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Fatal auto accidents could increase with ride-sharing

On Behalf of | Apr 11, 2019 | Car Accidents

Convenience and safety are two reasons for people in Louisiana to use ridesharing services. Rather than drive themselves, there are benefits to using these apps. If, for example, a person has a night out and drinks alcohol, it is preferable to let someone else drive rather than run the risk of causing an accident and being arrested for driving under the influence. However, with any innovation, there are inevitable risks.

One recent study indicates that cities with ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft have had an increase in accidents with serious injuries and death. The study, from Rice University and the University of Chicago, says there was a rise of around three percent of fatal crashes in large U.S. cities after rideshares came into use. Financially, these accidents are costing the U.S. as much as $10 billion. The researchers used statistics from the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration (NTHSA). It is important to note that the researchers did not dive into detail regarding ridesharing services. Instead, it assessed the rise in total fatal accidents per city and compared them with cities that do not have ridesharing.

Ridesharing is evolving into a part of the daily life in a city. In 2016, drivers for Uber and Lyft traveled 500 million miles monthly. With Lyft going public, the company is expanding, sparking concerns based on these studies. With benefits such as a reduction in drunk driving accidents and an overall rise in accidents since 2011, more research must be done to gauge the impact of rideshares in the landscape of auto accidents and determine whether it is improving or reducing safety.

No matter the cause, any accident study in which there are statistics that indicate any factor contributed to an increase should be taken seriously. With the financial, personal, physical, and emotional losses that stem from any car crash, those who have been hurt or had a loved one die in a ridesharing accident or any other accident must be aware of how to pursue compensation through legal action. Fortunately, attorneys who are competent in handling cases related to car accidents stand ready to help.

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