Four New Ways We’re Enhancing Student Transportation Safety

Safety in student transportation demands continuous innovation. Our 2024 data, outlined in our sixth annual Safety Report, shows a clear improvement in safety metrics with 99.697% of rides completed last year without a safety-related concern of any kind. But in student transportation, we know every detail matters, from the moment a ride begins to the confirmation of a safe drop-off,  to the feedback we collect and deliver after the ride is complete. 

Today we’re excited to share four new safety initiatives that address critical aspects of safe student transportation: Empowering data-driven safety decisions; strengthening drop-off protocols; introducing customized, trauma-informed care for our Safe Ride Support® team; and launching a dedicated rider support line to bring greater peace of mind to both riders and caregivers. Together, these new initiatives build on our 50+ safety products, features, and initiatives, always with the same goal in mind: Ensuring transportation never stands as a barrier between a student and an opportunity. 

“These innovations reflect our data-driven approach in continuously improving the student transportation experience from end-to-end,” said Jen Brandenburger, SVP of Safety at HopSkipDrive. “Each initiative addresses a specific aspect of our platform, but together they represent our holistic approach to safety and our commitment to relentlessly raising the bar.” 

CareDriver Trends

Last month marked the launch of CareDriver Trends, our most significant update to CareDriver ride insights to date. This dynamic in-app feature replaces our previous weekly Success Cards, which provided CareDrivers® with weekly snapshots focused primarily on telematics data. While an important start, these weekly snapshots were limited in scope and accessibility, and we’d heard from CareDrivers about the importance of having more convenient access to these impactful insights.

The new CareDriver Trends takes this to the next level by providing comprehensive metrics on cancellations, on-time arrivals, missed check-ins, telematics scores, and more — all accessible whenever CareDrivers need them, directly within the app. 

Located in a new dashboard, this feature consolidates these safety and experience indicators into an easy-to-understand trends rating, helping CareDrivers optimize their safety and receive actionable insights into their driving behavior. This initiative underscores our commitment to safety, operational excellence, and providing CareDrivers with the tools they need to excel.

Improved Must Be Met Process

Over the coming months, we’re excited to introduce our completely redesigned and improved Must Be Met process, which is used for rides where a responsible adult needs to be present at drop-off. This redesigned process introduces structured protocols that bring greater clarity and consistency to Must Be Met drop-offs.

Ride Organizers will now be able to define authorized individual groups and select specific verification requirements — whether showing identification, confirming the rider’s name, verifying their birthday, or a combination of these steps. We’ve also simplified the protocol options for both Ride Organizers and authorized responsible adults at drop-off (meet at car, meet at door, meet inside) that appear in the Ride Organizer and CareDriver apps.

With this update, CareDrivers can feel more confident in drop-off protocols for Must Be Met riders, and families can have peace of mind knowing their children are safe and secure throughout their journey.

Customized Trauma-Informed Training with The National Organization for Victim Assistance

We’re proud to begin working together with NOVA (National Organization for Victim Assistance) to implement specialized trauma-informed training for our Trust & Safety and Safe Ride Support® teams. With over 45 years of experience, NOVA stands as the nation’s longest-serving victim assistance organization, bringing unparalleled expertise in compassionate care and support. The organization’s deep expertise will help further strengthen our ability to better serve students with diverse needs, equipping our teams with advanced skills in trauma-informed support while maintaining rigorous safety standards.

“NOVA believes that trauma-informed care and training is crucial when serving vulnerable populations and creating safer environments. We are excited to partner with HopSkipDrive on their initiative to implement specialized training to best meet the needs of the students they serve and demonstrate their commitment to comprehensive safety and wellbeing,” said Claire Ponder Selib, Executive Director of NOVA. “We hope this collaboration will help all those impacted by trauma, including students, feel secure and better understood.”

NOVA’s foundational training has been specifically designed to help HopSkipDrive team members recognize and respond appropriately to signs of trauma and create supportive environments for those in need of support. This new training will be implemented later this year.

Dedicated Rider Support Line

Last week, we launched the pilot of our dedicated rider support line in the Bay Area. This new feature provides riders with direct access to our Safe Ride Support team through a text message sent before each ride, containing a phone number they can call if needed. Riders can connect directly with a member of our team who can provide immediate assistance, offer guidance during their ride, or help resolve any issues that may arise. With enhanced support from our Safe Ride Support team, riders can feel more confident as they take rides, with caregivers and Ride Organizers knowing we’re here to support them every step of the way. This pilot will help us refine our operational processes before expanding to additional markets throughout the course of the year.

While we continue to enhance our safety features, we’re grateful to see this reflected in the feedback we receive from our community. In a recent survey of caregivers, when asked to select the top three characteristics that best describe HopSkipDrive, “safe” emerged as the most frequently chosen trait, with “convenient” and “caring” both following closely. This feedback doesn’t just validate our efforts — it motivates us to work even harder to maintain the trust our community has placed in us.

Behind these statistics are real families whose lives are impacted by reliable, safe transportation. When asked to share more about their satisfaction with HopSkipDive, caregiver Sabrina B. from Seattle noted: “Caring and reliable drivers. Life changing for our family since my grandson wouldn't be able to stay with us if we didn't have HopSkipDrive.”

Stories like this underscore why this work matters. By focusing on clear protocols, real-time insights, specialized training, and dedicated support, we’re addressing both the human and technological elements that make transportation truly safe. The data shows we’re on the right path, but our work continues as we develop new initiatives that raise the bar even higher. Every improvement matters because each ride represents a student with untapped potential, and we’re committed to enhancing our technology and protocols to help ensure every ride exceeds expectations.

Learn more about the things we do for safety at HopSkipDrive.