Ridesharing is a concept that is still relatively new, but it is quite popular, nonetheless. Being able to call up a driver whenever you need, wherever you need it is a luxury that many people take full advantage of. It can be a great help if you are not near public transportation or have no other option. It also is a wonderful tool to use to avoid driving after having too much to drink in West Virginia.
Since ridesharing offers a viable alternative to designating a driver or driving yourself home after drinking, you may think that its increased use and availability would have a profound impact on drunk driving rates. You may be right, but according to Safety.com, there is not enough data on the impact of ridesharing on drunk driving rates to draw a conclusion.
Ridesharing companies only just launched in 2012. The statistics do not yet tell the complete picture of the impact they have had. Some statistics show there might be a positive impact, but there could be outside factors that affect them. It just is not clear yet if people are making use of ridesharing instead of getting behind the wheel after drinking.
This does not mean there is not a way to harness the potential of ridesharing to reduce drunk driving. In fact, rideshare companies are partnering with drunk driving organizations to create campaigns and encourage taking an Uber or a Lyft instead of drunk driving. This could help in the future to reduce drunk driving incidents. This information is for education and is not legal advice.
