Virginia DUI Lawyer: Statistics Show a Decrease in Alcohol-Related Crashes and Fatalities

          A new study conducted by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles looked at the effects of ride-sharing companies on drunk driving statistics.  Sure, everyone touts how companies like Uber and Lyft as safe options because they cut down on the number of alcohol-related accidents.  But, there has never been a study that actually investigated whether the increased presence of ride-sharing companies has actually saved lives.  This study looked at numbers from 2013, 2014, and 2015.  Overall, since Uber and Lyft have become so prominent in several cities, the number of alcohol-related crashes and fatalities has dropped significantly.  For example, in 2013 there were 8,047 crashes related to alcohol and 253 fatalities.  One year later, the number of crashes dropped 5% to 7,666, and fatalities decreased as well.  Preliminary numbers for 2015 show an even bigger drop: 7,334 total crashes and a 22% drop in fatalities down to 195.

           

         While it is difficult to say that Uber and Lyft are the only reasons explaining this drop in alcohol-related crashes, scientists can say that these ride-sharing companies are certainly playing a big role.  Other things such as campaigns against drunk driving and increased patrol by police for DUIs are sure to be having an effect on these numbers as well.  A majority of people today have Uber or Lyft on their phone, and it is very easy to use.  These numbers show that requesting an Uber or Lyft actually saves lives.  There is no reason why anyone should be driving a car under the influence of alcohol.  It will certainly be interesting to see if this trend continues, especially as these ride-sharing companies continue to expand into more areas.

If you are charged with DUI or DWI in Virginia and would like a free legal consultation or if you would like more information on DUI or DWI please feel free to contact our office at (703) 916-1227 and schedule an appointment at our office in Vienna or throughout Virginia, or visit us on the web at http://www.portnerandshure.com/Criminal-Defense/DWI-DUI/