If you drive for Uber and Lyft, you know that ridesharing is prone to a lot of legal controversy. Some of the debates include:
- Are ridesharing drivers independent contractors or employees?
- Are ridesharing drivers obligated to workers’ compensation insurance?
- Are ridesharing drivers commercial drivers or private citizens?
The state of California has taken action on one of these core issues. A new DUI law for Uber and Lyft drivers will take effect on July 1, 2018. Here’s why you may need to contact a DUI ticket attorney soon.
A Stricter Limit
California’s new law, Assembly Bill 2687, holds rideshare service drivers to the same standard as other commercial drivers. It is now illegal for Uber and Lyft motorists to have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level higher than 0.04. This is half the BAC limit for private citizens. If you have even the smallest amount of alcohol then transport a customer, you may end up in handcuffs and in need of a traffic ticket cleaner.
When Your Car Is a Commercial Vehicle
Before the law was passed, lawmakers struggled to define ridesharing cars as commercial vehicles. This is because many rideshare drivers use their own personal, family cars. The California Assembly determined that a car becomes commercial whenever a paying passenger is in the car. Whenever you have a customer in your car, the limit becomes 0.04. This makes it more likely that you’ll need a DUI ticket fix in the near future. Just click “The Ticket Clinic near me” to find the nearest DUI attorney.
This may be frustrating for you to learn. One second, you may be having a beer or two with your friends and want to make some extra cash the next. If you get any tickets or charges against you while driving for Uber, make sure you talk to a DUI and speeding ticket lawyer.
