Can Minors Use Uber or Lyft Alone?Unaccompanied Minors Rules
For busy parents, there is not enough time in the day. Busy schedules have become a part of our culture.
Between sports, music lessons, youth groups and other activities, parents are struggling to find transportation for their children.
Daily mobility is a major source of stress, which has an impact on family life, couple relationships and family budget. Parents naturally seek to outsource the work to rideshare services.
But what is the Uber and Lyft policy for minors? In this guide you will learn everything you have to know about the age restrictions for children traveling alone in a Uber or Lyft.
Uber is one of the biggest transportation services out there offering a wide range of services to individual and business clients including but not limited to:
The question remains: how old do you have to be to use Uber?
For safety reasons the minimum age to ride alone in an Uber is 18.
Indeed, the San Francisco headquartered company prohibits drivers from picking up unaccompanied passengers under the age of 18.
Basically, it is illegal for Uber to drive minors that are not accompanied by a parent or by someone at least 18 years old. Unaccompanied minors on Uber can cause a lot of problems to the driver. Indeed, the account can be permanently deactivated or waitlisted.
The Uber terms of service outlines the rules every Uber user will be obligated to follow. While there are no legal consequences, Uber riders who allow their children to access their accounts risk losing access to Uber.
Keep in mind that restrictions apply also to taxis. A child cannot travel alone in a taxi.
Summarizing: users under 18 are not allowed using the Uber app by themself.
Related Article: Lyft Account Deactivated
Now that you know that Uber has age restrictions, I’m guessing you are wondering if you can take Uber with your child.
The short answer is: Yes, you can take your baby in Uber. But let’s take a look at some details. Riding Uber with a child is very common especially when travelling with your family. Uber is currently available in 69 countries around the world including France and Italy.
While using Uber with family the first step is to make sure you select the right vehicle options. We suggest you consult our guide with all the Uber car options .
During your ride you are responsible for the safety of your child. The Uber car seat option is currently available only in New York City where the NYC car seat law requires that every child under 8 years old must be restrained using an appropriate car or booster seat given the child's weight, height, and age, while within a car.
You can protect your kid by bringing a child seat. I’m sure that your driver will be really patient the time you instal it in your car. Don't forget to leave a tip!
Summarizing: Babies, toddlers and very young children should never be left alone or unsupervised at home or elsewhere, however, you can Uber with a toddler and bring small children or a baby in an Uber ride.
Very similar to the Uber policy on minors, Lyft drivers cannot drive unaccompanied minors.
The Lyft agreement governs your use of Lyft's services and Lyft platform. The transportation company expects users to follow the terms and conditions if they download and use the app.
To be more accurate, on the lyft platform, 16 or 17-year-old minors can create a Lyft account. However the use of Lyft services is only limited to:
Parents must agree to ensure that minors do not request or accept any rideshare services.
Summarizing: by agreeing to these Terms and using the Lyft app you agree that you are at least 18 years old.
👀 Related Guide: Does Lyft Have Car Seats
While the Uber rules for children are clear, some parents trying to solve child-driving dilemmas can try to bypass the company age restrictions.
We are not here to judge, we are parents as well and we know that parenting is really hard now.
So, what are the consequences if you do not respect the rules? Does uber check id?
A Lyft or Uber driver who suspects the passenger may be an unaccompanied minor can ask to provide identification or can even cancel the ride.
To be a conscientious driver you should pick up only Uber passengers with a minimum age of 18.
💡 PRO TIP: If your 17 years old has to take an Uber, do not choose the high school as a pick-up location.
While some parents do not follow the rules, others are turning to new services which are designed for the transport of riders who are 6 years old and older.
I’m a single mom and I have been using HopSkipDrive and Zum for just over 3 years for my 12-year-old daughter.
If you need a ride, the Uber for kids apps can offer a secure, welcoming and safe environment for children.
These Uber for teenager apps are basically ridesharing companies that offer scheduled rides for unaccompanied minors and unaccompanied minor pickup services.
Did you know you can arrange a regular school pick up and drop off service with Uber for kids apps?
If you live in Los Angeles, Dallas Houston or Miami you can also check Alto, another car service for kids. .
Get your first discounted Zum ride.
Related Article: How to get a Free Car
There is a global criticism saying that Lyft and Uber are not safe companies.
For concerned parents the ride sharing apps are unsafe for children and teenegers.
All parents eventually face the decision to bypass the Uber rules for passengers and leave their child to ride alone for the first time.
Whether you are just working during after-school hours and you cannot bring your kids to the after school activities or for other reasons, you should always be sure that your child has the skills and maturity to handle the situation safely.
When you are a high school student, being trusted to use Lyft by yourself can be a positive experience for a child who is mature. It can promote independence and responsibility.
However, children face real risks when left unsupervised. On the News we can find articles reporting the terrible consequences of a ride that turned bad.
On Long Island an Uber driver attempted to kidnap a 15-year-old and in Florida a 12-year-old took a ride at midnight and jumped to her death off a parking garage.
Those risks, as well as a child’s comfort level and ability to deal with challenges, must be considered.
Here are some tips to help parents and teens to ride safely:
Do you know my address right now? Today, we can use a smartphone to conveniently send the location and allow friends or family to easily find us. Here is a checklist of some free apps that allow you to share your location in real time:
Life360 is one of the many digital monitoring tools now used by millions of parents around the world.
Related Article: How to change Uber Password
With the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic and for safety reasons, you are no longer allowed to sit in the front seat when riding with Uber.
Uber and Lyft are both challenged to do the right thing by enforcing their own policies and the law regarding minors's use of accounts to take rides.
The alternatives exist. If you know that your child needs a ride, you can schedule in advance with one of the ride-sharing services that explicitly offer rides to kids.
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