A new study from Temple University has concluded that Uber’s operation in California has decreased the number of DUI related deaths in California.
Business professors, Brad Greenwood and Sunil Wattal analyzed data collected between 2009 and 2014 and found that the launch of UberX, the economy version of Uber, created a 3.6 percent to 5.6 percent decrease in DUI fatalities in California cities featuring UberX.
Rates paid by UberX customers are about 20 to 30 percent lower than rates paid by taxi customers. Obtaining a ride through UberX is also more convenient than hailing a cab. All a customer has to do request an UberX ride is access the app on their phone. Personal information, including payment information and location, is already pre-programed into the app.
Greenwood and Wattal believe that these conveniences are what lead would-be drunk drivers to prefer using UberX to cabs.
According to the study, if the results are accurate, an estimated 500 lives per year would be saved throughout the country as a result of UberX’s services.
Greenwood and Wattal will be presenting their study in Vancouver, Canada next week at the Academy of Management Conference, as municipalities throughout Canada, including Vancouver, are looking to prevent Uber and other ride-sharing services from operating in certain cities.
Uber recently faced criticism as it was discovered that several Uber drivers had criminal records.
Big diff, if you ask me.
Another alternative to driving drunk is a good alternative.
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