Before the advent of ridesharing, traffic accidents were at an all-time low. Since that time, however, the number of auto accidents has been rising about two to three percent each year. That doesn’t automatically lay the blame at the feet of rideshare companies, but it’s an interesting correlation between the increase in rideshare cars on the road and a higher number of car accidents.
Longer driving hours. It’s no secret that drowsy driving leads to accidents as we all know that drowsiness and fatigue can negatively impact reaction time and judgment. Still, Uber allows its drivers to work for 12 hours before taking a break from the app for at least six hours. Uber may see the rule as a step in the right direction to keep sleepy drivers off the road, but 12 hours of continuous driving is still an extremely long time to be behind the wheel. In addition, many drivers have other jobs, including driving for other rideshare companies.
Incentivizing longer driving periods. A New York Times article reveals that Uber pays behavioral scientists to develop ways to influence driver behavior. Specifically, they want to influence drivers when to log in, what locations for them to drive, and how long they will drive passengers to their destinations.
In the same way that Netflix influences viewers to binge-watch their programming, Uber aims to keep its drivers driving for longer periods. That’s more profitable for the company and perhaps for the driver, but the downside is an increased risk of accidents due to drowsy driving and slower reaction time.
