Gig Economy Pressures Make Drivers 'More Likely To Crash' (bbc.com)

Drivers and couriers who get their work from apps face a "heightened risk" of crashes, a study suggests. From a report: Research from University College London (UCL) indicated 42% of "gig-economy" couriers and taxi drivers reported vehicle damage because of a collision. Close to half admitted time pressure could make them break the speed limit. Distraction by smartphones and tiredness from overwork were also flagged as risks for those delivering food and parcels. The report draws on 200 responses to an online survey from drivers and couriers, as well as 48 in-depth interviews. The study does not focus on any one particular company, although Uber and Deliveroo are both named as examples of companies that enable gig-economy work -- where employees are not paid a salary but instead get money for each job completed. Of those surveyed, 63% said they had not been provided with safety training on managing risks on the road, while one in 10 reported someone had been injured in a crash while they had been working.

Comments

same triangle.

[fish_in_the_c]

Low Cost - quality - safety.

Pick a dot in the triangle you like best. The further you move towards low cost trough lack of regulation you decrease quality or safety.

In interesting solution would be if the apps started fining those they are paying if they were speeding. probably wont' happen unless a lot of people die.

Re:same triangle.

[zlives]

that would make them responsible for the drivers actions. this whole sham can exist because of a lack of responsibility.

Re:same triangle.

[mysidia]

In interesting solution would be if the apps started fining those they are paying if they were speeding. probably wont' happen unless a lot of people die.

They should calculate the distance the worker will have to drive at speed limit and set 120% of that or so as "minimum time required for job" to ensure workers aren't being rushed. If you reach a waypoint faster than the minimum time, then you lose a small portion of your payment for that job and add an extra 10-15 minute timeout "penalty waiting period" that will be imposed before you can accept another job.

Re:same triangle.

[Hognoxious]

Not really. A Rootard was riding on the sidewalk - way faster than walking speed too - looking at his phone and clipped my kid who was a couple of yards behind me. It actually tore his jacket, but the twat didn't stop and I'm out of pocket, not him.

I did report it to the local operator (who couldn't identify the individual, which is a lie) and the police (who were too busy, which is also a lie).

No doubt if I'd clotheslined the little cunt (he was moving so fast I didn't have time to even think about it) they'd have had two swat teams and a chopper there in seconds and I'd have been prosecuted for racially aggravated assault.

The big ones now have default free-fire orders on anyone cycling on the sidewalk aggressively. Sidestep and aim for the kidneys. They're below the age of criminal responsibility but the middle one can deliver a heck of a punch.

They drive more

[hawguy]

42% of "gig-economy" couriers and taxi drivers reported vehicle damage because of a collision

How does that compare to the general public? how about when corrected per vehicle mile/hour?

Of course an Uber or Taxi driver is going to be more likely to get into a collision since they drive more. I drive 20 minutes in the morning and evening on familiar routes that I've driven hundreds of times before. I deliberately avoid congested downtown areas when I drive, choosing off-peak times to drive downtown whenever possible.

A car-share driver is in the car all day long, called out to areas throughout the city and beyond in areas were he may have never been, and his busiest time is also the most congested time, he can't change his work hours to avoid congestion since that's exactly the times his customers most want to travel.

Academia

[DarkOx]

Where we do studies to learn things that became obvious thru pizza deliver in the 1970s!

Re:Academia

[The Original CDR]

Avoid the Noid!

For the younger generation, read here for historical context.

pizza drivers some have unsafe cars

[Joe_Dragon]

https://www.restaurant-hospita...

Re:The title is unsubstantiated.

[bws111]

Bullshit. You do not need a 'control group'. The article (and headline) are not about whether or not gig-economy drivers are more or less safe than other drivers, it is about whether or not the 'pressures' of being a gig-economy driver are making them less safe than they would otherwise be. The given examples of things that make them unsafe is running red lights and speeding due to 'time pressure', using a required but distracting app, driving while too tired, etc. There is no possible way that you can spin that doing those things makes you 'safer' or even 'as safe' as someone who does not do them.

Re:No control group.

[Gojira Shipi-Taro]

In South Florida, the taxi drivers are on the phone ALL THE FUCKING TIME.

I don't know what fantasy planet you come from where Taxi drivers are some kind of fucking paragon of service and safety. Services like Uber came to be because TAXI DRIVERS ARE SCUM.They cheat, they do everything they can to maximize the cost of the ride. They pretend their card readers are busted because they want to be paid on cash.

The worst uber/lyft drivers are TAXI drivers looking for extra money.

Re:Just try to do the speed limit on some roads yo

[DarkOx]

Disagree strongly. A democratic society or a representative society does get to vote on how much safety is enough when it comes to our shared space and shared resources like roads.

There city councils deal with speed limits in various places all the time. We could just make all interstate highways 25mph zones and probably all but eliminate collisions but that does not make it right - it makes it safe - but not correct.