Discounted rideshares, alcohol use, and driving behavior
Official title: Impacts of Subsidized Ridesharing on Drunk Driving, Alcohol Consumption, and Mobility
Funded at Yale University · NIH-11467861 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial gives some adults discounted rideshare trips to find out whether easier access to rides changes how often they drive after drinking, how much they drink, and how they get around.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project start | May 15, 2021 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $515,331 |
| NIH project number | 7R01AA029112-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11467861 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults who sometimes drink and might drive afterward, who live in one of the selected US cities and can use rideshare services.
✕Less likely to help
People who never drink, never drive, or who live where rideshare services aren't available are unlikely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
If you join, you'll be randomly assigned to either receive subsidized rideshare trips or not, and researchers will follow your travel and drinking behavior over time. The team plans to recruit about 160 adults drawn from 50 US cities chosen for high or low public transit access. Participants will report trips, alcohol use, and any driving after drinking, and researchers will compare outcomes between the two groups. The aim is to learn whether cheaper, easier rides reduce risky driving without causing people to drink more.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce driving after drinking and lower alcohol-related crashes and deaths.
How similar studies have gone: Observational studies link greater rideshare access to fewer alcohol-related crashes, but randomized experimental evidence is currently lacking.
Where this research is happening
-
Yale University
New Haven, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Morrison, Christopher Neil — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Morrison, Christopher Neil
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.