Study Says Uber Had No Impact on Some Crash Rates in Virginia

A recent study finds no evidence that ride-hailing app Uber reduced the number of serious car wrecks in Virginia. The research also found no change in the likelihood that a fatal crash involved alcohol.

The College of William & Mary said in a press release earlier this month that one of its economic majors had looked into the matter. Uber has claimed that its presence in cities helps reduce drunken driving.

William & Mary student Brittany Young reviewed accident data in the Virginia counties that have Uber and the counties that don’t. She found no evidence that hospitalizations from car crashes dropped. Chances that alcohol was involved in a fatal wreck also did not change.

A 2017 New York Times article reported that studies across the country have been contradictory.

Topics Virginia Sharing Economy Ridesharing