The use of ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft has skyrocketed in recent years. These services provide easy access to convenient and affordable rides through smartphone apps. However, the increase in ridesharing has also led to a rise in accidents involving rideshare vehicles.
What is Causing the Increase in Accidents?
There are several factors that have contributed to the uptick in rideshare accidents:
More cars on the road
With the soaring popularity of Uber and Lyft, there are simply a lot more rideshare vehicles out on the streets. More cars mean more potential for accidents. In busy metro areas, the sheer volume of rideshare cars now makes up a significant portion of overall traffic. As rideshares cram more cars onto already congested roads, fender benders and collisions are inevitable.
Distracted driving
Drivers can get distracted by their apps as they accept rides, follow GPS directions, and communicate with customers. Taking eyes off the road leads to crashes. Studies have found rideshare drivers to be disproportionately distracted compared to regular motorists. Struggling to navigate apps or respond to ride requests pulls attention away from driving.
Fatigued driving
To earn more money, some rideshare drivers work very long hours with little rest. Drowsy driving dramatically increases accident risk. Many drivers hit the road straight from traditional jobs, working excessively long weeks. Feeling pressured to maximize trips, drivers forgo breaks and sleep. Drowsy drivers have slow reaction times and impaired judgment.
Less experienced drivers
Rideshare services have enabled many new and inexperienced drivers to start offering rides. Lack of experience behind the wheel can lead to mistakes and collisions. Services have rushed to onboard new drivers to meet demand. But inexperienced drivers are more accident prone, lacking the defensive driving skills gained over years of driving.
Pressure to pick up passengers quickly
Rideshare drivers feel pressure to pick up passengers and start rides as quickly as possible. This rush can lead to reckless maneuvers and accidents. From the moment a ride request comes in, drivers race against the clock. This encourages hasty actions like speeding, illegal U-turns, running red lights, and hazardous pick-up spot choices.
Minimal driver screening
Critics argue that rideshare driver screening and background checks are not as rigorous as they should be. This may allow unsafe drivers to operate vehicles. Compared to taxi licensing requirements, rideshare driver sign-up is relatively quick and easy with minimal vetting. Some unqualified and dangerous drivers slip through the cracks as a result.
Insurance gaps
Insurance coverage can be confusing with rideshare drivers switching between personal and company insurance. Insurance gaps may leave accident victims without adequate compensation. Murky insurance waters often leave victims saddled with hefty medical bills and vehicle damage costs. Lawsuits championed by personal injury lawyers frequently emerge as victims try gaining fair compensation.
Rise in Fatal Accidents
While accidents of all types have risen, fatal crashes involving rideshare vehicles have increased at an alarming rate.
Uber services have been linked to a 3% increase in accident deaths since 2011. Between 2017 and 2018, there were 97 fatal accidents and 107 fatalities. Uber’s own stats show there were 91 accidents and 100 deaths between 2019 and 2020. One of the most high-profile accidents was in March 2018, when an Uber self-driving car killed a woman in Arizona. The autonomous vehicle failed to identify and brake for the jaywalking pedestrian. This is the type of case a wrongful death accident lawyer Fort Worth TX can handle for relatives.
Lyft has a slightly better accident rate, with 0.38 accidents per 1 million miles driven compared to Uber’s 0.45 accidents per million miles. Nevertheless, between 2017 and 2019, Lyft reported 105 fatalities.
Experts note that rideshare vehicles often strike pedestrians and bicyclists in fatal accidents, likely due to the pressure on drivers to drop off and pick up passengers quickly.
The troubling rise of fatal rideshare accidents has sparked alarm among personal injury accident lawyers.
Demands for Increased Safety
As fatal tragedies mount, demands for improved safety have increased:
- Consumer advocacy groups have called for more thorough driver background checks, including fingerprint scans and routine drug testing.
- Law enforcement and regulators want companies to establish robust driver training programs focused on distracted and fatigued driving prevention.
- Victims rights groups want to mandate breaks for drivers to combat drowsiness and limits on consecutive work hours.
- Lawsuits against rideshare companies have sought compensation for crash victims and changes to insurance policies.
- Cities and states have started passing stricter regulations around rideshare driver qualifications, vehicle inspections, pickup/dropoff locations, and additional fees to fund oversight.
Some specific safety improvement proposals include:
- Mandatory driver safety courses on avoiding distractions and fatigue
- Restricting total weekly driving hours to avoid exhausted drivers
- Requiring all drivers to take periodic drug tests
- Rigorous vehicle inspection rules to identify maintenance issues
- Limits on new drivers without minimum years of licensing
- Expanded insurance requirements and coverage
- Enhanced accident scene data collection and reporting
- Stricter pickup/drop-off regulations to avoid dangerous double parking
- Higher licensing fees to fund regulatory bodies and safety initiatives
The Way Forward
As ridesharing continues to grow exponentially, companies like Uber and Lyft have a duty to prioritize passenger and public safety over profits and convenience. Investing in more rigorous driver screening and training, establishing mandatory rest periods, strengthening insurance coverage, and embracing sensible government oversight can help reduce the rising tide of rideshare accidents.
Rideshare services offer great value but must not come at the cost of human lives. The public’s patience for the status quo is wearing thin as preventable tragedies continue. Without urgent and meaningful safety reforms, the rideshare industry risks losing the trust of customers, regulators, and the communities they serve.
The path forward requires collaboration between tech companies, drivers, insurance providers, safety advocates and government. Compromises will need to be made. But working together, a future can be built where innovation and public safety go hand in hand. Rideshare transportation has been a game changer. Now it’s time for safety solutions to catch up to this progress, before the human toll rises further.
If you have lost a loved one in a rideshare accident, a Fort Worth wrongful death attorney from Karns & Karns Personal Injury and Accident Attorneys can help.
Call us today on 800-4THE-WIN (800-484-3946).
