It’s Saturday night in South Florida, and you’ve been out with your friends, catching up and checking out the newest bars. As the night is wrapping up and you head toward your car, you pause to consider whether you’re really “okay” to drive. You play it safe, pulling out your phone and opening a rideshare app for a quick, convenient, safe ride home.
Millions of people have done this since the rise of Uber and Lyft, meaning fewer drunk drivers are on the road – not just in popular cities like Fort Lauderdale and Hallandale Beach, Florida, but across the country.
It would make sense to believe that the widespread prevalence of Uber and Lyft makes the roads safer by reducing the number of accidents involving intoxicated drivers. At the same time, reports of rideshare-related accidents are everywhere, and a rise in serious accidents has even been attributed to popular rideshare platforms. This also makes sense for several reasons. For example, the more rides a driver completes per shift, the more money they make, incentivizing them to pick up and drop off passengers as quickly as possible; this could lead to speeding and driver distraction, quickly leading to upticks in dangerous accidents.
Driver fatigue among rideshare drivers is also a common cause of accidents, worsened by intermittent driver shortages that push drivers to work long hours to keep up with demand. These drivers might fight their sleepiness and stay on the road to make a few extra bucks. This is most likely to happen in densely populated cities like West Palm Beach, Hollywood, and Miramar, Florida.
So, Which Is It: Are Uber And Lyft Making Roads Safer Or Riskier?
Overall, there’s been about a 3% rise in serious and fatal car accidents since Uber and Lyft began gaining popularity, but recent studies suggest that Uber and Lyft aren’t to blame. For example, a study in JAMA Surgery shows that rideshare volume significantly correlates with the incidence of motor vehicle-related trauma, with a one-third reduction in the incidence rate for every 1,000 rides. The researchers suggest that this reduction can be attributed to the fact that Uber and Lyft provide people with an easy transportation option when they’ve had too much to drink and should not drive.
Findings from a new research review of 20 studies show that 85% of them associate ridesharing with a lower level of drunk driving and DUI-related accidents. Review author Christopher Morrison discussed this information and more at a Research Society on Alcoholism meeting in Orlando, Florida.
Morrison carefully stated, “Ridesharing will reduce drunk driving and crashing in some places, but not others.”
It’s also worth noting that no matter what the statistics say, nothing can guarantee that your Uber or Lyft ride from point A to point B in any given city on any given day won’t result in an accident. Furthermore, reports of dangerous driving by Uber and Lyft drivers – with or without signs of intoxication – aren’t uncommon. It’s vital to be prepared for a rideshare accident.
Injured In A Rideshare Crash In Florida? Essential Advice From Florida Rideshare Lawyers
- Collect as much information from the accident scene as possible, including photographs, witness contact information, and the name of your Uber or Lyft driver.
- Seek medical care as soon as possible, even if you aren’t sure whether you’ve been seriously injured. Some injuries aren’t immediately apparent but can increase in severity the longer they go unidentified and unaddressed.
- Contact a rideshare services lawyer in your area who can assess your case and help you pursue compensation from the right parties.
Rideshare Services Lawyers In Hallandale Beach, FL: Fenstersheib Law Group
At Fenstersheib Law Group, we’ve helped countless injured rideshare passengers get the compensation they’re entitled to. Whether the accident was caused by your Uber or Lyft driver or a third party, and whether or not drunk driving was a factor, our lawyers know how to secure the information and evidence necessary to build a successful case.
We are happy to serve several major Florida cities, including Hallandale Beach, Hollywood, Miramar, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Orlando, Sarasota, Tampa, and Jacksonville.
The sooner you contact an experienced rideshare injury lawyer, the better off you’ll be. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Call us 24/7 for a free consultation: 800-TELL-ROBERT.
