Lyft & Uber Safety Information

How Popular Are Uber and Lyft?

  • Over 40 million rides occur through the Uber app service every single month across America.
  • There are more than 1 million Lyft rides per day.
  • Lyft is available in over 300 cities worldwide, and 1.4 million drivers have provided more than 500 million rides for Lyft over the full span of the company’s existence.
  • Uber is available in over 600 cities worldwide, and 3 million drivers have proved more than 5 billion rides over the full span of the company’s existence.
  • 23 million people use Lyft versus 75 million Uber users

How Many Accidents Happen in an Uber or Lyft?

  • No state at the moment directly tracks the accidents Uber and Lyft drivers are involved in.
  • 3,387 people were killed in motor vehicle accidents in a single recent year in California.
  • Statistics from New York City suggest Uber and Lyft drivers have caused more fatal accidents there than traditional yellow cab drivers.
  • At 753 collisions, the overall rate for Uber drivers was below the average industry rate.

Are Uber and Lyft Drivers More Likely to Be in an Accident Than Non-Commercial Drivers?

  • Rideshare drivers ARE regular drivers – not professionals.
  • Uber and Lyft look at driving records and screen out people with 3 or more citations.
  • Uber and Lyft drivers spend more time out on the road than most other motorists, naturally increasing the likelihood that they will be involved in an accident.

Uber and Lyft do not release information about how many accidents their drivers cause or are involved in.

Is It Safer to Take an Uber or Lyft?

  • Both Uber and Lyft require background checks, but only Lyft does in-person interviews.
  • Lyft also does in-person car inspections, which Uber does not do.
  • Neither company requires cars to follow recall guidelines for their vehicles.
  • There have been many reports of drivers from both companies assaulting some passengers.
  • Some evidence suggests hundreds of assaults and injuries each month across the world.
  • The lack of strong statistics makes it hard to definitively say which company’s drivers are safer.
  • Caution should be used regardless.

Is Drowsy Driving a Problem for Uber and Lyft Drivers?

  • Drowsy driving is a leading cause of accidents on the road for commercial drivers.
  • It may be responsible for up to 8,000 deaths and 500,000 injuries in America every year.
  • Uber and Lyft drivers are often exempt from laws designed to limit the number of hours a commercial driver is on the road.
  • Locations like New York City are passing drowsy driving laws specifically designed to keep Uber and Lyft drivers off the road when they’re too tired to focus.

Drowsy Driving may
be responsible for
8,000 ▯
Deaths & 500,000 ▯
Injuries