Alcohol Drives Use of Uber and Lyft

Meanwhile, the ridesourcing technology platforms are the least used sort of shared mobility transportation on weekdays.

learn more about Catherine Clifford

By Catherine Clifford

Lyft | Uber | Instagram

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

For Uber and Lyft, being the designated driver is great for business.

Americans are willing to shell out for rides from those companies when they have no other way to get home. At all other times during the weekday, this ridesourcing technology is the least used sort of shared mobility transportation, behind buses, trains and carsharing options such as Zipcar or car2go. For most people, the likes of Uber and Lyft are not used to commute to and from work.

Related: Transportation 'Supersharers' Are Also Supersavers

This is according to new research by the public-interest advocacy group, Shared-Use Mobility Center, released today that was performed for the national public transit advocacy group, American Public Transportation Association, and paid for with money from the Federal Transit Administration.

Click to Enlarge+
Late Night Transportation (Infographic)
Image Credit: Shared-Use Mobility Center

That's because overwhelmingly, ridesourcing technology, such as Uber and Lyft, are seen as transportation tools for recreational and social activities.

Image Credit: Shared-Use Mobility Center

More than 100 survey respondents said that their alcohol consumption was a "major consideration" in their decision to hail an Uber or Lyft ride.

Interestingly, the research did not explicitly ask about alcohol consumption. The 100 survey respondents volunteered their proclivity to turn to ridesourcing technology when they are drinking. The researchers, therefore, predict that number of survey respondents who say that alcohol use is a determining factor in selecting one transportation variety over another would have been much higher had the question been asked.

Related: This New App Lets You Summon Your Grandma (or Tinder Date) Via a Prepaid Uber Ride

For the research, about 4,500 Americans who use some sort of shared transportation responded to the survey across seven cities, including Austin, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C.

Catherine Clifford

Senior Entrepreneurship Writer at CNBC

Catherine Clifford is senior entrepreneurship writer at CNBC. She was formerly a senior writer at Entrepreneur.com, the small business reporter at CNNMoney and an assistant in the New York bureau for CNN. Clifford attended Columbia University where she earned a bachelor's degree. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. You can follow her on Twitter at @CatClifford.

Related Topics

Editor's Pick

The Dark Side of Pay Transparency — And What to Do If You Find Out You're Being Underpaid
Thinking of a Career Change? Here Are 4 Steps You Can Take to Get There.
A Founder Who Bootstrapped Her Jewelry Business With Just $1,000 Now Sees 7-Figure Revenue Because She Knew Something About Her Customers Nobody Else Did
Everything You Need to Know About Franchise Law
Marketing

Streaming TV Is the Future of Advertising — Without Breaking the Bank

Today's consumers expect personal, impactful ads. There's an advertising method that can get you there for half the price, making it the next frontier in digital advertising.

Business News

A Scammer Posing as Elon Musk Tricked a Florida Principal into Sending $100K in School Funds: 'I Fell for a Scam'

Dr. Jan McGee has since resigned as principal of Burns Science and Technology Charter in Oak Hill, Florida.

Business News

'Crying Northwestern Kid' Turned His Viral Fan Moment Into a Successful Harvard Admissions Essay. He Says the Experience Taught Him About Empathy.

Six years ago, Phillips was watching No. 8 Northwestern take on No. 1 Gonzaga during March Madness when he became a meme.

Growing a Business

The No.1 Most Bankable Skill You Must Have to Succeed in 2023

If you don't foster this skill, you'll fall behind the pack financially and professionally in 2023.