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DUI Arrests Drop in California Thanks to Ride-Share Services

concept for dui shown with keys, gavel, and drink on table

A recent study from the University of California at Davis and Moll Law Group showed a sharp decline in DUI arrests in major cities across the United States and California in particular following the introduction of ride-share services like Uber and Lyft. Read on to learn more about the results of the study, and speak with an experienced Ventura DUI defense attorney if you’ve been arrested for drinking and driving.

DUI arrests drop in major cities across California

The Moll Law Group, a personal injury law firm based in Chicago, partnered with U.C. Davis to compare the rates of drunk driving arrests in major cities across the U.S. before and after the inception of ride-sharing apps like Lyft and Uber. The results were striking, if not surprising. The average annual number of DUI arrests in San Diego fell 32%, from 3,870 a couple of years before Uber to 2,624 after the introduction of Uber. DUI arrests in Sacramento dropped 26%, from 1,492 to 1,102 before and after Uber, and San Jose DUI arrests decreased from 1,347 to 976, a 27.5% drop. Los Angeles and San Francisco both saw 14% decreases after the introduction of Uber.

Drunk driving deaths remains a risk in California

Despite the large drop in DUI arrests, drunk driving deaths are still prevalent in California. According to one study, the rate of drunk driving fatalities increased 16.3% from 2015 to 2016 across California, although the rates for drunk driving deaths did drop 3.6% following the introduction of Uber.

Stricter DUI limit for California ride-share drivers goes into effect

While ride-sharing is cutting arrest rates for passengers, ride-share drivers now face stricter DUI limits. California AB 2687 just went into effect, which lowers the blood-alcohol content (BAC) limit for drivers with “passengers for hire.” Effective July 1, 2018, rideshare drivers face the lower 0.04% BAC limit that already applied to commercial drivers. Regular drivers (who are over 21 years old) still have the preexisting BAC limit of 0.08% to trigger DUI charges; drivers under 21 can still get a DUI with a BAC of 0.01% or higher.

If you’re facing charges of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol in California, get effective, passionate, and efficient help fighting these charges by contacting the Ventura offices of Paul Tyler for a free consultation at 805-889-9000.

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