At Uber we are passionate about making our cities safer to get around. So new research showing that we’re helping people make safer choices is a great way to start off 2019.

A new report by Empirica Research shows 3 in 4 Australian riders believe Uber helps reduce drink driving in their community. For those who drive, 78% say it’s helped them personally avoid drink driving.

Aussie riders also reported that what they found most valuable about Uber was that they could get an affordable ride, any time during the day or night – which is a credit to tens of thousands of driver-partners across the country.

More than a quarter of Aussie riders said they go out socially more now that Uber is available, and almost half report they are less likely to drive themselves on a night out. After a night out, 3 in 4 riders say they always or mostly use Uber to get home.

It’s great to hear from riders that Uber, and tens of thousands of driver-partners, are succeeding in providing people with a safe, reliable way to make their way home.

The report also found though that drink driving, along with speeding, was a top concern for Australians when it came to staying safe on our roads. This isn’t surprising when you consider that even though drink driving is 100% avoidable, around 30% of all fatal crashes on our roads involve alcohol. We want to help continue to make our roads even safer by providing reliable, convenient and affordable rides to help people get home.

Whether you choose the Uber app, or public transport, or a combination of both – there’s always a better option than getting behind the wheel after drinking, or in the car of someone who has.

More tips for a safe night out:

    • Check your ride: The Uber app always displays the make and model of your ride, as well as the number plates, so it’s always been easy to check you’re getting into the right car. A new feature – Spotlight – makes it even easier to spot your ride by lighting up your phone and the driver-partner’s with the same colour.
    • Help a mate home: The Uber app lets you use the Split Fare feature to share the cost of a ride with a mate – or choose multiple drop-off points on your journey. If your mate needs a helping hand, drop them off first and make sure they make it safely through the front door.
    • Safety at your fingertips: Every Uber trip is GPS tracked and it takes only a quick tap to share where you are and where you’re headed with anyone in your contact list – which means a friend or loved one can follow your trip along in real time. Set up your Trusted Contacts in the Safety Toolkit on the app.