How Ridehail/Transportation Network Companies affects Safety

Ride-hail may improve general road safety by providing an alternative to drivers who would otherwise drive inebriated. A study from Great Britain found that the introduction of Uber was associated with a nine percent decrease in severe traffic-related injuries, which the authors hypothesized resulted from fewer drunk-driving trips [1]. Dills and Mulholland (2018) similarly found a decrease in drunk driving incidents, fatal car crashes, and arrests for assault and disorderly conduct with the introduction of Uber [2].

Ride-hail services can also provide an alternative travel mode for users who feel safer taking ride-hail trips than public transit [3]. However, safety concerns can also discourage people from using ride-hail services, particularly women [4].

Relative to taxis, a study in Chicago found that ride-hail trips may be more likely to result in minor injury crashes, though equally likely to result in severe crashes [5]. The authors attributed these crash differences to three potential factors: 1) drivers may be more distracted by the ride-hail app that may abruptly change routes for new passengers, 2) taxi drivers may have more experience than semi-professional ride-hail drivers, and 3) taxi driver regulations may encourage safer driving, such as limited overtime [5]. Job insecurity may explain riskier behavior on the part of ride-hail drivers; Lefcoe et al (2023) found that ride-hail drivers juggling multiple jobs engage in riskier driving behavior than full-time ride-hail and taxi drivers [6].

References

  1. D. S. Kirk, N. Cavalli, and N. Brazil, “The implications of ridehailing for risky driving and road accident injuries and fatalities,” Soc. Sci. Med., vol. 250, p. 112793, 2020.

  2. A. K. Dills and S. E. Mulholland, “Ride‐sharing, fatal crashes, and crime,” South. Econ. J., vol. 84, no. 4, pp. 965–991, 2018

  3. Anne Brown et al., “Buying Access One Trip at a Time,” J. Am. Plann. Assoc., pp. 1–13, Jun. 2022, doi: 10.1080/01944363.2022.2027262.

  4. F. Siddiq and B. D. Taylor, “A gendered perspective on ride-hail use in Los Angeles, USA,” Transp. Res. Interdiscip. Perspect., vol. 23, p. 100938, 2024.

  5. G. Zhai, K. Xie, H. Yang, and D. Yang, “Are ride-hailing services safer than taxis? A multivariate spatial approach with accommodation of exposure uncertainty,” Accid. Anal. Prev., vol. 193, p. 107281, 2023.

  6. A. D. Lefcoe, C. E. Connelly, and I. R. Gellatly, “Ride-Hail Drivers, Taxi Drivers and Multiple Jobholders: Who Takes the Most Risks and Why?,” Work Employ. Soc., p. 09500170231185212, 2023.

Related Literature Reviews

See Literature Reviews on Ridehail/Transportation Network Companies

See Literature Reviews on Safety

Note: Mobility COE research partners conducted this literature review in Spring of 2024 based on research available at the time. Unless otherwise noted, this content has not been updated to reflect newer research.

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