Car crashes are the No. 1 killer of teens in the United States.

But thanks to apps like Uber, Lyft and Sidecar, the number of people in general who drink and drive has dropped by 54 percent since 1991, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

About 32 percent of fatal car accidents involve an intoxicated driver or pedestrian, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence report, and underage drinking is a major factor; teenage drunk driving resulted in the deaths of 9,967 people in 2014 alone, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, or about four deaths a day, the Foundation for a Drug Free World reports.

Drivers ages 16 to 20 are 17 times more likely to die in a car crash if they have a blood alcohol concentration of 0.8 percent or higher, according to the CDC. Alcohol negatively affects teens’ skills needed to drive, such as perception and judgment, which often leads to people getting in cars of people under the influence or driving themselves, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Association.

Due to these preventable situations, companies like Uber, Lyft and Sidecar are taking off with their safe yet affordable alternative for getting home safely. But some teenagers hesitate to use the services, they said, either from fear, lack of better judgment or the fact that the minimum age requirement to use Uber is 18.

Sophomore Maria Maroko of Marlboro said she is willing to use the service herself.

“If I didn’t have a friend nearby that could pick me up, I probably would,” Maroko said. “It’d be really irresponsible to drive myself if I wasn’t sober.”

From Uber alone, there has been a 6 percent decline in the fatal rate, 18 percent decrease in fatal night-time crashes and a 16.6 percent decline in vehicle fatalities, according to a study by Providence College professors.

The study also noted a significant drop in DUI arrests:. It reported, “DUIs are 15 to 62 percent lower after the entry of Uber. The average annual rate of decline after the introduction of Uber is 51.3 percent per year for DUIs.”

For one CHS senior, who preferred to remain anonymous, apps like Uber have helped prevent drinking and driving incidents.

“At one party, I decided to leave with my friends early, but since we weren’t exactly sober, none of us were comfortable driving home,” the student said. “We thought it was best to spend the money and split an Uber.”