Driving For Money: Is It Legal?

Whether or not you are breaking the law by charging people to drive them depends on where you are. In some places, such as Maryland, Virginia, New York, North Dakota, Nevada, Colorado, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Illinois, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, California, and Washington, D.C., there are laws prohibiting non-electric vehicles from parking in spaces reserved for charging electric vehicles. However, in other places, such as the U.K., there are no laws prohibiting this practice. Therefore, it is important to check the local laws in your specific location to determine whether or not you are breaking any laws by charging people to drive them.

Laws regarding the use of phones while driving

The laws regarding the use of phones while driving vary across different regions. In general, it is illegal to use a handheld phone while driving and doing so can result in fines, demerit points, and even licence suspensions. However, the specific penalties and regulations differ depending on the region.

In Quebec, for example, it is illegal to use a handheld cellphone while driving unless it is a hands-free device, with earphones allowed in only one ear. The phone must be mounted on a bracket attached to the car, and the screen must not block the driver's view or interfere with their driving. Using a phone while stopped at a red light or stalled in traffic is also considered an offence.

In Ontario, Canada, it is illegal to use a handheld device while driving or stopped at a red light. The only exception is when calling emergency services. Ontario's distracted driving law focuses on the use of mobile devices and prohibits the operation of tablets, portable gaming consoles, and watching videos on display screens. Hands-free wireless devices and Bluetooth are permitted.

British Columbia's Motor Vehicle Act forbids the use of electronic devices while driving, including holding, operating, or watching the screen of a phone, tablet, or laptop. Hands-free functions are allowed as long as the device is voice-activated, securely fixed, and not obstructing the driver's view.

Alberta's distracted driving law covers a range of behaviours, including using a cellphone, operating electronic devices, entering information on a GPS, reading, writing, and personal grooming. These activities are prohibited even while stopped at a red light.

In the United States, the laws vary by state. For example, in California, it is illegal to drive with a video monitor visible to the driver unless it displays vehicle information, navigation, media, or radio functions. On the other hand, in Washington state, it is a parking infraction to park a vehicle in a space served by publicly available electric vehicle supply equipment if the vehicle is not connected to the charging equipment, resulting in a monetary penalty.

Speed limits and speed cameras

Speed limits are enforced by authorities to improve driver compliance with speed limits. Methods used to enforce speed limits include roadside speed traps set up by the police and automated roadside 'speed cameras'.

The first speed camera was installed in the UK in 1992. It was a Gatso device, with a trigger speed set at 60mph on a road with a 40mph speed limit. Within 22 days, it caught nearly 23,000 drivers speeding at over 65mph.

Speed cameras work by recording a vehicle's speed using markings on the road or radar technology. Older cameras used film to record speeding offences, but advances in technology have resulted in speed cameras being digitised. If a vehicle is travelling at excessive speed, two digital images are taken to work out how long it has taken the vehicle to travel between two points on the road. The images also record the vehicle's registration, time of the offence, and speed limit of the road. Some speed cameras will track a vehicle's average speed over many miles.

Speed cameras are often placed in accident-prone areas to help reduce speed-related injuries and deaths. According to the UK Department for Transport, cameras have led to a 22% reduction in personal injury collisions and 42% fewer people being killed or seriously injured at camera sites. A 2017 LSE study found that adding another 1,000 cameras to British roads could save up to 190 lives annually, reduce up to 1,130 collisions, and mitigate 330 serious injuries.

There are many types of speed cameras on the market, but a few key types are most common in the UK. The Gatso was the first speed camera to be installed in the UK and has become the most commonly used camera on UK roads. The Truvelo is another commonly used camera, which uses a forward-facing camera to catch speeding motorists. Unlike the Gatso, it photographs the driver at the wheel, so there's no disputing who was driving.

Mobile speed cameras are usually run by local police forces and reside on accident blackspots with a history of road traffic incidents. They can take on a number of forms, working from marked or unmarked cars, as well as being manually operated by police officers using radar guns and laser guns.

Average speed cameras use automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology to record a vehicle's speed between two points on a road. Introduced in 1999, average speed cameras are a common sight on UK roads and are also used at roadworks. Variable speed cameras work similarly but are typically used on smart motorways when the speed limit is lowered.

Instantaneous speed cameras measure the speed at a single point and may be semi-permanent fixtures or established on a temporary basis. Radar speed guns use a microwave signal directed at a vehicle to derive its speed using the Doppler effect. LIDAR speed guns use the time of flight of laser pulses to make a series of timestamped measurements of a vehicle's distance, which is then used to calculate its speed. Sensors embedded in the roadway and infra-red light sensors located perpendicular to the road are other methods used to measure instantaneous speed.

While speed cameras are used to enforce speed limits, there is some debate over their efficacy. In 2009, the town of Swindon abandoned the use of fixed cameras, questioning their cost-effectiveness. In the nine months following the switch-off, there was a small reduction in accident rates. The Local Authority Member for Council Transformation, Transport, and Strategic Planning linked the improved safety record to the removal of speed cameras and the resultant additional funding for road safety, alongside close working with the police.

Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol

When a police officer suspects someone of driving while intoxicated, they will ask them to perform field sobriety tests and submit to chemical tests. These tests are used to gauge intoxication levels and look for signs of being under the influence of controlled substances. All 50 states have drug recognition experts (DREs) who are specially trained and certified law enforcement officers. They follow specific guidelines to determine drug impairment in motorists by closely examining eye movements, behavior, and other cues pointing to drug use.

If you are found to be driving under the influence, you can face a DUI (driving under the influence) charge. Most DUI cases are misdemeanors, particularly for a first offense, unless certain aggravating factors exist. These factors include having a minor in your vehicle, having an excessively high blood alcohol concentration, or causing an accident with bodily injury. You can also face additional criminal charges if you are found to be in possession of illegal substances.

The penalties for a drug-based DUI conviction are generally the same as a drunk driving conviction and include heavy fines, revocation of your driver's license, jail time, probation, community service, and substance abuse education and treatment. Your auto insurance premiums will also increase, and a DUI conviction will appear on most routine background checks, which may cost you future jobs and housing.

Reckless driving

The penalties for reckless driving in Florida depend on the number of prior offences and the existence of property damage or personal injury. For a first offence with no bodily injury or property damage, reckless driving is a second-degree misdemeanour, with penalties of up to 90 days in jail or 6 months of probation, and a $500 fine. For a second or subsequent offence, the maximum penalty is 6 months in jail and up to a $1,000 fine. If there is property damage or injury, the crime becomes a first-degree misdemeanour, punishable by up to 1 year in jail or 12 months of probation, and a $1,000 fine. If there is serious bodily injury, the offence is upgraded to a third-degree felony, punishable by up to 5 years in prison or 5 years probation, and a $5,000 fine.

Driving without a license

Driving without a valid license is illegal in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The specific penalties for driving without a license vary depending on the state, but it is typically considered a misdemeanor and can result in jail time, fines, probation, and/or suspension or revocation of one's driver's license.

In some states, the penalty for a first offense of driving without a license may include a fine of up to $1,000 and/or imprisonment of up to 6 months. For example, in California, a first offense could result in up to 6 months in jail, up to a $1,000 fine, probation, and vehicle impoundment for 30 days. In Florida, a first offense carries a maximum penalty of 60 days in jail and a $500 fine, while a third or subsequent offense imposes mandatory jail time. In Maryland, a first offense carries a maximum penalty of 60 days in jail and a $500 fine, and a second offense can result in up to a year in jail.

It is important to note that the penalties for driving without a license can be enhanced if the driver has multiple offenses or if they are found to be driving with a suspended or revoked license. Additionally, driving without a valid license can have negative implications for one's car insurance coverage and rates.

Frequently asked questions