In the 1980s, the group Mothers Against Drunk Driving made popular the concept of having a designated driver. Back then, one person in a group would stay sober and drive everyone else home. However, the rise of Uber and other ridesharing operations have changed the concept of the designated driver. Instead of one person having to remain sober, it is now possible to hail a ride at the push of a button.
Uber has been offering rides in Atlanta since 2012, and data shows that the number of people taken into custody for DUI has dropped 32 percent. While the decline cannot be attributed solely to Uber’s presence, having access to safe transportation is an important factor. In fact, 80 percent of Uber users say that it has prevented them from drinking and driving themselves.
Conversely, data shows that those taken into custody for drunk driving after Lyft and Uber left Austin, Texas, rose by 7.5 percent. Drunk and impaired driving becomes more of an issue during holidays. In 2012, 44 percent of all traffic deaths during the Independence Day holiday came at the hands of drunk drivers. However, that percentage fell to 41 percent during the same period in 2014.
Individuals who have been charged with a DUI may want to talk to a lawyer. An attorney might argue that an individual was not impaired at the time of a traffic stop. This may be done by using witness testimony or showing that blood or breath tests were done improperly. It could also be possible to ask that evidence be thrown out or withheld from a jury, which may increase the odds of an acquittal or increase the likelihood of a plea agreement being reached.
