Rideshare – Safer Than What?

Q: Are rideshare companies a safe choice? Are their drivers any better than the rest of us? How can I know if I’ll be safe taking an Uber or Lyft?

A: Safety is a relative term, isn’t it? Usually when we talking about being safe, it’s in comparison to something else. Safe choices don’t guarantee absolute safety, but reduce the risk compared to the alternative. Wearing a seatbelt, obeying the speed limit, driving sober, skydiving with a parachute; all of these are safer than the alternative.

The question with rideshare drivers (or any driver for hire) becomes, “Are they safer than the alternative?” (And note that this discussion is limited to traffic safety.) If the alternative is driving yourself home after a night out drinking, then yes, they are absolutely safer. They’re also safer than letting your newly licensed teenager drive you around.

A couple months ago Uber released a safety report for 2017 and 2018. In the section on motor vehicle fatalities, the company stated that in the two year period of the report, Uber drivers were involved in 97 fatal crashes, resulting in 107 fatalities. It’s hard to know if that’s a relatively good or bad statistic, so let’s put it in terms of fatalities per 100 million miles traveled. This way we can see how Uber drivers do compared to the rest of us. In 2017 (the most recent year for national data) the US had 1.17 fatalities per 100 million miles traveled. Uber reported .57 fatalities; about half the national average.

Is that because Uber drivers are particularly excellent at driving? Some of them might be, but that’s not the answer. I’ve used Uber as an example because they published a safety report, but I’m going to guess it’d be similar for Lyft, the other big rideshare company, as well as taxis or any other driver for hire. To drive for a rideshare company, you have to meet some minimum standards, and those standards exclude a lot of people who are out driving on the road right now. Uber’s report stated that they disqualified over a million prospective drivers, of which 76 percent were ruled out for their driving history.

Here are the typical standards to drive for a rideshare company (along with my commentary):

• 21 years old minimum – This eliminates the highest risk category of drivers; the 16 to 20 year olds. The 21 to 25 year old drivers are still a high risk group. Young drivers (16-25) make up about 13 percent of the driving population but are involved in over 30 percent of fatal crashes, so hope for a rideshare driver over 25.
• At least one year of driving experience – That seems too low to me. Crash data suggests that it takes at least a couple years to become a proficient driver.
• A clean driving history – Insurance companies know that traffic violations are a good indicator of how likely you are to crash in the future. That’s why they jack up your rates if you get a ticket.
• A new-ish vehicle – Uber’s driving fleet averages four years old compared to 10 years for the national average. Newer cars have more safety features and hopefully less mechanical problems.
• A safety inspection of the vehicle – It’s the basics: tires, brakes, lights, mirrors, steering and a few other key safety items. You can download Uber’s checklist if you want to do an inspection of your own vehicle.
• A driver license and insurance – This seems obvious, but it’s important. Unlicensed drivers are disproportionately involved in traffic crashes, which makes sense because they probably lost their license due to poor driving behavior.

Here’s what I take away from all of this. If you meet the requirements to drive for Uber (and they’re not all that difficult to meet), congratulations! You’ve just cut your risk of being killed in a traffic crash in half. I find it amazing that those simple requirements result in such a huge impact to traffic safety. It also means that if you qualify to drive for Uber, taking a rideshare is roughly similar in risk to driving yourself. But driving yourself isn’t the only alternative. Nationally, there is a .01 fatality rate for every 100 million miles traveled by bus, exponential better than driving or riding in a car. If your goal is to find the safest way to get around town, ride the bus.