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Crime Stats Transportation

Uber Lowers Drunk Driving Arrests In San Francisco Dramatically 204

schwit1 writes: According to crime statistics from the San Francisco Police Department there were only two drunken driving arrests last New Year's Eve in San Francisco, the lowest since 2009. This news comes on the heels of a new study revealing that the introduction of UberX reduces drunk driving deaths across California. Temple University's Brad Greenwood and Sunil Wattal published a paper that shows cheap taxi-like options make it easier for people to make the safer decision to call for a ride rather than driving home themselves.
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Uber Lowers Drunk Driving Arrests In San Francisco Dramatically

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  • by Rei ( 128717 ) on Tuesday August 18, 2015 @07:18AM (#50337965) Homepage

    Uber rates are of course cheaper because the drivers don't carry commercial insurance, paying regular insurance rates, and thus raising the rates for everyone else as consequence.

    Now, if the argument is that public subsidized taxi services can reduce drunk driving rates, then by all means, create public subsidies for taxis operating in areas and times that people often would otherwise drive drunk. Don't just use this hidden, across-the-board, everywhere-at-all-times subsidy-by-insurance-miscategorization.

    • by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 18, 2015 @07:25AM (#50338009)

      Requiring taxis to have a "special" license to do something simple like driving others around is nothing more than an artificial barrier to competition.

      Of course, that's what governments do - sell out to lobbying interests. So the solution must be to give governments more money and more power....

      • Requiring taxis to have a "special" license to do something simple like driving others around is nothing more than an artificial barrier to competition.

        Of course, that's what governments do - sell out to lobbying interests. So the solution must be to give governments more money and more power....

        If you think that the taxi companies lobbied for this restriction, then you are ignorant or misinformed. But now that the restriction is in place, then why should a newcomer to the field not have to play by the same rules that the taxi companies are forced to play by?

        • why should a newcomer to the field not have to play by the same rules that the taxi companies are forced to play by?

          This is a good reason to remove unnecessary laws for all taxis, not force evryone to follow the same bad laws just to be fair. You could even have compensation for those who may have invested a lot of money taxi medallions, by purchasing them back at a recent high market price (not the post uber crash price).

          Some regulations are good. Let's keep those. We just need to get rid of the bad ones.

        • If you think that the taxi companies lobbied for this restriction, then you are ignorant or misinformed.

          Or perhaps, that it is you that is ignorant or misinformed.

          It's called 'regulatory capture'. Because they're already 'in the business', larger businesses can handle larger amounts of regulation, much like how an experienced weightlifter can lift a heavier weight than a newcomer. And when it comes to regulation, the newcomer is typically expected to comply with all the regulations right from the beginning.

          As such, usually the only time you get 'new' businesses in such industries is when somebody experience

      • Specific to New Years Eve, Uber is a great solution. Getting a taxi in San Francisco (or almost anywhere) after midnight is hopeless, which should drive up rates and incentivize additional drivers to participate. This is a specific failure of the regulated taxi industry.

      • At the very least it shouldn't be full commercial insurance. Maybe the insurance companies should get with the times and work with Uber to offer a per mile rate or something to cover the drivers while they are on the job. Plus, there are plenty of other commercial drivers that do not carry the right insurance, food delivery being a big one.
        • They already have. Uber now provides primary insurance from the time the app is 'turned on' until it's turned off. Though you need to be careful of state variations.

      • Requiring taxis to have a "special" license to do something simple like driving others around is nothing more than an artificial barrier to competition.

        Well, obviously. That's what a license is. The question is: is it a necessary barrier?

      • This does not sound like a response to the issues raised by the parent poster though.

    • "Commercial insurance"? Against what, drunk people vomiting in the cars?
      • by TWX ( 665546 )
        Commercial insurance to cover the medical expenses of severely injured passengers for the rest of their lives or to pay life insurance claims to their dependents if they should die as a result of an auto accident involving the vehicle they're riding in.
        • That sounds really good. It sure sucks that you are forced to be crippled and destitute if you are injured in a friend's car. Do we really want a system where you pray that the guy that just hit you is a commercial driver, because if he wasn't you are completely fucked?
    • by ThatsMyNick ( 2004126 ) on Tuesday August 18, 2015 @07:35AM (#50338079)

      Not this again. Uber provides insurance, with the same benefits as the commercial insurance. It is a little bit controversial, as Uber insurance is valid only when the driver's Uber app is running and they are "on duty". The rest of the time drivers will have to rely on their own insurance, which may deny any claims, because the car had been used for commercial reasons (even if it was not at the time of accident or the event that leads to the claim).

      This is not a public subsidy at all.

      • In the UK, the way Uber provides their insurance ("only when on a job") would result in drivers being illegal - the driver would still need business-use insurance, even when between jobs.

      • by Rei ( 128717 ) on Tuesday August 18, 2015 @08:45AM (#50338623) Homepage

        Not only is Uber's "on duty" insurance not available when a person isn't "on duty", but the driver still needs personal auto insurance. Uber encourages its drivers to only pay for regular personal insurance, and the insurance companies say that this is a violation of their policy terms [buzzfeed.com]. Only recently have insurance companies started offering products to fill in the gaps [uberlyftsi...urance.com]. They, of course, come with extra premiums.

        And of course, sometimes one wonders whether Uber should refer to their "insurance policy" in quotation marks [gas2.org].

        • by Cyberax ( 705495 )
          These premiums are not terribly high. From your link - it's just a $20 per _year_ surcharge on top of an existing policy. A brand-new commercial insurance policy costs about $500 a month.
      • UberX does, not UberPOPs "car sharing" service

    • Yes, I think that's the important point: cheap and more convenient taxis reduce drink driving. Increasing the number of taxis is also a way to boost employment, and it specifically boosts employment for people without diplomas and with a good-but-not-perfect level of the local language, which is a group with a higher risk of becoming long term unemployed.

      Uber, in its current form, is problematic, but it has at least proven something.

      (I don't use Uber. It requires an app that isn't free software [gnu.org] and has all

    • by Sibko ( 1036168 )

      Uber rates are of course cheaper because the drivers don't carry commercial insurance, paying regular insurance rates, and thus raising the rates for everyone else as consequence.

      Now, if the argument is that public subsidized taxi services can reduce drunk driving rates, then by all means, create public subsidies for taxis

      Err... what would be the significant difference between a subsidized taxi service, paid into by all taxpayers, and raised insurance rates paid for by everyone driving vehicles?

      • Me thinks GP's point was that there is none. In a sense that if there's working and affordable public transport, people prefer not to drive while intoxicated
        • by Rei ( 128717 )

          Additionally, subsidizing a ride from, say, the airport at 3 PM does little to fight drunk driving. Subsidizing a ride from a downtown party district at 2 AM certainly does. Drink driving is not at all a constant risk with respect to time or location.

          • by starless ( 60879 )

            Additionally, subsidizing a ride from, say, the airport at 3 PM does little to fight drunk driving. .

            Depends how much one has been drinking on the plane - especially if one managed to get that free upgrade to business class with the free booze!

          • Drink driving is not at all a constant risk with respect to time or location.

            People are creatures of habit though. If they're used to calling up Uber for XYZ driving needs, they're more likely to do so when drunk.

    • People like me who don't drink and drive pay higher insurance rates to subsidize those drivers that do. Think about it, the insurance exposure for one drunk going home from a bar in the back seat of an Uber vehicle is far less than the insurance exposure for that same drunk behind the wheel of a car driving home. I'd much rather subsidize the added risk of Uber drivers than the risk the drunks they carry.
    • It doesn't raise the rates for EVERYONE. I find using taxis (and trains) far far cheaper than having a car (motorbike in my case). The cost of taxis in London may be high, but not as much as insurance (due to post-code orientated crime rates), huge parking costs, tax, petrol, maintenance...

      Uber rates are cheaper due to lower overhead from their employer/agent, every single driver has told me they get far more work and make more money, and that is mostly due to the lack of heavy up-front cost.

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion
    • It's not in any sense public subsidized, and it's a pretty huge stretch to assert so.

      No, what people are getting in an Uber driver is an unlicensed cab service, with the risks that implies - ie the lack of coverage in case of a catastrophic event.

      How is that public-subsidized? (Ok, yes, one can rationalize that if someone is hurt in an uber accident, and they end up on the public welfare, that's somehow public subsidy, but that would be no different than if they had a catastrophic sidewalk accident with no

    • Uber rates are of course cheaper because the drivers don't carry commercial insurance, paying regular insurance rates, and thus raising the rates for everyone else as consequence.

      I'm not sure why this fiction keeps getting repeated. Uber carries commercial insurance covering its drivers to the tune of $100k in primary insurance and $200k in supplemental liability coverage while logged in awaiting a fare and $1 million while dispatched. Those limits are well above what's required for medallion taxis and livery cars in my area.

    • Now try to get your medallion cabs to pick up in a part of town where all the drunks are.

    • Uber rates are of course cheaper because...

      The price is not the primary reason I use Uber, I use it because it is easier, more convenient, cleaner, and has better accountability than a phone taxi service. If I knew, for example, that the price of a ride from Uber would always be the same as a standard taxi, I would still use Uber every time. Taxi companies have been slow to upgrade their service to match Uber.

    • People picking up their drunk friends also don't carry a commercial license. Why is it even necessary for any taxis to have commercial insurance? Just let the insurance companies decide what to charge people for coverage, and simply have the law require all people to be insured.

    • Uber rates are of course cheaper because the drivers don't carry commercial insurance, paying regular insurance rates, and thus raising the rates for everyone else as consequence.

      Citation, preferably recent? Because there's plenty of news articles that say the opposite [forbes.com]. I'm not saying that all drivers are properly covered, but you can find gypsy cabs out there that aren't as well, as well as pizza drivers and such.

      I won't dispute that there was some 'shaking out' on who's responsible when on the insurance front.

    • by Maxwell ( 13985 )

      Uber rates are of course cheaper because the drivers don't pay outrageous fees for a special 'medallion' from a non-driving monopoly/corporate entity .Now, if the argument is that public subsidized taxi services can reduce drunk driving rates, then by all means, create public subsidies for taxis operating in areas and times that people often would otherwise drive drunk. Don't just use this hidden, across-the-board, everywhere-at-all-times subsidy-by-insurance-miscategorization.

      FTFY.

  • by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 18, 2015 @07:25AM (#50338015)

    So if it was lower in 2009, and Uber didn't exist in 2009, it follows that you haven't isolated the drunk drive factor!

    Also you then need to figure out what makes them not drunk-drive. If its the easy booking by phone, well taxis can be ordered by phone so the reduction in recent years might be attributed to the easy book-by-smartphone apps, not specifically the unlicensed nature of Uber taxis!

    Likewise if its price, then maybe reducing the price of taxis is the solution, rather than replacing taxis with unlicensed ones.

    • So if it was lower in 2009, and Uber didn't exist in 2009, it follows that you haven't isolated the drunk drive factor!

      Also you then need to figure out what makes them not drunk-drive. If its the easy booking by phone, well taxis can be ordered by phone so the reduction in recent years might be attributed to the easy book-by-smartphone apps, not specifically the unlicensed nature of Uber taxis!

      Likewise if its price, then maybe reducing the price of taxis is the solution, rather than replacing taxis with unlicensed ones.

      It does seem that there are likely big correlation holes in this paper. The title should read "student paper suggests there might be a correlation between Uber and reduced drunk driving". But heck, why should accuracy matter when its good PR for Uber?

      • The oil industry has been trying to pay for anti-global-warming papers for ages, according to people I know who were offered money directly and didn't take any.

        Maybe the title should read, "Uber offering big bucks for any sort of paper or report which appears to establish positive externalities for them doing exactly what they want" :)

    • I would think booking by phone would be a lot easier than booking by an app. You can actually talk to a person and give them details. Where I live, the bartender will happily do that for you, since you might be too use an app or make a phone call. Also where I live, taxis will deliver you home for free on an ever expanding number of nights if you are too drunk to drive. Although I am sure someone will be along shortly to ruin that for everyone by pretending to be drunk and getting rides home for free (they
      • You can actually talk to a person and give them details.

        I'm a visual learner though. I consider talking to a person a downside. I can punch an address into the application, verify it on the map, READ the quoted price, SEE the time estimates to be picked up and dropped off, maybe even my ride's current location, etc...

        As for being too drunk to use an app, in that case you're likely just trying to get home right? I'm sure your house would be in your 'address book'. Heck, you could have a big red button of an app: 'GET RIDE HOME'.

        Although I am sure someone will be along shortly to ruin that for everyone by pretending to be drunk and getting rides home for free (they will only take you home).

        Pretending? Why, when actually

        • Pretending? Why, when actually getting drunk* is so cheap?

          Cheap? Maybe if your buying wino wine, but anything you buy at a bar is going to be $6 for a glass of beer. And it takes several of those to get drunk. I don't drink at all, partly for financial reasons, partly because alcohol tastes nasty, partly because I have alcoholics in the family and my grandmother died of kidney failure from lifelong drinking, partly because I am afraid I will get drunk and act as foolish as every drunk person I have ever seen.

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion
    • So if it was lower in 2009, and Uber didn't exist in 2009, it follows that you haven't isolated the drunk drive factor!

      Also you then need to figure out what makes them not drunk-drive. If its the easy booking by phone, well taxis can be ordered by phone so the reduction in recent years might be attributed to the easy book-by-smartphone apps, not specifically the unlicensed nature of Uber taxis!

      Likewise if its price, then maybe reducing the price of taxis is the solution, rather than replacing taxis with unlicensed ones.

      I grew up in the Bay Area and a lot of places had free taxi service on new years eve. They do it here where I live now, also. Why would anyone want to drive drunk on NYE? Perhaps there is a long line to get your free taxi.

  • Insurance subsidy? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by AntronArgaiv ( 4043705 ) on Tuesday August 18, 2015 @07:26AM (#50338017)

    Insurance companies should see this as an opportunity to subsidise late night taxi rides for those who have been drinking. It would cost them far less than paying out on a death or inury claim due to a drunk driver.

    • Insurance companies should see this as an opportunity to subsidise late night taxi rides for those who have been drinking. It would cost them far less than paying out on a death or inury claim due to a drunk driver.

      Or perhaps ask those who profit the most from getting people drunk in public (the bars) to subsidize that cost instead.

      Insurance companies don't solely exist to support drunks, and not every insurance claim revolves around alcohol.

      • and not every insurance claim revolves around alcohol.

        To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all life's problems.

      • Or perhaps ask those who profit the most from getting people drunk in public (the bars) to subsidize that cost instead.

        Why villainize the bar? It is the patron that went to the bar, ordered the drinks and drank the drinks. Make the patron pay the price.

    • Not when everyone just stops showing moderation and gets trashed because they don't have to drive home, they can just get a cheap cab because its on their insurance.

      And then I end up paying way more cause you can rest assured that Insurance companies aren't going to eat the cost.

  • FTFY (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Oxygen99 ( 634999 ) on Tuesday August 18, 2015 @07:45AM (#50338129)
    No. Adequate publicly available transport reduces drunk driving arrests in San Francisco dramatically. There. Fixed your headline. No need to thank me.
    • If you lived in SF, you would know that "adequate publicly available transport" is a noun-phrase that refers to Uber, and maybe Lyft.

  • According to crime statistics from the San Francisco Police Department there were only two drunken driving arrests last New Year's Eve in San Francisco

    Those "crime statistics" amount to six numbers. Six. One for each year since 2009. And all of them are below 10. And we're not shown the stats before 2009, which would have helped to work out the normal variation.

    This news comes on the heels of a new study revealing that the introduction of UberX reduces drunk driving deaths across California.

    While I'm not going to dispute the results of the study mentioned (which covers the whole of California, and presumbly for a longer period than one day a year), it seems way too much to imply from it that Uber was also behind the "reduction" (actually more like a restoration to the 2009 figure) in

  • More accurate headline: Drunk Driving Arrests went down, and also Uber was there...for most of that period.
  • Think of the loss of court fees, fines, legal fees, etc. Uber must be stopped!
  • by Rotten ( 8785 ) on Tuesday August 18, 2015 @09:37AM (#50339063) Journal

    Uber Helps reducing child abuse in Vatican City?
    Uber Lowers corruption in third world countries?
    Uber Helps greek economy?
    Uber reduces unemployment figures in Detroit metro area?
    Uber linked to lower cancer rates in mice?
    Uber helps opressed woman in middle east?
    HOLD ON! That was last week!

    So help me out on this one, let's predict TOMORROW'S UBER HEADLINE IN SLASHDOT!

    I'm sure an unlicenced cab service/mafia, can use it's illegal revenue to get the best PR and legal services around, but we all can give a hand to slashdot to keep those headlines coming!

    • by Nidi62 ( 1525137 )

      So help me out on this one, let's predict TOMORROW'S UBER HEADLINE IN SLASHDOT!

      Uber is declared known to cause cancer by the State of California?

  • If the price is the issue, then why not make it a requirement to get a taxis license that if someone blows drunk, they ride free and the state reimburses the taxi.

  • Society may claim they want a certain thing but it is almost always a false claim. The city takes in a fortune from drunk drivers as do numerous businesses. If Uber cuts down on drunk driving the system may find a way to stop Uber. I know of a situation in which two cops started pulling over people leaving a certain bar near closing time and almost every car pulled over had a drunk driver. The cops were ordered to stop doing that as it cut down sales at the bar and the city wanted the taxes
  • How much do you wanna bet that this will turn out to be statistically wankery at its worst?
  • Did the study exclude the possibility that DUI arrests dramatically decreased not because of the availability of Uber but instead because of reduced police enforcement?

    I'm asking this in all seriousness because traffic enforcement in NYC where I live has become nearly nonexistent. So the number of tickets for "failure to yield right of way", "reckless driving", passing a red light, and the rest of the traffic violations has "dramatically decreased" in NYC. But the number of drivers who do these things
  • ... and neither will Uber drivers once they've had enough bad experiences.

    They pass out in cabs.
    They vomit in cabs.
    They become belligerent and refuse to pay or they don't have enough money.
    They forget where they're going.

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