In a previous edition of Daily Halacha, it was explained that a man and a woman may, in most situations, drive alone together in a car, because pedestrians and other motorists are able to see into the car through the windows, and therefore they are not secluded. This applies even at nighttime, since most areas today are well-lit, and even in places without illumination, passing cars have headlights through which people can see into the car. Therefore, it is permissible for a man and woman to drive alone together on a date, for example, and it is likewise permissible for a woman to travel alone by taxi, even though she is alone with the taxi driver. By the same token, a man may ride alone in a taxi driven by a woman.
Generally speaking, this Halacha applies even in the case of a car or taxicab with tinted windows, or with curtains over the windows, which obstruct the view into the car. Since the front windshield is transparent, and people can see through it into the car, the man and woman inside the car are not considered secluded. And even if people outside the car are only able to see the front seats of the car, this suffices for a man and woman driving together in the front. This is also sufficient in the case of a woman who rides alone in a taxi driven by a man (or vice versa), since people can see the driver, and they are thus not considered secluded.
It is also permissible for a man and woman to ride together alone in the back seat of a taxi even though the passenger windows are tinted or covered. Since the driver is with them in the car, this does not violate the prohibition of Yihud. And even if there is a wall in between the front seats and the back seats of the cab, there is usually a window through which the driver and passengers can communicate with each other, and this suffices to permit the couple to ride in the back seats of the taxi.
This Halacha also applies to ambulances, which generally do not have windows other than the front windshield. An ambulance driver may drive alone with a woman since people outside the ambulance can see him in the driver’s seat. And a male paramedic may tend to a female patient in the back of an ambulance, since most ambulances today are built in such a way that the driver can see what is happening in the back, and thus the paramedic and patient are not secluded in the back of the vehicle.
Summary: It is permissible for a man and woman to drive alone together in a car, such as on a date or if a woman rides alone in taxi a driven by a man, assuming that there are pedestrians or other motorists in the street who can see into the car. This applies even in vehicles with tinted windows or windows covered by curtains, such as many taxis and ambulances, since people can see into the car through the front windshield.
