Miami

Study Claims Ride Sharing Apps Cutting Down on Drunk Driving

On the eve of a vote that would tighten the noose on ride sharing in Miami-Dade, there's a new study that says services like Uber and Lyft are helping to cut down on drunk driving.

The Uber and Lyft apps are being credited for saving lives and driving down alcohol related deaths. They were down a full 25 percent in Nevada in 2015 and down 22 percent in Virginia last year, and down 56 percent in two years.

A Mothers Against Drunk Driving study found 78 percent of people said they and their friends are less likely to drive impaired with ride sharing now available.

In South Beach, where the party never ends, Uber says its ridership peaks just when drunk drivers typically hit the road.

At Least one Miami-Dade commissioner says the dramatic findings should be part of the conversation.

"And this report kind of demonstrated that there was a diminished number of DUIs because of Uber and lyft being in the market," Commissioner Esteba Bovo said.

The new findings are another reason why Bovo supports ride sharing staying in the county, legally and with some regulations.

"There's a good feeling that if their kids are going out at night and they're partying, they're not driving drunk," Bovo said.

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