Uber Says Its Service Is Helping People Cut Down On Drunk Driving

Uber released a new survey conducted with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) on Tuesday, suggesting that when car-hailing services like Uber start operating in cities, people there are less likely to drive drunk.

Uber and MADD surveyed 807 adults in Uber's biggest US markets. Since Uber started operating in Seattle in 2013, the company says it noticed a 10% decrease in DUIs in the city.

Uber decided to look at this trend nationally, and says it noticed two trends: one, that demand for Uber spikes in cities around the same time bars closed at the end of the night; and two, that services like Uber are helping to cut down on the occurrence of drunk driving.

"In Miami, Uber ridership is peaking at the same hour that historically has been the worst for drunk driving. In Pittsburgh, demand for Uber spikes at closing time for bars. In Chicago, three-fourths of Uber trips on New Year's Eve were requested within ? mile of establishments with liquor licenses," the company said in a blog post announcing its report.

Uber also looked at the number of alcohol-related car crashes in California cities where Uber operates, noting that they decreased since UberX, Uber's budget car-hailing option, launched in July 2012.

Services like Uber and Lyft have come under fire in cities around the world, but Uber seems to be making a play for city and state regulators by showing how its services are beneficial to public safety. In the past, both Uber and Lyft have teamed up with MADD to donate money to promote safer roads.