As rideshare services like Uber, Lyft and smaller regional platforms continue to dominate urban transportation, drivers are increasingly finding themselves on the front lines of situations they never expected, especially when riders attempt to stash illegal items inside their vehicles. For most drivers, the job is simple: pick up, drop off, repeat.
However, according to industry groups and transportation-law experts, questionsaregrowingaround who bears responsibility when a passenger leaves contraband behind. Across the country, law enforcement agencies say the scenario is more common than many riders or drivers realize.
Traffic stops, random inspections or forgotten items can quickly turn a routine ride into a legal headache. While each case varies, the consensus is clear: drivers are rarely held responsible if they had no knowledge of what a passenger brought into the car…