The Common and Hidden Causes of Rideshare Crashes

Ridesharing is popular for both drivers and customers. Uber and Lyft provide employment opportunities for people throughout the Oklahoma City region who want to earn extra money or pursue a full-time job. For customers, ridesharing offers many advantages. Riders can easily reserve rides and choose from a variety of services, including express options with short wait times and shared rides to reduce fare costs.

Many riders choose Uber or Lyft because they don’t have a car, want to ensure a sober driver, or don’t want to worry about parking. Despite the advantages of rideshare trips, they still involve real risks, and accidents can occur for many of the same reasons they do with other vehicles on the road.

What are the common types of causes of rideshare accidents?

Uber and Lyft drivers may cause car accidents for the same reasons that any driver in Oklahoma City may cause an accident. These causes include speeding, failing to yield, and other traffic violations. Other causes include driver intoxication, adverse weather conditions, and dangerous driving.

Some causes of rideshare accidents occur as frequently, or more frequently, than they do with other drivers, including the following:

Driver distraction

Rideshare driving requires drivers to use mobile applications to respond to ride requests. Responding to a ride request entails determining the requester’s location, the passenger’s destination, the trip duration, and any special requests (e.g., priority services). Drivers who review these requests and respond by accepting a ride are focusing on the app and not on the road. Distracted driving can cause a driver to change lanes, drive too closely to other vehicles, and fail to respond to emergencies.

Rideshare drivers rely on navigation systems, such as GPS devices, to display the route the driver must take to pick up passengers and the route the driver must use to take passengers to their destinations. Drivers who look at their GPS put themselves at increased risk of accidents because they are not focusing on the traffic around them and are instead preoccupied with understanding the route they need to take, rather than attending to potential emergencies. Some visual navigation maps can be quite complex because the navigation system uses many different sensors.

Uber and Lyft drivers may also be distracted by listening to music, eating or drinking while driving, and engaging in conversations with passengers.

Driver fatigue

Driving a car requires concentration. Full-time drivers need to take regular rest breaks. The risk of an accident can increase if drivers work long hours or do not take adequate rest breaks.

For rideshare drivers who have other jobs, driving an Uber or Lyft may leave them already tired before they start. Many rideshare drivers who have other jobs work at those jobs during 9-5 hours. This means that these rideshare drivers often operate their vehicles in the early morning or late at night.

Speeding and other traffic violations

Rideshare drivers make more money if they accept more rides. One way to increase the number of rides is to drive faster or take shortcuts on each ride. This can endanger passengers, other vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycle riders.

Lack of familiarity with roads

Even with GPS, many rideshare drivers drive in unfamiliar areas. The lack of familiarity with the roads, speed limits, lane changes, and turning points can increase the risk of a car accident.

Pick-up and drop-off locations

Many Uber drivers and passengers may not be clear about pick-up and drop-off locations. This can create confusion for the driver and passenger, potentially causing an accident.

Vehicle maintenance and repairs

Drivers should inspect their vehicles regularly and comply with Uber/Lyft inspection requirements, even though Oklahoma does not mandate annual vehicle safety inspections. Drivers should be aware of any problems with their vehicle and prioritize having a mechanic examine the car, rather than squeezing in as many rides as possible until there’s a clear problem. Drivers should repair their vehicles when a problem arises.

Many Uber and Lyft drivers put a lot of miles on their vehicles. Common vehicle problems may include tire problems, brake issues, necessary oil changes, the need to replace windshield wipers, engine problems, and other issues.

Rideshare liability and insurance coverage

When rideshare accidents happen, our Oklahoma City rideshare accident lawyers understand how to file your personal injury claim and what insurance coverage pays for your injuries. We can file claims on behalf of injured passengers, occupants of other vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycle riders.

Different standards and different insurance coverages depend on the following scenarios for Uber and Lyft:

• A rideshare driver causes an accident while off duty. In this situation, the driver’s personal liability insurance may apply, subject to the policy’s terms and exclusions.
• A rideshare driver causes an accident while on duty and waiting for passengers to request a ride. Uber and Lyft’s coverage in this scenario is $50,000 for one person, $100,000 for multiple victims, and $25,000 in car damage. That required coverage may be provided by the driver, the rideshare company, or both; if the driver’s policy doesn’t apply or has lapsed, the rideshare company’s policy may provide coverage if the driver’s personal policy does not apply or is insufficient.
• A rideshare driver causes an accident while en route to pick up a passenger or has a passenger in their vehicle. In this situation, Uber and Lyft carry up to $1 million in liability coverage during this period, but claimants must still prove negligence and damages.

Additional insurance coverage may apply.

Cunningham & Mears files personal injury claims when rideshare drivers cause accidents. We can seek compensation for your medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and any property damage. We can work to settle car accident claims. We can also try personal injury claims before judges and juries. Please contact us online to schedule a free consultation.