# Is Uber reducing drunk driving? New study says NO



## BurgerTiime (Jun 22, 2015)

(Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)
A new study casts doubt on Uber's claim that ride-sharing has reduced drunken driving.

Researchers at Oxford University and the University of Southern California who examined county-level data in the United States before and after the arrival of Uber and its competitors in those markets found that ride-sharing had no effect on drinking-related or holiday- and weekend-related fatalities.

One reason could be that, despite the soaring popularity of Uber and other ride-sharing services, there still may not be enough ride-share drivers available yet to make a dent on drunken driving, the authors said. They also suggest that the tipsy riders who now call Uber are the ones who formerly would have called a taxi. For others, the odds of getting a DUI are still so low that many would prefer to gamble rather than lay out money for a ride-sharing service. Drunks, after all, are just not rational.

"The takeaway for me is that there's still tons of room for improvement when it comes to reducing drunk driving fatalities," David Kirk, a co-author of the study, said Wednesday in an interview via Skype.

The new study - which was published July 22 in the American Journal of Epidemiology - adds a new element to the debate over the merits of the popular and disruptive business model.

Uber pointed to other recent research that back up its contention that ride-sharing cuts down on drunken driving. A paper co-authored by researchers at Providence College and Stonehill College found reductions in DUI's of as much as 62 percent, as well as declines in fatal accidents.

The company also said surveys show at least 80 percent of its riders have said that the service helped them avoid drinking and driving, and that its peak usage coincides with times when people are barhopping and partying.

"We're glad Uber can provide an alternative to drunk driving and help people make more responsible choices," Uber spokeswoman Brooke Anderson said in an email. "Our ridership numbers show that trips peak at times when people are more likely to be out drinking and 80% of riders says that Uber has helped them personally avoid drinking and driving."

Drunk driving is the largest cause of traffic fatalities, claiming more 10,000 lives a year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Uber, meanwhile, is now operating in 490 cities around the world, and its use as an on-call designated driver is part of its marketing appeal. The San Francisco-based company's website claims that drunk driving-related crashes fell by 60 per month among drivers under 30 years old in the California markets where UberX began operating, thereby preventing an estimated 1,800 crashes since July 2012. Uber also has partnered with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to reduce drunk driving. "A city with Uber has . . . fewer drunk drivers on the streets," Uber has said.
But Kirk, a professorial fellow at Nuffield College and associate professor of sociology at the University of Oxford, and co-author Noli Brazil, a researcher at USC's Spatial Sciences Institute, said people should be skeptical of such broad claims.

The authors analyzed the county by county traffic fatalities from 2005 to 2014 in the 100 most populated metropolitan areas, comparing those areas where Uber had arrived to those where ride-sharing had not, and then controlling for differences. The authors examined drunk driving-related, weekend- and holiday-specific crashes. They found no association with the number of subsequent traffic fatalities in those categories.

One factor may be the sheer size of the problem and still relatively low number of Uber drivers. Although approximately 450,000 people now drive for Uber, there are 210 million licensed drivers in the United States - and an estimated 4.2 million adults who drive impaired, the study says.

"Sure, there are over 1 million arrests for drunk driving a year in the United States. . . .*ut that's nothing compared to the number of people and the number of incidents of drunk driving," Kirk said. "In the grand scheme of the massive volume of drunk drivers on the road, it's hard to foresee Uber making a dent, unless the growth continues like it has for several more years."

Kirk said that the authors were somewhat surprised at the lack of research on Uber's impact on drunken driving. After scouring the literature, the authors could find only one other academic study of Uber's impact on drunken driving. That study - which was conducted by Brad Greenwood and Sunil Wattal at Temple University - examined data from California and found that the low-cost UberX service had "yielded a significant reduction" in traffic fatalities while the luxury UberBlack had not

The growth of Uber and its competitors suggests that more research needs to be done.

"I'm not saying Uber might not have an effect in the future," Kirk said. "As of now, I think there are other opportunities to lower drunk driving."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...ber-reducing-drunk-driving-new-study-says-no/







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## Teksaz (Mar 16, 2015)

According to Goober, there is no more drunk driving. Lol

Goober and MADD have stomped out drunk driving.


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## ubershiza (Jan 19, 2015)

Everything uber makes claim to is BS.


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## Jeff1205 (May 15, 2016)

We all know that it hasn't stopped people from drinking and driving but you cannot tell me that it hasn't made some kind of impact? I have had a few bar pickups where the PAX have told me they use to take the risk but now that Uber is everywhere they don't risk it anymore and call an Uber.


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## Way2Lucky (Jul 14, 2016)

Jeff1205 said:


> We all know that it hasn't stopped people from drinking and driving but you cannot tell me that it hasn't made some kind of impact? I have had a few bar pickups where the PAX have told me they use to take the risk but now that Uber is everywhere they don't risk it anymore and call an Uber.


It stopped the smart ones but I've watched many a drunk stagger out to their car and drive off while I wait for my one/two pax. The formerly full parking lot is empty by the end of the night and I only drove two people home. All those cars didn't drive themselves.


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## sd1303 (Nov 11, 2015)

So... seems like if Uber hasn't reduced DUIs, thst it may have increased the amount of alcohol consumed.

Former designated drivers now drinking...
Former light drinkers more likely to get tanked...


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## renbutler (Jul 25, 2015)

sd1303 said:


> So... seems like if Uber hasn't reduced DUIs...


Actually, if you read the article, the conclusion is based solely on drunk-driving *fatality *stats, not overall incidences of DUI.

The headline is seriously misleading.


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## LA Cabbie (Nov 4, 2014)

Like some posters here said, Uber increased consumption of Alcohol because pax get cocky and say I'll call Uber. Unfortunately something we all know about drunkards is that they think they are superman or wonder woman and can do anything. So they get behind the wheel. 

Many a times I picked up drunkards from the bar that were given vouchers to get home for free and their friends will even ask to accompany them home just to make sure. Nope. I'm fine, they would say. Once I pull around the corner they request that I take them to their car. I always try to talk them out of it. Can't take their keys or confine them to the cab. That would be assault and false imprisonment, respectively. 

I once watched a beautiful young woman who after promising all her friends that she would not drive and simply sleep in the car once I got her to the car she got in and took off on the 170. Nothing I could do. All protocols were followed to ensure this young woman not drive drunk.

My humble opinion is that Uber increases DUI's because more alcohol is being consumed and drunkards will be drunkards no matter what.


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## trickynikki (Oct 26, 2015)

Uber is so full of excrement when it says that it helps to reduce DWIs. 
I have checked stats before and this one proves my point.
http://www.edmontonpolice.ca/TrafficVehicles/AlcoholBreathTesting/ImpairedDrivingStatistics.aspx

2015 showed a decrease from 2014. Uber started in 2014, however the decrease was about the same from 2013 to 2014 when the was no Uber. Also look and you will see that some years there were more charges during checks stops in some years. This is because they had more check stops. 2006 and 2007 had fewer charges and 2015 are about the same. Do you know why? It is due to the economy. 
Uber wants people to believe that they are the answer to everything.
Another state is from Calgary. From 2013 to 2014 there was a 61% reduction in impaired related fatalities. There was no Uber operating in Calgary during those years. Uber is a company full of lies.


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## ginseng41 (Nov 30, 2014)

In my town it's definitely decreased. We didn't have a cab company here before really though. I think the numbers the police department released were about 30%


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

Way2Lucky said:


> It stopped the smart ones but I've watched many a drunk stagger out to their car and drive off while I wait for my one/two pax. The formerly full parking lot is empty by the end of the night and I only drove two people home. All those cars didn't drive themselves.


There was a lottery winner a few years who kept getting DUIs. He won hundreds of millions. Could've had several private drivers on hand with a limo 24 hours a day the rest of his life. Some people simply don't think it's an issue. Those folks probably are a large portion of the VERY drunk drivers who get one DUI after another.

On the other hand, there are many folks who used to drive home short distances slightly impaired and 99% of the time they are lucky. Unless someone pulls out in front of them or cuts into their lane they make it home safely. They drive slowly, stop at lights--so long as nothing unusual which requires a quick reaction time happens they are fine. I think many of those folks stopped doing that. Many people have told me that Ubering from midtown is cheaper than paying for parking, in any case, and now they can get drunker without worrying about driving.

So I think more people are drinking, but the ones that were causing the really bad accidents are still on the road, whereas the uptick in drinking is by those who were previously driving impaired, but were only driving short distances and trying to be careful.

The folks that used to walk home slightly drunk are also not really going to affect the statistics because they weren't driving to begin with. I am curious if pedestrian accidents at closing time are down--not just auto hitting pedestrians, but falls and so on by drunks walking home.

I think Uber is creating a huge liver cirrhosis increase in the future. I have to believe more alcohol is being consumed per capita since its start, although I don't know the stats.


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## renbutler (Jul 25, 2015)

I know for a fact that I've prevented some drunk driving. The passengers tell me so. 

Whether it's a tiny amount overall, or a lot, well, that's up for debate. But the arguments that Uber has INCREASED DUIs is just silly, illogical bitterness.


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## trickynikki (Oct 26, 2015)

There has been an increase of private designated driver programs. There are those things called taxis. Bar owners like Uber because people drink more.
Using fatalities as a statistical look at DWIS is pretty good. The stats for only charges doesn't mean much. Some cities have shown a decrease when the economy is hurting and the police are busy investigating other crimes. Also many police departments were getting extra funding to catch drunk drivers up until a couple of years ago.
The City of Calgary had a decrease of 61% of deaths from drunk driving when there is no Uber.
Uber like to claim themselves as the savior of all things. There has been decreases in DWIs in many places with or without Uber. In some cities the rate of DWIs is closely tied to the economy. When the economy is booming there is an increase. Sure there could be a decrease of sorts due to Uber, but for Uber to make such claims is pure rubbish. Taxis have been ferrying the drunks around for years and you don't hear them making the same claims as Uber.


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## trickynikki (Oct 26, 2015)

Jeff1205 said:


> We all know that it hasn't stopped people from drinking and driving but you cannot tell me that it hasn't made some kind of impact? I have had a few bar pickups where the PAX have told me they use to take the risk but now that Uber is everywhere they don't risk it anymore and call an Uber.


 They could have used a cab.


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## renbutler (Jul 25, 2015)

In my city, people in the suburbs hate cabs. We are a very large city geographically, so sometimes it can take 1.5 to 2 hours to get a cab, if they even come at all.

Uber is quite popular around here because you can almost always get a ride within 15 minutes.

I almost never see cabs on the roads in Indy, except around the airport.


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## trickynikki (Oct 26, 2015)

renbutler said:


> In my city, people in the suburbs hate cabs. We are a very large city geographically, so sometimes it can take 1.5 to 2 hours to get a cab, if they even come at all.
> 
> Uber is quite popular around here because you can almost always get a ride within 15 minutes.
> 
> I almost never see cabs on the roads in Indy, except around the airport.


Where I live it is also very large geographically . People say that it takes 2 to 3 hours for a cab. It is all BS. The cab companies must provide the city with their dispatch reports. It turns out that the average wait times or between 7 and 9 minutes. Sure it can take longer out in the suburbs but we have all heard the stories before about how bad cabs are. If such stories are true about taxis then nobody would have gotten home at night. And yes, Uber can provide fast service at busy times because Uber has found ways to recruit drivers, pay guarantees which keeps a surplus of cars on the road. There is also that added incentive of surge. Then the drivers soon learn that the money is not worth it and move on. Then Uber does the same thing to the next recruit.


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## renbutler (Jul 25, 2015)

Well, they were talking about peak times. These have been passengers with real-world experience, who had no discernable reason to lie about it.

I have also heard frequent complaints about the quality of the taxis, rude drivers, and dangerous situations.

Of course, I have heard those things about Uber rides too, but at a lesser frequency.


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## trickynikki (Oct 26, 2015)

renbutler said:


> Well, they were talking about peak times. These have been passengers with real-world experience, who had no discernable reason to lie about it.
> 
> I have also heard frequent complaints about the quality of the taxis, rude drivers, and dangerous situations.
> 
> Of course, I have heard those things about Uber rides too, but at a lesser frequency.


Note doubt that it happens. Also that people do lie and exaggerate. Have you ever had a rider that said they have waited longer than what your app shows?
Have riders also entered the wrong address? Are there creepy UBER drivers?
People have always hated cabs, dump trucks, trucks and most commercial vehicles. The appearance of Uber being a per to peer service is very misleading but the public somehow has this love affair for all things Uber. If the general public was truly informed about Uber and the way it operates the opinion would be vastly different. Uber is a facade and what is behind that image is greatly different.


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## renbutler (Jul 25, 2015)

trickynikki said:


> Have you ever had a rider that said they have waited longer than what your app shows?


Not to me. The only comments about wait times that I've heard is that I got there earlier than expected.



trickynikki said:


> Have riders also entered the wrong address?


Not that I recall.



trickynikki said:


> Are there creepy UBER drivers?


I've heard a couple such stories.



trickynikki said:


> People have always hated cabs, dump trucks, trucks and most commercial vehicles. The appearance of Uber being a per to peer service is very misleading but the public somehow has this love affair for all things Uber.


Or, I provide a good service in a clean vehicle, so I generally hear positive comments.

Anyway, you simply do not know my market. I live in the suburbs, and there are literally nearly zero taxis on the road around here. It's an oddity if you do see one, ever.


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## DriverX (Aug 5, 2015)

Jeff1205 said:


> We all know that it hasn't stopped people from drinking and driving but you cannot tell me that it hasn't made some kind of impact? I have had a few bar pickups where the PAX have told me they use to take the risk but now that Uber is everywhere they don't risk it anymore and call an Uber.


Your right there is an impact, but 99.9% of those drunk or tipsy drivers made it home safely and weren't busted for DUI before Uber anyway.

People can handle a vehicle safely enough beyond the legal limit, so the cops were mainly busting the obvious drunks and those people are still out there, unless it was a check point.

You could make an argument that Uber is increasing the tendency for people to binge drink more often. I'd be curious to see bar/restaurant alcohol sales figures since rideshare.

Uber could start charging the rider or the bar a fee for picking up there. Like the airport fee. If this was shared with the driver I'd be all for it. Extra $2 for driver and $1 for Uber if the pick up is at or near drinking establishments.


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## DriverX (Aug 5, 2015)

ginseng41 said:


> In my town it's definitely decreased. We didn't have a cab company here before really though. I think the numbers the police department released were about 30%


Small market, with no other options is a good example of the number of people who would have been making that choice before uber if given the option.

I think what rideshare can claim is that they have given millions of people a more affordable option to not drink and drive.


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## DriverX (Aug 5, 2015)

Fuzzyelvis said:


> There was a lottery winner a few years who kept getting DUIs. He won hundreds of millions. Could've had several private drivers on hand with a limo 24 hours a day the rest of his life. Some people simply don't think it's an issue. Those folks probably are a large portion of the VERY drunk drivers who get one DUI after another.
> .


Those folks have a serious alcohol problem and they are the real threat on the highway. The alcoholism is just a symptom of the mental/emotional issues they have. If society took mental health more seriously and provided it to citizens like this a bigger impact wouldt be made on DUI fatalities than uber.


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## Jeff1205 (May 15, 2016)

Well, whatever you think if it does or doesn't increase DUI's is your opinion. I will not disagree because like I said its your opinion. I don't know myself if it does or doesn't but I would hope that it decreases DUI's. All I know is that the few that told me they used to risk drinking and driving and don't now is the only few that I can speak for. Honestly, I am glad I got them home safely. Not only for them but for others on the road.


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## DriverX (Aug 5, 2015)

Jeff1205 said:


> Well, whatever you think if it does or doesn't increase DUI's is your opinion. I will not disagree because like I said its your opinion. I don't know myself if it does or doesn't but I would hope that it decreases DUI's. All I know is that the few that told me they used to risk drinking and driving and don't now is the only few that I can speak for. Honestly, I am glad I got them home safely. Not only for them but for others on the road.


I don't deny thers an positive impact and I'm sure a slight reduction in people drunk or tipsy driving because of the convenience and affordability factor, I just doubt its as much as uber claims.

but that may change, especially if they continue making it cheaper to uber than the gas it cost to drive these animals around.

I want a fee for picking up at or near drinking establishments after 8pm-4am on weekdays and 24/7 weekends. It's only fair that the price goes up when these people are using the service in a more valued way.


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## Tequila Jake (Jan 28, 2016)

It seems there are a couple of different measurements. I don't know if Uber has decreased DUI arrests but I do believe it has reduced drunken driving to at least a small degree. If I drive 8 or 9pm on Friday or Saturday there will be a lot of home pickups going to bars. Early Saturday and Sunday mornings there are quite a few rides to take people to pick up their cars.

I also think it's encouraged people to drink more when they are taking an Uber. I've had several comments from passengers that spending $20-$30 on Uber leaves them more drinking money than if they spent $60-$80 on a taxi.


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## Coffeekeepsmedriving (Oct 2, 2015)

BurgerTiime said:


> (Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)
> A new study casts doubt on Uber's claim that ride-sharing has reduced drunken driving.
> 
> Researchers at Oxford University and the University of Southern California who examined county-level data in the United States before and after the arrival of Uber and its competitors in those markets found that ride-sharing had no effect on drinking-related or holiday- and weekend-related fatalities.
> ...


Uber is making more alcoholics..


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## SurgeWarrior (Jun 18, 2016)

There are a bunch of paxs that I would love to see drink and drive....just saying.


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## El Janitor (Feb 22, 2016)

renbutler said:


> In my city, people in the suburbs hate cabs. We are a very large city geographically, so sometimes it can take 1.5 to 2 hours to get a cab, if they even come at all.
> 
> Uber is quite popular around here because you can almost always get a ride within 15 minutes.
> 
> I almost never see cabs on the roads in Indy, except around the airport.


Yeah I needed a cab several times when I was younger way before Uber existed and I remember being told a 10 mile cab ride would be $50.00. Because we had 3 cab companies that operated here, and they sucked. Well $ 50.00 in 1990 dollars, that's a bit steep when gas was just at $1.00 a gallon so taxis were out of the question. So what could you do if you needed to go somewhere at night and didn't want to walk 5 miles with someone one way, and 5 miles back alone as a teenager in a huge suburb just outside Los Angeles. No see walking at night is not going to happen either, when you think about that at least not without some kind of weapon like a gun. I got mugged during the day here, probably get killed at night or kidnapped. Oh wait that almost happened too. As for drunk driving well a $5 Uber ride is about the price of a good shot of liquor. So maybe just budget out 2 drinks, or if you're a true alcoholic, I know I was sometimes, you could sacrifice something like food in place of the $10.00 Uber rides to the bar and home.


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## UTX1 (Dec 7, 2015)

Quoting the author (Ralston) who was quoting the authors (from the universities):

"...despite the soaring popularity of Uber and other ride-sharing services,
* there still may not be enough ride-share drivers available yet*
to make a dent on drunken driving, the authors said...."

So, it seems there aren't enough Uber drivers. Well, everybody here knows that.
Hopefully, Uber will hire some more drivers soon. What are they waiting for ?
Having one driver per square yard is not dense enough it seems. Ramping up to one driver
per square foot should do the trick. Everybody get out of their cars and huddle together.
We'll need to make some room for all these new drivers. Alright, everybody choose a drunk.
I got one ! Hey this one is funny. Mine has a hat ! what's yours wearing? Nothing ! Wow !


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## Horsebm (Jul 21, 2015)

*I'm drinking right now.*


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## I_Like_Spam (May 10, 2015)

Uber certainly encourages people to drink more, Uber drivers are a lot less strict about allowing extra-drunk passengers into their private cars than cab drivers ever were. And Uber's pricing scheme including "surge" encourages drivers to seek riders in centralized "party zones", instead of taking people home from work or visits from their aunt on weekend evenings. Whether that means less drunk driving or not, I don't know. It means an increase in drinking however.


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## canyon (Dec 22, 2015)

Yea lets get more drivers on the road lower the rates and everybody wins! HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHA!


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## Null (Oct 6, 2015)

I've dropped off several passengers who get into their cars and drive.

The best one was in PB, some guy at a bar bought a ride for a guy he just met at the bar, to stop him from driving home drunk. Guy had me detour from the original destination and got in his car and pulled out of the spot with tires squealing. 

You can't fix stupid.


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

renbutler said:


> Well, they were talking about peak times. These have been passengers with real-world experience, who had no discernable reason to lie about it.
> 
> I have also heard frequent complaints about the quality of the taxis, rude drivers, and dangerous situations.
> 
> Of course, I have heard those things about Uber rides too, but at a lesser frequency.


You should get your hearing examined.


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

What decreases drunk driving is how the police have cracked down in the past 20 years.
One friend gets a DUI and 10 of his buddies cut the crap because they can see what a horror show Johnnies life has become due to the DUI.


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## kc ub'ing! (May 27, 2016)

Zero traffic fatalities in my town over the 4th weekend! Surge was consistently 3-6x! Scored some sweet, fat and short rides! Way to go responsible drunken patriots!


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## Copperwolf359 (Jul 26, 2016)

I took three couples to the same party oddly enough this past weekend, picked them up at their homes. All three stories the same. They Uber to the party and Uber Home. That's an impact regardless of the numbers.


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## I_Like_Spam (May 10, 2015)

Copperwolf359 said:


> I took three couple to the same party oddly enough this past weekend, picked them up at their homes. All three stories the same. They Uber to the party and Uber Home. That's an impact regardless of the numbers.


Uber X only started a few years ago, for decades, for centuries before that people made it to and from parties safely all the time, usually not driving drunk.

Your anecdote says nothing about the impact of Uber on Drunk driving


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## Copperwolf359 (Jul 26, 2016)

I_Like_Spam said:


> Uber X only started a few years ago, for decades, for centuries before that people made it to and from parties safely all the time, usually not driving drunk.
> 
> Your anecdote says nothing about the impact of Uber on Drunk driving


Yawn, it's all a matter of perspective. There were 6 people not drinking and driving and choosing to use UBER. Is the impact minimal? Of course, it is! Stay positive people. You can manipulate numbers to be anything you want them to be.

I choose to look at it this way. None of these people put their lives or those of others in harms way by drinking and driving. Impact: Positive!

Does it change the national average of the United States? Nope!


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## kc ub'ing! (May 27, 2016)

I_Like_Spam said:


> Uber X only started a few years ago, for decades, for centuries before that people made it to and from parties safely all the time, usually not driving drunk.
> 
> Your anecdote says nothing about the impact of Uber on Drunk driving


Geeze, I've seen a lot of cynical, bitter, Uber haters here; but to condemn Copperwolf359's uplifting message is the lowest of the low!


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## I_Like_Spam (May 10, 2015)

kc ub'ing! said:


> Geeze, I've seen a lot of cynical, bitter, Uber haters here; but to condemn Copperwolf359's uplifting message is the lowest of the low!


I'm no "über hater" at all. But for Uber to take credit for people getting home safely is a bit of stretch. Its like crediting Wal-mart because people ate the food they bought there and didn't starve to death.

There were other solutions to people getting food, as well as not driving drunk.


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## ChortlingCrison (Mar 30, 2016)

I think anytime a drunk gets driven home by someone sober, (be that friend/relative/various transportation services etc), is helping reduce that. But for uber to say they are the end all b all, is just BS, like some mentioned before. Obviously they could care less what the drunk driving ratio is as long as they can get as many drivers out there at basement bargain rates.


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## kc ub'ing! (May 27, 2016)

I haven't heard any firm statistics, but it would surprise me greatly if DUI percentages have not gone down since Rideshare's been an option. I see all the drunk millennials I keep off the road and think back to my 20's when me and my boys would rock, paper, scissor to determine who was, "coolest" to drive us all home. A taxi? Hell no that costs! But if we had a cheap, quick, easy and lets face it, cool option like Uber back then... I wouldn't have had take so many risks. Those bastards knew I always chose rock!


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

UTX1 said:


> Quoting the author (Ralston) who was quoting the authors (from the universities):
> 
> "...despite the soaring popularity of Uber and other ride-sharing services,
> * there still may not be enough ride-share drivers available yet*
> ...


You need one driver for each bar patron.

But only at closing time.

Then they can go home.


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## UTX1 (Dec 7, 2015)

tohunt4me said:


> You need one driver for each bar patron.
> 
> But only at closing time.
> 
> Then they can go home.


Okay, one driver per patron. We'll have to make it work.
But TWO trailer park girls for each passenger.

(they go 'round the outside, ya know ?)


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## UTX1 (Dec 7, 2015)

Something like this....


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## Disgusted Driver (Jan 9, 2015)

Given that from 9PM to 3AM I am driving impaired people around, it can't be a bad thing BUT I can tell you that on Friday and Saturday night, I see more than my fair share of impaired drivers, weaving, not turning lights on, going wrong way down a one way street, driving slow, ... so better or not, it's still a big problem.


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## Transportador (Sep 15, 2015)

Uber's claim is totally flaw for one obvious reason that somehow nobody mentioned here = Not all Uber drivers are willing to drive the drunks home! A whole lot of us do not drive late nights for this exact reason. Drunks are stupid, at their worst behavior, do not tip, do not know where they are, and worst of all, might PUKE in your car!


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## uberparadise (Aug 2, 2015)

BurgerTiime said:


> (Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)
> A new study casts doubt on Uber's claim that ride-sharing has reduced drunken driving.
> 
> Researchers at Oxford University and the University of Southern California who examined county-level data in the United States before and after the arrival of Uber and its competitors in those markets found that ride-sharing had no effect on drinking-related or holiday- and weekend-related fatalities.
> ...





ubershiza said:


> Everything uber makes claim to is BS.


Here is the rub- Uber allows people to drink more than they would normally. With Uber at their finger tips, they get a false sense of security. They have that one extra shot or drink, which often leads to even more drinks. "Hey I can call an Uber give me another shot". Maybe if Uber used plain clothes officers as drivers, they could arrest the ones that are so drunk they might harm themselves even walking to their door. The final insult is Uber sticks the naïve driver with this very volatile, dangerous rider. We have all seen what happens in many cases. Drivers are on the front lines, and Uber collects the surge commission from the anerbreated passenger. Sometimes they can't even give an address!


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## phillipzx3 (May 26, 2015)

El Janitor said:


> Yeah I needed a cab several times when I was younger way before Uber existed and I remember being told a 10 mile cab ride would be $50.00. Because we had 3 cab companies that operated here, and they sucked. Well $ 50.00 in 1990 dollars, that's a bit steep when gas was just at $1.00 a gallon so taxis were out of the question. So what could you do if you needed to go somewhere at night and didn't want to walk 5 miles with someone one way, and 5 miles back alone as a teenager in a huge suburb just outside Los Angeles. No see walking at night is not going to happen either, when you think about that at least not without some kind of weapon like a gun. I got mugged during the day here, probably get killed at night or kidnapped. Oh wait that almost happened too. As for drunk driving well a $5 Uber ride is about the price of a good shot of liquor. So maybe just budget out 2 drinks, or if you're a true alcoholic, I know I was sometimes, you could sacrifice something like food in place of the $10.00 Uber rides to the bar and home.


Posting $10 Uber rides is all fine and dandy until you awake from your hangover only to see you've been duped by surge and that $50 cab ride (or $10 Uber) turned into a $150 surge trip.

I love it when people talk about how cheap Uber is, then post of how they only work surge.

As for decreasing drunk driving...at any time at night, I can walk into a bar with the Uber rider app open, only to see a few Uber drivers sipping a beer waiting for a ping.

Uber reducing drunk driving is total nonsense.


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## Disgusted Driver (Jan 9, 2015)

phillipzx3 said:


> Posting $10 Uber rides is all fine and dandy until you awake from your hangover only to see you've been duped by surge and that $50 cab ride (or $10 Uber) turned into a $150 surge trip.
> 
> I love it when people talk about how cheap Uber is, then post of how they only work surge.
> 
> ...


I'm a little skeptical about Uber drivers sipping beer waiting for a ping. While I'm sure it's happened, I sincerely doubt it's a widespread phenomena. I look carefully to see where people are and have never seen any evidence of it in Raleigh and it would be harder to tell now that Uber put's the car on the nearest street on the app now so that you can't see if someone is sitting in their living room.


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## Trebor (Apr 22, 2015)

I have had a beer during dinner and then Uber -- later that night - after a shower, lots of toothpaste and mouthwash. One beer, but that counts as sipping on a beer and ubering right? Actually, I may do it tonight.


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## Trebor (Apr 22, 2015)

Anyways, I used to drive myself home after a few drinks. Taxi's were too dang expensive to take to the bar and back. We don't have subways or a train worth 2 pennies here. Now, I Uber when I go out. So, yes, I believe it does cut down on drinking and driving.


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## uberdriverfornow (Jan 10, 2016)

There is no question there are people taking Uber instead of driving while drunk that would never have paid 4 times the Uber rates for a taxi. I don't really care what a study is saying. It's really common sense.


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## metal_orion (May 14, 2015)

Las


Way2Lucky said:


> It stopped the smart ones but I've watched many a drunk stagger out to their car and drive off while I wait for my one/two pax. The formerly full parking lot is empty by the end of the night and I only drove two people home. All those cars didn't drive themselves.


Last Sunday in the morning I saw a guy completely slept on the wheel on the middle lane of the 90 northbound. He was the one causing all that traffic going to the airport. I thought what a lucky dumb**s.


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