Shollenberger Januzzi & Wolfe, LLP

Drowsy driving is a big problem for rideshare services

Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft have skyrocketed in popularity over the past few years. Their convenience and affordability makes them an easy choice when you’re in a pinch.

However, these services have drawn scrutiny on multiple fronts – for their displacement of taxicabs, for their model of hiring drivers as independent contractors rather than employees, and for their lack of government regulation, to name a few. A big safety issue also plagues the industry: The risk of drowsy driving.

Countless studies have shown that drowsy driving is just as dangerous – if not more so – than drunk driving. Fatigue significantly affects drivers’ mental acuity, reducing their alertness, slowing reaction times, impairing judgment and making it difficult to concentrate (or even keep their eyes open). Yet unlike drunk driving, there’s no bright-line test for determining when a driver crosses the line from mild fatigue into dangerously drowsy territory.

Rideshare drivers are particularly susceptible to drowsy driving for numerous reasons:

Recognizing these red flags, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recently issued a position statement on the dangers of drowsy driving in the rideshare industry. The statement calls for greater awareness and safety standards to protect drivers and passengers alike.