The Cost of Convenience: Ridesharing and Traffic Fatalities

The authors examine the effect of the introduction of ridesharing services in U.S. cities on fatal traffic accidents. The arrival of ridesharing is associated with an increase of 2-3% in the number of motor vehicle fatalities and fatal accidents. This increase is not only for vehicle occupants, but also for pedestrians. The authors propose a simple conceptual model to explain the effects of ridesharing’s introduction on accident rates. Consistent with the notion that ridesharing increases congestion and road utilization, the authors find that the introduction of ridesharing is associated with an increase in arterial vehicle miles traveled, excess gas consumption, and annual hours of delay in traffic. On the extensive margin, ridesharing arrival is also associated with an increase in new car registrations. These effects are higher in cities with higher ex-ante use of public transportation and carpools, consistent with a substitution effect, and in larger cities and cities with high ex-ante vehicle ownership. The increase in accidents appears to persist (and even increase) over time. Back-of-the-envelope estimates of the annual cost in human lives range from $5.33 billion to $13.24 billion per year.

• Record URL:
  https://research.chicagobooth.edu/-/media/research/stigler/pdfs/workingpapers/27thecostofconvenience.pdf?la=en&hash=A15B1513F98D7A17B9E37F78DD2EBDC4C6338BFA
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Chicago Booth School of Business

  Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State
  Chicago, IL  United States 
• Authors:
  • Barrios, John M
  • Hochberg, Yael V
  • Yi, Livia Hanyi
• Publication Date: 2018-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 44p
• Serial:
  • New Working Paper Series
  • Issue Number: 27
  • Publisher: University of Chicago Booth School of Business
  • Serial URL: https://research.chicagobooth.edu/stigler/research/working-papers
• Publication flags:

  Open Access (libre)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobile ownership; Before and after studies; Cities; Costs; Crash rates; Fatalities; Highway safety; Modal split; Pedestrian vehicle crashes; Ridesharing; Vehicle miles of travel
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01685169
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: New Working Paper Series No. 27
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 8 2018 5:23PM