Driving services such as Uber have recently been credited with reducing drunken driving incidents across the country, according to a report recently released by the University of Texas Health Science Center.

"I rather not see someone get a DUI or DWI or ... crash their car, you know? I mean car services have been around for 30-plus years so it's not something of a new idea,” said part-time Uber driver Julius Moldvan.

The University of Texas study, the first of its kind, shows traumatic injuries resulting from motor vehicle accidents in the Houston area decreased by 24%, and serious accidents involving individuals under 30 dropped by 40%. Convictions related to drunken driving also decreased in the area. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that approximately 28 people die per day nationwide as a result of a drunken driving incidents. Though cases have generally dropped over the past couple of decades, more than 10,000 lives were lost in 2019, the last year figures were available.

The CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System says over 1 million people were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol between 1993-2014, and 111 million drivers self-reported having episodes of alcohol-impaired driving. 

The ease of requesting a car, and the short wait times, have contributed to frequent usage by those who might be under the influence of alcohol.

“You know before, in the '80s and '90s, you'd have to pick up the phone to call a car service; now you get a car service on your cell phone," Moldvan said. "So it has advanced ... to the next level,”

In September, Uber joined Anheuser-Busch and Mothers Against Drunk Driving to launch the campaign "Decide to Ride.” WIth it, the car service offers discounts to impaired drivers in need of a ride home.