The Impact of Uber on Drunk Driving in New Zealand

Abstract

In May 2014, the global ridesharing service, Uber, began operations in Auckland, New Zealand and by March 2019, Uber was available in seven cities across the country. As in other countries, Uber New Zealand‘s press releases claim that the presence of Uber reduces the incidence of drunk driving. Using monthly data on drunk driving crashes and alcohol-related driving offences in the various regions of New Zealand, we find that the presence of Uber in a city is often associated with small decreases in these indicators of drunk driving, but these results consistently lack statistical significance.