One would think this true but a new study is casting doubt.

Researchers at Oxford University and USC who examined data before and after the arrival of Uber and its competitors found that ride-sharing had no effect on drinking-related or holiday- and weekend-related fatalities.

One reason could be that despite their popularity, there still may not be enough ride-share drivers available yet to make a dent in drunken driving. Also impaired riders who call Uber are the ones who would have called a taxi anyway.

As ride-sharing services continue to gain traction, I would expect a shift in those numbers. But time will tell. Just be careful out there.