Norden Leacox Accident & Injury Law | June 18, 2025 | Uber Accidents
Uber and Lyft have far surpassed taxis in popularity when it comes to calling for a ride. However, the convenience of these rideshare companies comes with a sacrifice of passenger safety. Most Uber and Lyft drivers have no professional driving experience.
Uber and Lyft work to keep passengers safe by placing certain requirements on drivers, including what type of vehicle they drive and what sort of insurance they carry. However, careful hiring practices don’t always protect passengers from safety concerns when they get into the back of a rideshare vehicle.
Uber and Lyft Passenger Safety
Passenger safety is a significant concern for rideshare passengers. Some safety concerns simply spring from driver inexperience. Rideshare companies don’t require that drivers have any professional driver experience. Younger Uber and Lyft drivers may have only been driving for a few years, which can increase the risk of a rideshare accident.
However, driving experience is far from the only safety concern rideshare passengers face. The news has had no shortage of stories over the past few years of rideshare passengers experiencing physical assault, sexual assault, theft, and murder.
Rideshare companies also don’t conduct drug tests. Passengers don’t have any guarantee that their Uber or Lyft driver isn’t under the influence of drugs or alcohol when they get into the back of a rideshare vehicle.
Despite the ongoing gaps in driver regulations, Uber and Lyft have both continued to update their policies in the past few years, adjusting their hiring requirements in an attempt to better protect the safety of their passengers.
Driver Requirements For Uber and Lyft
Uber and Lyft both regulate rideshare vehicles and driver insurance, but they place the most requirements on drivers themselves. Anyone can apply to be an Uber or Lyft driver, but not everyone will be offered an independent contractor agreement.
Both rideshare companies consider a potential driver’s information in three main areas — personal information, driving background, and criminal background.
Uber and Lyft Driver Information
Basic driver requirements vary slightly between the two companies. Lyft simply requires drivers to be at least 25 years old and have a valid driver’s license from any state.
Uber drivers must be of driving age and must have held a driver’s license for at least a year. Uber drivers under 25 must have held a license for at least three years. Unlike Lyft, Uber requires drivers to have an in-state license for the state they are applying to drive in.
Uber and Lyft Driver Background Requirements
Once a driver proves they’re old enough and has a valid license, they can move forward with the Uber or Lyft driver application process. However, both companies take a careful look at a driver’s history.
Criminal Background
The specific criminal background check violations that can make a driver ineligible to drive for Uber or Lyft can vary by state.
Both companies look for violations that include:
- Violent offenses
- Sexual offenses
- Driving under the influence
- Terrorism
- Fraud
- Drug offenses
- Theft
- Property damage
Both companies consider less serious offenses that date back seven years. More serious offenses, such as violent crimes and sex crimes, are likely to leave a driver ineligible for hiring, no matter how long ago the conviction happened. Neither company hires drivers who are listed on the National Sex Offender Registry.
Driving Record
Driving history is also carefully considered by both rideshare companies.
Drivers are unlikely to be offered an Uber or Lyft contract if their DMV check shows:
- Three or more moving violations in the past three years
- One major moving violation in the past three years
- A serious conviction related to driving in the past seven years
- A DUI in the past seven years
In this context, a moving violation is a straightforward driving infraction, like running a red light or being involved in a crash. A major moving violation is more serious. Common examples include reckless driving charges or driving with a suspended license. Serious convictions involving a driving violation include a hit-and-run or any driving felony.
Both Uber and Lyft also conduct continuous monitoring of their drivers. This means that if a driver is convicted of a crime or issued a driving violation, the company is aware and can make decisions about whether the charge merits canceling their driving contract.
Vehicle Requirements For Uber and Lyft
Even if a would-be Uber or Lyft driver has the perfect profile for the job, they must also have a vehicle that meets the criteria. As with driver requirements, the two companies have slightly different vehicle criteria.
Both companies require that rideshare vehicles have four doors, no visible damage, and valid registration. Uber requires that vehicles be 16 years old or newer with no ads or commercial markings. Uber doesn’t require that a vehicle be registered to the driver, meaning it’s alright to use someone else’s car as long as the driver carries sufficient insurance.
Lyft requires that vehicles be from 2009 or newer. Lyft also specifies that vehicles can’t have a salvage or rebuilt title, can’t be a taxi or stretch limo, and must have five to eight seats. In some cities, Lyft also offers rental vehicles for drivers to use through its Express Drive program.
Contact Norden Leacox Accident & Injury Law After an Uber or Lyft Accident
In addition to vehicle and driver requirements, both Uber and Lyft require drivers to carry insurance policies with specified coverage limits. If rideshare accident injuries are severe and a driver’s policy doesn’t cover the damage, both companies carry additional rideshare liability coverage on behalf of every driver.
If you were injured in an Uber or Lyft accident, these combined insurance policies should be enough to ensure you aren’t left paying for the damage caused by a negligent rideshare driver. However, it’s often necessary to work with a rideshare accident lawyer to recover the compensation you need.
Keeping records of your Uber or Lyft trip, seeing a doctor promptly, and consulting a lawyer can help protect you if you ever need to recover compensation after an accident.
Contact an experienced Orlando personal injury lawyer at Norden Leacox Accident & Injury Law for a free consultation. We have five convenient locations in Florida, including Orlando, Palm Bay, Melbourne, Cocoa, and Titusville.
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