Sharing a ride with another individual(s) has its perks. Right? For a start, you have to spend less on your travel. Moreover, by sharing a ride you also contribute to protecting the environment. It decreases the number of cars on the road and therefore reduces the number of accidents. That’s said ridesharing has its own risk as well.
The cause of ride-sharing accidents can be the carelessness of drivers and distractions. To research the cause, the University of Chicago performed a survey. As per the result, there was an increase of 2-4% in motor vehicle accidents after the arrival of ridesharing services.
Common Causes
Ridesharing accidents can involve one or more causes. It can be dangerous for passengers and can cause damage to vehicles. Most of the time, accidents are caused by human error. Here are some of the common causes of ridesharing accidents: –
- Drowsy Driving
- Traffic Violation
- Over-Speeding
- Violence and Misconduct
- Distracted Driving
- Inherent Risks
- Deadheading
- Inexperienced drivers
Accidents and Deadheading
In the case of deadheading, Lyft and Uber drivers drive around without actually picking up a passenger. This could account to a lot of time on the road, and on an average 40% of time drive stays active on the app. Some of the inherent risks of ridesharing include distracted drivers, over speeding and drowsy driving.
Common ridesharing accident involve: –
- Pedestrians
- Trucks
- Bike Rider
- Motorcyclists
- Passengers
Distracted Drivers
What often causes distraction in driving is multi-tasking. Lyft and Uber drivers need to keep an eye on the road as well as on the maps. Sometimes driving in unfamiliar areas or talking to passengers take away their attention and cause accidents.
Inexperienced Drivers
Unlike commercial drivers, most ridesharing drivers have no certification of driving. Since getting a job as a Lyft and Uber driver only requires limited training. In other words, all you need to do is follow tips, tricks, traffic rules and use the app. In many cases, inexperienced drivers park their vehicle inappropriately and violate traffic laws when distracted by their driver’s application on their smartphones.
Drowsy Driver
It is common for rideshare drivers to have a side hustle of their own. This means along with rideshare drivers; they work in another part-time or full-time job to earn extra money. Most drivers have no training on traffic laws; they may be putting themselves as well as others in danger.
List of a common traffic violation include: –
- Failure to drive in the right way
- Lane Violation
- Failing to follow traffic signals
- Wrong-way driving
- Stopping abruptly on the road
Speeding Accidents
Going over the speed limit increases the risk of an accident. During ride-sharing, drivers speed because either they don’t know about it, or because they are in a hurry, or they give no attention to their speed. Sometimes Lyft and Uber passengers have reported drivers for over speeding. These issues are often collected by the companies and never reported to the police.
Violence with Drivers
In some incidents, ride-share drivers get into an argument either with other drivers, passengers or people on the street. The reason why it happens is that most of the time drivers are stressed or tired. This makes them sensitive to feeling and they become more prone to lash out. That said, right sharing companies always avoid taking responsibility for any such hassle. In such cases, you might need an accident lawyer to protect your rights.
In case you happen to be in any such situation, you can file a claim. Get expert assistance from Grey Law Ride Sharing Accident Attorney in Los Angeles to get compensation for your losses. We understand how the ridesharing operates and our expert can help you get maximum compensation. Contact your attorney as soon as possible.
