Uber's Chief Strategist Says Ride-Sharing Services Are Reducing Drunk Driving
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- San Francisco-based Uber is showing off its altruistic side by pushing its ride-sharing service as an antidote to drunk driving in time for Super Bowl Sunday.
Potentially 60 fewer drunk driving crashes each month -- a total of 1,800 crashes -- were avoided in California since July 2012, according to a new report and poll produced by Uber in collaboration with Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
David Plouffe, President Obama's former campaign manager turned chief strategist for Uber, is elevating the results from the survey which show nearly four out of five respondents said friends were less likely to drive themselves home after drinking because of ride-sharing apps. About 93 percent of people also said they'd recommend Uber as a safer way home to a friend who have been drinking.
"This study shows us that when empowered with more transportation options, people are making safer, better choices that are helping save lives," Plouffe said in a written statement.
The survey, administered by the Benenson Strategy Group last December, polled 807 adults in 19 cities where Uber operates.
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The public health message is clear and the timing is perfect as San Francisco-based Uber struggles to untangle some of the company's growing criticism for its tactics and practices.
Last month, Uber apologized for what's known as "surge pricing" during the Sydney hostage crisis. A week earlier, the ride service company took heat for an increase in fares during a powerful Bay Area storm, and was slapped with a lawsuit by the district attorneys of Los Angeles and San Francisco for allegedly misleading customers.
Uber senior vice president Emil Michael also faced backlash after reports surfaced that he wanted to dig up information on critical journalists. He now says he's locked in a battle with his landlord, who allegedly wants him out of his San Francisco apartment.
Uber has partnered with MADD since July 2014 and plans to donate $1 to the organization for every trip taken during Super Bowl Sunday between 3 p.m. and 12 a.m. ET when users enter the promo code ThinkandRide.