The popularity of rideshare services has grown exponentially over the past few years. While many riders utilize Uber and Lyft as their primary means of transportation for commuting to and from work, those of us who own cars also frequently use these apps for convenience. In 2018, CNBC rated Uber 2nd on its list of ‘Most Disruptive Companies in the World,’ with Elon Musk’s SpaceX being the only company to receive a higher rating.
According to data released by Forbes, the number of annual Uber trips has increased substantially since 2014:
Lyft came onto the rideshare scene shortly after Uber, and as of March 2021 is reported to have a 32% market share in the U.S., with over 12 million riders accessing the app every quarter. As the number of Uber and Lyft rides have increased, so have the number of rideshare accidents – many leading to severe or catastrophic injuries and even fatalities. Let’s take a look at some important rideshare accident statistics that can help keep you safe and informed. We’ll also examine how to file a claim after suffering an injury, and review what is involved in pursuing a civil lawsuit to secure justice and make a complete recovery – both physically and financially.
If you experienced a Rideshare Accident injury, don’t wait to file a claim. Contact our expert attorneys online or by phone for a free consultation today.
The University of Chicago Booth School of Business recently conducted an in-depth study analyzing the onset of ridesharing apps and ride-hailing popularity and a resulting increase in the number of motor vehicle accidents and fatalities. The study indicated that rideshare services like Uber and Lyft have led to a 3% increase in overall car accident fatalities.
Researchers determined this figure by reviewing the eight financial quarters for both companies before and after their rollout dates, and looked at the popularity of rideshare usage between 2010 and 2016 by analyzing traffic volume, preferred methods of transportation, and overall number of car accidents. The University of Chicago’s rideshare accident report also included statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and compared accident rates in various major cities where the rideshare apps were first launched (relative to the total number of vehicle miles traveled).
The study’s findings reveal some troubling statistics:
The upshot of the rideshare accident report is an increased likelihood of experiencing a serious or fatal crash, regardless of whether you’re a rideshare driver, passenger, or traveling in a third party vehicle. While rideshare apps are convenient and essential modes of transportation for many, the increased popularity has essentially made our roads more dangerous by increasing the number of fatalities resulting due to Uber and Lyft accidents.
Some other key findings from the report include:
The study also points out that an increase in rideshare accidents is due not just to more rides being hailed by app users, but to Uber and Lyft drivers simply spending a considerable amount of time on the roads. It’s important to keep in mind that rideshare drivers don’t spend their time solely driving passengers from place to place. Roughly 40% to 60% of the time rideshare drivers are either traveling to retrieve passengers or searching for new passengers (waiting for a rider to purchase a trip). Additionally, rideshare users in major cities are more at risk for accidents, with 90% of Uber accidents occurring in urban areas. And in cities like Los Angeles, the increase in rideshare traffic isn’t always a substitute for what would otherwise have been a trip in a car (i.e. rideshare requests often take the place of public transportation trips). “Surveys report that fewer than half of [rideshare] rides in nine metro areas actually substitute for a trip that someone would have made in a car,” according to the study.
In 2017, over 92,000 residents of Los Angeles County were injured or killed in traffic collisions. With more than 60,000 annual accidents, that equals around 164 car crashes every single day. In 2010, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported that motor vehicle traffic injuries were the 3rd leading cause of death, hospitalizations, and emergency room visits among Angelenos.
Statistics confirming the number of annual Uber and Lyft accidents occurring in Los Angeles and throughout California are difficult to determine, largely because these rideshare companies prefer to keep such information out of the public eye. While studies are ongoing, no official statistics exist to indicate precisely how many Uber and Lyft accidents occur every year in Los Angles. Moreover, no figures are currently available to provide context as the severity or type of such accidents. However, a number of Los Angeles-area Uber and Lyft accidents have recently made news headlines.
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