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Man helping his niece practice driving

Question:

Is there a problem for a girl who is practicing for a driving test to drive around with her uncle sitting near her and helping her?

Answer:

If it is in an area that it isn’t yichud, (if there are people on the streets that can see into the car or other cars on the road at that time and place) I don’t see any halachic problem with it. Even if we would consider an uncle to be libo gas bo, nevertheless it would not be yichud since a car that people can see into, is considered like reshus horabim.

 

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3 Comments

  1. It should be noted, that even if there are no yichud issues involved in the given scenario, care must also be given, that the uncle should not unnecessarily touch his niece. Merely sitting and observing her driving would be fine, but “hands on” assistance with handling the wheel can present an issue of “negiah”, especially in the case of a niece, since he is “libo gass bah”.

    1. True, it could come to a problem, but the actual helping her in of itself is not because of their relationship but in order to insure their safety. Besides when a driving instructor “helps” the student, he doesn’t touch the student, but the driving wheel. If he accidentally touches her, it wouldn’t be any different then when getting change from a cashier in the supermarket, it was not intended.

  2. Sitting next to a female in a car is overall inappropriate. There seems multitude of reasons ,the common denominator being that in of itself sitting together in the front wouldn’t be entertained in almost any scenario with relatives, unless siblings, parents, but not beyond. And yet again every case is merited to be perused independently. But its pretty much a closeness of some kind. Period.

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