Creativity has been behind many significant developments in getting from point A to B. Not long ago, if you were outside the range of public transportation and did not have a vehicle, you were stuck trying to call a taxi. Often, the ride was expensive, and it took a long time for them to pick you up.
When a few people decided to create a platform to monetize the vehicle in their driveway by giving people rides, it opened up options for those without a car. Now that ridesharing has become more common, researchers are looking into how safe these alternate options are.
Here’s what you should know about the dangers that may come with ridesharing.
Numbers based on trends
It is not always easy to find out the types of drivers when there is an accident. Often, the records of the accidents include only the types of vehicles and what happened in the crash.
In an effort to learn more about ridesharing accidents, researchers looked at cities with ridesharing. They compared the accident statistics with cities without ridesharing. When they analyzed the data, they found a three percent increase in accidents after introducing ridesharing platforms.
Ridesharing companies disagree
Ridesharing platforms like Uber and Lyft try to vet their drivers as well as they can while having enough drivers to meet the city’s demand. These companies will look at qualifications, such as how long someone has been driving and any tickets or accidents on their record.
Both Uber and Lyft have raised concerns that ridesharing is not the only explanation for increased accidents. Since three percent is a relatively small increase, ridesharing businesses suggest that the increase is a natural increase that many cities tend to notice over time.
There can be dangers any time you travel on the road. Part of promoting safe driving is awareness. If you notice the driver of your rideshare is inattentive, you should alert the driver and mention it in their review on the app.
