Competitive Safety in Uber versus the Taxi Industry

I compare and contrast incentives, procedures, and outcomes for safety at Uber and other rideshare companies with the alternatives at traditional taxi companies. I analyze dissimilarities in light of institutional differences in the nature of competition or lack thereof in the two industries. Though many studies have considered some aspect of Uber's impact on safety, this paper is more comprehensive, covering both driver and passenger safety from multiple angles as well as broader impacts on society's safety, such as drunk driving and "Uber ambulances." I also address whether historical taxi regulation promoted safety or was merely designed to suppress competition.