Uber drivers are held to a very high standard. When a passenger enters a driver’s vehicle, they have a right to be as safe as possible. A driver that has a long history of accidents and reckless driving may not be the best fit for Uber.
Uber’s DUI / DWI Rules
According to Tsion Chudnovsky, a DUI attorney in Los Angeles, “Uber’s rules and regulations are permitted to change from one state to another. But as a general rule of thumb, you’re not allowed to drive for the company if you’ve had a DUI/DWI in the past 10 years.”
The company claims that there are no exceptions.
But in December, the company was fined for employing:
- DUI convicts
- Felons
The company had to pay $8.9 million in fines for their practices. There was a total of 57 disqualified drivers in Colorado driving for the company. These individuals often had revoked, cancelled or suspended licenses. Major moving violations and convictions were also cited.
“There are both civil and criminal proceedings in a DWI case, and there are different penalties associated with each. Most people do not realize this, which is why it is important to have an attorney by your side. Many first offenders may feel guilty. They will go ahead and plead guilty because they may feel that did something wrong. You should know, however, that there IS a way out,” states Keller Law Offices.
But these drivers were convicted.
A major fault occurred with the company’s private background check, which they claim is superior to anything available to the public.
Investigators found that the background check missed major convictions, driver aliases, and even one person that escaped from prison and was driving for the company.
Lyft was also investigated at the same time, with the company having no violations.
DUI Complaints Remain on the Backburner
Uber was additionally fined $750,000 in October 2018 after regulators found that the company was slow to respond to DUI complaints. The company was found to offer ineffective responses to DUI in California.
One driver had 151 complaints against them in a single year.
Uber didn’t suspend the driver or investigate the instances. There were other cases where a driver was suspended and the company still allowed them to accept rides. Uber blames this particular instance on a technical glitch.
Uber’s background check is supposed to check a person’s:
- Federal records
- County records
- Motor vehicle records
- Criminal past
- Social Security trace
- Sex offender status
Drivers can expect any DUI conviction to count against them at Uber and Lyft. Proper defense may be able to get you off on a DUI / DWI charge, meaning that either ridesharing company should not hold the offense against you.
A dismissed case or dropped charges may still be present on your record.
In the event that a case is dropped or dismissed, this will need to be explained to Uber. A lawyer may also be able to assist you if you’re currently a driver for Uber or you plan on being a driver and are in the middle of a DUI / DWI case.
Drivers for Uber, whether taking passengers or not, should also remain sober and drug-free, or risk losing their right to drive for ridesharing companies.
