One of the advantages of using a ride-sharing app like Uber or Lyft is that a person is practically guaranteed that they will be able to get a ride to their destination in a relatively short amount of time. Throughout Pennsylvania different communities have adopted ride-sharing as a good way to keep unsafe drivers off of the roads and to reduce the number vehicles in operation at any given time. However, a recent study on the impact that ride-sharing services are having on general safety has revealed that they may actually being causing more harm than good.
The study brought together researchers from Rice University in Texas and the University of Chicago to examine what impacts ride-sharing has had on traffic, accidents, and roadway fatalities. The results suggest that rather than decreasing accidents and fatalities from collisions, ride-sharing has actually caused these incidents to increase since the related apps’ inceptions.
For example, data offered by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration suggests that roadway fatalities have increased between 2 to 4 percent since the introduction of ride-sharing into communities. Instead of stopping intoxicated drivers from getting into accidents, ride-sharing drivers are causing collisions with other cars, pedestrians, and others.
Ride-sharing is a way of life for some individuals while others are wary of jumping into strangers’ cars. However, individuals who have suffered injuries and other losses in accidents with Uber and Lyft drivers should be aware that their injuries may be compensable. Understanding who may be sued after a ride-sharing vehicle accident can be confusing but personal injury attorneys can provide clarity to their injured clients.