Has Uber Reduced the Number of People Who Drink and Drive?

If you are facing charges for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you have every reason to feel especially stressed out this holiday season. Although every DUI case is different and there is no way to predict how yours will turn out, you can take at least some comfort in the fact that you are not alone.

According to Statistic Brain, police arrest an average of 1,500,000 people for drunk driving annually. The precise number may vary from year to year—and from state to state—but it has remained fairly consistent over time. Fortunately, there has been a downward trend in the number of drunk driving fatalities in recent years.

Although it is natural to assume that the rising popularity of ride sharing programs like Uber has led to fewer impaired motorists on the roads, multiple factors are likely at play for this decline in fatal collisions. Of course, fewer drunk driving accidents does not necessarily mean fewer DUI arrests, and police are more vigilant than ever about identifying impaired motorists.

If you are facing DUI charges after a traffic stop, contact DiRenzo Defense. William DiRenzo has conducted more than 150 jury trials in his career and has argued countless Motions to Suppress and Dismiss. Call 954-653-2172 to schedule a free case evaluation with a DUI defense attorney in Broward County.

Has Uber Reduced the Number of People Who Drink and Drive?

There are countless reasons why people get behind the wheel while legally intoxicated. For example, some may have consumed more than they should have and failed to plan ahead, but others might have had a valid reason to believe they were well below the legal limit.

Ride sharing services like Uber really only address one cause of drunk driving, and that is the lack of a designated driver. Since there are so many other potential causes, though, it is fair to assume that Uber has not necessarily made a significant dent in reducing the number of people who drink and drive.

Indeed, The New York Times reports that while various studies have indicated ride sharing apps reduce the prevalence of drunk driving, still others illustrate there is no correlation between Uber’s rising popularity and the decline in traffic fatalities. At the end of the day, the answer probably lies somewhere in the middle.

Most people who use ride sharing apps do so out of convenience and were probably unlikely to drink and drive in the first place. Likewise, motorists who habitually drive while impaired are unlikely to change their routine simply because they have access to one more mode of transportation.

Regardless of how muddled the data is, one conclusion is clear: Law enforcement personnel are always going to be on the lookout for drunk drivers. In addition to conducting routine traffic stops, they may try to find impaired motorists by cruising by bars shortly after last call and setting up sobriety checkpoints on nights and weekends.

If you are facing criminal charges following a traffic stop or DUI roadblock, turn to DiRenzo Defense. Mr. DiRenzo is a former prosecutor, so he has a knowledge and skillset that make him uniquely effective as a criminal attorney.

Call us to schedule a free consultation with a DUI defense lawyer in Broward County. If you want to learn more about fighting DUI charges in Florida, visit USAttorneys.com.