Authors: Sasha Tanner & Cinthya Fillips
Need a lift? Know what is offered in your area! Anyone who is informed on traffic safety is likely familiar with the terms “ride-share” and “safe-ride” programs, but according to Mamri and colleagues, they have separate meanings and purposes. Let’s look at how they distinguish from one another:
- Ride-share: a program that ensures compensation to the driver for providing a service to the customers
- Ex. Uber, Lyft, etc.
- Purpose = gain revenue and profit
- Messaging varies, emphasizing convenience
Any person can access a ride for any need or reason—whether intoxicated or not. The researchers find that while ride-share programs are user-friendly, their services are inaccessible and expensive for low-income demographics that are prone to engaging in alcohol-impaired driving, especially in geographically remote, rural areas.
- Safe-ride: a program that guarantees a free or inexpensive ride for intoxicated individuals as an alternative to driving themselves
- Ex. Not-for-profit and other private sector organizations, government agencies, etc.
- Purpose = reduce alcohol-impaired driving
- Messaging centers around the dangers of impaired driving
For instance, at Texas A&M University, students can call the number at the back of their student ID card to summon a driver if they are intoxicated and do not have a way home. Safe-ride services are readily available everywhere, even for low-income communities and rural areas. However, they rely on limited bursts of donations and government funding.
Key study findings include:
- Terminology Confusion: Most studies labeled for-profit services like Uber as “ride-sharing,” though “ride-hailing” is more accurate. Safe-ride programs differ fundamentally in purpose and structure.
- Operational Differences:
- Ride-hailing: Profit-driven, tech-based, widely available, but costs surge during peak times and coverage is limited in rural areas.
- Safe-ride: Community-based, funded by grants/donations, explicitly aimed at reducing AID, often free or low-cost, but limited in capacity and availability.
- Service Offering Differences:
- Ride-hailing provides high capacity and convenience but can be expensive during high-risk periods (holidays).
- Safe-ride programs target harm reduction but face sustainability challenges and long wait times.
- Emerging Hybrid Model: “Subsidized ridesharing” combines safe-ride goals with ride-hailing technology, offering promise for improved accessibility and reduced wait times.
This study highlights that alternative transportation programs can be helpful tools for reducing alcohol-related crashes, but their effectiveness depends on clear definitions, targeted implementation, and sustainable funding.
- Ride-hailing services can help influence reduced impaired driving episodes by offering convenient alternatives, but pricing and rural access issues limit their reach.
- Safe-ride programs directly target impaired driving but struggle with funding and scalability.
- Hybrid models (subsidized ridesharing) could bridge these gaps, combining technology-driven convenience with harm-reduction goals.
For traffic safety professionals and policymakers, this study underscores the need for:
- Standardized terminology for clarity in research and program design.
- Strategic partnerships between private and community initiatives.
- Tailored solutions for urban vs. rural contexts to maximize accessibility during high-risk periods.
Click this link to read the article in detail.
Source: Mamri, A., Brown, T. G., Nazif-Muñoz, J. I., & Ouimet, M. C. (2025). Two programs, too many names? A critical review of ride-sharing and safe-ride programs as alternatives to impaired driving. Journal of Safety Research, 93, 365–372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2025.03.006
