Ride-Sharing, Fatal Crashes, and Crime
30 Pages
Posted: 24 May 2016
Last revised: 8 May 2017
Western Carolina University
Western Carolina University
Date Written: February 13, 2017
Abstract
The advent of smart-phone based, ride-sharing applications has revolutionized the vehicle for hire market. Advocates point to the ease of use and lower wait times compared to hailing a taxi or pre-arranging limousine service. Others argue that proper government oversight is necessary to protect ride-share passengers from driver error or vehicle part failure and violence from unlicensed strangers. Using U.S. county-level data from 2007 through 2014, we investigate whether the introduction of the ride-sharing service, Uber, is associated with changes in fatal vehicle crashes and crime. We find that Uber’s entry lowers the rate of DUIs and fatal accidents. For most specifications, we also find declines in arrests for assault and disorderly conduct. Conversely, we observe an increase in vehicle thefts.
Keywords: Ride-Sharing, Uber, Crashes, Crime, Traffic fatalities
JEL Classification: R41, K42, D45
Suggested Citation:
Suggested Citation
Dills, Angela K. and Mulholland, Sean E., Ride-Sharing, Fatal Crashes, and Crime (February 13, 2017). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2783797
