If the Uber you were riding in was speeding and injured you in an accident, call Scarfone. An Uber accident lawyer at Scarfone Auto Accident and Personal Injury Attorneys in Plantation, FL, can learn about your case and launch an investigation into a rideshare driver’s excess speed as a factor in your injury claim.
Why Are Uber Drivers Likely to Speed?
Uber drivers can be more likely than most drivers to speed because:
- They need to take as many fares as possible to turn a profit. This means they rush between fares. They may also get bonuses for completing more trips.
- Their fare may pressure them to get to their destination quickly, such as if they have a flight to catch.
Uber has added a monitoring program to discourage driver speeding, but the fact is that the incentives given to drivers often cause them to speed.
What Are the Speeding Laws in Florida?
Uber drivers are subject to the same speeding laws as the rest of us. In Florida, it is illegal to exceed marked speed limits or to drive faster than is “reasonable and prudent.”
This does mean that a driver can be pulled over for unsafe speed even if they are under the limit if, say, the weather conditions make that speed unsafe.
Speeding fines are graduated by how much over the limit a driver is and range from a warning for 1 to 5 miles over to $250 for 30 or more miles per hour, plus fees and costs.
Fines are doubled in school zones, construction zones, and toll collection areas, and increased by $50 in enhanced penalty zones. Drivers will also get demerit points, three for up to 15 miles over the limit and four for over 15 miles over the limit. 12 or more points within a 12-month period can result in a 30-day license suspension.
An Uber driver cannot, of course, drive with a suspended license.
Does Uber Allow Drivers With Speeding Tickets?
Yes and no. One speeding ticket, especially if it is less than 15 miles over the limit, is unlikely to result in the driver being removed from the app, but a repeated pattern is.
Uber relies primarily on passenger complaints to determine whether drivers are speeding or engaging in other reckless behavior. This likely results in underreporting of speeding with a fare in the car (because, in many cases, the food is in a hurry) and makes it hard to spot behavior that happens between trips.
As mentioned, however, Uber is implementing driver monitoring technology. In theory, this should reduce incidents of unsafe driving.
Uber generally requires that drivers have no more than three “minor violations” in the past three years, which includes speeding.
What To Do If Your Uber Ride is Speeding
Uber relies on passenger complaints to determine if a driver of theirs is speeding. If you notice that your Uber driver is going over the speed limit, you may want to politely ask them to slow down.
You can report speeding or other dangerous habits to Uber customer service, and they will issue a warning to the driver. If a driver gets a lot of reports, then they may lose access to the app.
Bear in mind that when you are in the car, your Uber driver is covered by Uber’s liability insurance, not their personal liability insurance.
If your Uber driver is pulled over, then you should not face any consequences, but you may be asked to identify yourself. (Note that you can get ticketed for not wearing a seatbelt in an Uber).
If safe to do so, you can cancel the ride and call another driver, but this may not be possible. Keep this in mind if you are tempted to ask your Uber driver to hurry; you might get into an accident or get pulled over and be stuck for a while.
What To Do If Your Uber is In An Accident
Uber insurance claims can be a little more complicated, but if you are riding in an Uber, Uber’s insurance covers the driver. You should contact Uber as soon as possible. This does not mean Uber is liable; the driver is, but Uber is covering the insurance costs.
Also, contact a lawyer. These cases can be more complicated because there may be arguments about which insurance company is responsible. If possible, personally obtain the insurance details of the other driver involved. Don’t count on your Uber driver to do this. You may have a separate claim against them if they are ruled to be at fault for the accident.
As with all car accidents, keep a record of time off work and medical costs so you can make a claim against Uber’s insurance and get the compensation you deserve.
If you are in an accident involving an Uber you are not riding in, take note of the driver’s details. If they are carrying a fare, they are covered by Uber’s insurance, if they are not, they are covered by their own insurance.
Talk to a lawyer right away and also report the incident to Uber. In these cases, things can be even more complicated as they may fall into a grey area of whether Uber will cover them for you.
Get an Experienced Uber Accident Lawyer Today
If your Uber driver was speeding and got into an accident, you need an experienced Uber accident lawyer. If you are in Plantation, FL, contact us at Scarfone Auto Accident & Personal Injury Attorneys for a free evaluation of your case.