Study Finds That Ridesharing Causes More Traffic
For the majority of drivers, it isn’t too shocking to know that traffic congestion is a leading contributing factor to serious car crashes. Certainly, traffic isn’t nearly as hazardous to public safety as drunk or distracted driving, but this doesn’t mean traffic congestion is a negligible safety concern. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.
Today, there are more than 200 million licensed drivers in the United States, and that figure is growing rapidly. This figure doesn’t even include the inclusion of a possible future with millions of self-driving vehicles on the road, which could eventually become fully autonomous. Similarly, the number of miles being driven is rising, while there are fewer new roadways being built and existing ones are in serious need of repair.
These factors and more can combine to increase roadway congestion, which in turn creates an increased risk of a crash when you factor in unsafe driving behaviors. A study from the University of North Carolina’s Highway Safety Research Center found that one out of every four vehicle collisions takes place during rush hour. Also, the study revealed that all accident types are at their most prevalent from the hours of 4 to 6 p.m. throughout the week.
These findings show that the chances of a car crash taking place increases during rush hour. With these findings in mind, it’s interesting to note that other studies also have found that ridesharing has actually increased city traffic, rather than preventing or decreasing congestion.
3 in 10 American Rely on Ridesharing Services
It’s not too shocking that, in many respects, ridesharing has transformed how millions of people get around every day. In fact, millions of Americans depend on ridesharing for transportation, which is reinforced by Uber’s $72 billion valuation in early 2018. In San Franciso and the surrounding Bay Area alone, Uber drivers made more than $1.07 billion in 2017. Put more simply, that means Uber is providing a staggering amount of rides.
Gallup has underscored the importance of ridesharing in everyday life through a recent pole in July of 2018. According to the poll, 3 in 10 Americans — or around one out of every three people — use ridesharing services. This overall figure increases notably for younger people, with an estimated 45% of the 18 to 29 demographics relying on ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft.
Typically, Uber and Lyft are often considered as a transportation option for big cities or suburbs. Because of this, it may be surprising that Gallup found nearly one in six Americans who live in a rural area also report using ridesharing services.
When you consider these findings, it’s overwhelmingly evident that ridesharing services aren’t going anywhere. Certainly, the reliance on ridesharing may even increase in the future if self-driving vehicles transform the way we get around in a similar way.
Does Ridesharing Increase City Traffic?
In big cities, travelers have an array of possible transit options that are not available in more rural areas. For example, in New York City, millions of commuters choose to take the city subway each month, and walking, biking, or riding the bus are all popular choices for travel. Regardless, many of these same travelers are increasingly using ridesharing as their transportation method of choice.
A piece from Crain’s New York recently provided some context on this phenom by showing that around 60% of ridesharing users in large and densely populous cities would have walked, biked, taken the bus, or just not have made the trip altogether if it weren’t for the availability of ridesharing services. While this news is welcomed eagerly by ridesharing companies and their growing bottom line, it also increases the chances of urban congestion.
Even worse, transportation consultant Bruce Schaller’s extensive data also seems to indicate that shared rides only slightly reduce the traffic congestion on city streets. Until there are changes in policy measures implemented in these densely populated cities to reduce city congestion, like dedicated bus lanes, then the risks of traffic congestion in large cities will continue to be a safety concern.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a ridesharing crash, you should contact a ridesharing lawyer in New Jersey at Brady Reilly & Cardoso, LLC in order to discuss your legal options and right to compensation. Give us a call today to obtain legal consultation that will help you weigh your options and pursue the compensation you deserve after being injured in a ridesharing collision.
With the Increasing Popularity of Crashes Comes an Increase in Ridesharing Accidents
Ridesharing companies are known for being secretive about the number of ridesharing crashes involving their companies. Still, this doesn’t detract from the fact that ridesharing crashes will increase as more Americans rely on ridesharing services in order to get where they’re going.
Ultimately, there were more than 40,000 roadway deaths reported in the United States in 2017, and in recent years, there have been more than 6 million crashes reportedly annually, according to data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). If Americans continue to increasingly rely on Uber and Lyft to get around, it’s likely that a significant number of crashes in the country will impact ridesharing passengers.
Considering these trends, it’s crucial that car crash attorneys stay up to date on the latest legal trends in ridesharing in order to provide optimal representation to crash victims.
Uber & Lyft Collisions in New Jersey
Uber and Lyft are both massive companies worth billions of dollars. However, these lucrative companies often fail to pay out victims due to the complexities of rideshare accidents. For this reason, it’s important that victims enlist the help of a qualified New Jersey rideshare crash attorney with legal experience.
If you’ve been injured unfairly in a rideshare collision in New Jersey, you need a firm that understands how to recover the compensation you deserve. Brady Reilly & Cardoso, LLC has helped countless Uber victims pursue lost compensation successfully. If you’ve been injured unfairly in a rideshare accident, contact our law offices today at (201) 997- 0030.
