DUI Arrests in Chicago Continue to Decline. Did Ride Hailing Do That?

Some credit a drop in DUI arrests in the city of Chicago to drunks using ride hailing services.

1 minute read

April 26, 2018, 2:00 PM PDT

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


Chicago Winter

Scott L / Flickr

DUI arrests have fallen since the arrival of ride hailing apps in Chicago in 2011, according to a study by the Moll Law Group. "The report compared the average number of DUI arrests two years before Uber launched in these cities to the average number during subsequent years and found that the number decreased in all of the cities," John Greenfield reports in Streetsblog Chicago.

"In the two years before Uber debuted here in September 2011, the average number of arrests per year was 4,018, according to Chicago Police Department data," Greenfield reports. In 2016 that number was 3,284. The decrease is consistent with falling rates in other American cities after ride hailing.

Still, while the arrival of ride hailing in the city may be correlated with fewer DUI arrests, the study does not necessarily prove that ride hailing is causing a decrease in drunk driving. Greenfield points out that DUI arrests in the city were already trending down before 2011, and arrests may be related to a number of factors beyond the prevalence of drunk driving.

Tuesday, April 24, 2018 in Streetsblog

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Yellow single-seat Japanese electric vehicle drivign down road.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs

The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

June 6, 2025 - PC Magazine

Rendering of autonomous cargo train moving across bridge across river in wooded area between Texas and Mexico.

Trump Approves Futuristic Automated Texas-Mexico Cargo Corridor

The project could remove tens of thousands of commercial trucks from roadways.

June 17 - FreightWaves

Rendering of white three-story single-stair building in Austin, Texas with staircase in the middle.

Austin's First Single Stair Apartment Building is Officially Underway

Eliminating the requirement for two staircases in multi-story residential buildings lets developers use smaller lots and more flexible designs to create denser housing.

June 17 - Building Design & Construction

MARTA bus with Atlanta skyline in background

Atlanta Bus System Redesign Will Nearly Triple Access

MARTA's Next Gen Bus Network will retool over 100 bus routes, expand frequent service.

June 17 - Mass Transit