Excerpted from an AZCentral story by Ryan Randazzo, Uriel J. Garcia and Bree Burkitt
The operator behind the wheel of a self-driving Uber vehicle that hit and killed a 49-year-old woman in Tempe Sunday night had served almost four years in an Arizona prison in the early 2000s on an attempted armed robbery conviction.
Uber issued a statement Tuesday saying the operator met its hiring requirements in Arizona. The company directed questions to Uber’s public hiring policy that states, “Everyone deserves a fair chance.”
However, requirements differ across states for those who provide transportation to the public. Uber recently came under fire for hiring felons in Colorado.
“Vehicle operators in Arizona undergo a screening process that checks local, state and national databases and meets local requirements by law,” an Uber spokeswoman said. “The vehicle operator met these requirements.”
The San Francisco-based company’s policy for hiring drivers in California states that potential Uber drivers are disqualified if they have convictions on felonies, sexual offenses, violent crimes, DUI or drug-related driving offenses, speeding more than 100 mph or child abuse or endangerment in the past seven years. The company set lower standards for lesser violations such as speeding and non-fatal accidents.
The Colorado Public Utilities Commission company fined Uber’s parent company $8.9 million in November 2017 after an investigation determined the ride-hailing service had hired nearly 60 drivers with previous felony convictions.
Colorado state law prevents individuals with felony convictions, alcohol or drug-related driving offenses, unlawful sexual offenses and major traffic violations from working for rideshare companies.
You can read the full story here.