Transportation businesses understand the importance of getting kids carefully to school and their activities. While transportation services are a perfectly viable option, there are some risks associated with these specific types of services. Thankfully, these risks can be minimized with the right insurance policies in place. Commercial auto liability insurance is a must for kids transportation services, but there are other coverage areas to consider. Here is what these services entail, the risks they face, and how to make them safer for everyone.
What Do Kids Transportation Services Entail?
Kids transportation services is an operation that companies can offer, sometimes referred to as Kids Kabs. This typically entails a bus or shuttle picking up children from their homes and taking them to school if they’re unable to take the bus to school or if their guardians can’t take them. The vehicle also picks the child up from school and takes them to their daily activities.
These types of services can be provided by a single transportation company or a transportation service associated with a specific business. Organizations like sports teams or music programs tend to offer this kind of service. Kids’ transportation services can remove a lot of pressure from parents who may work full-time jobs or who are otherwise unable to get their kids to their destination. While it does dissipate some of the stress of organizing transportation for kids, there is an added strain for parents to find a company that is safe and reliable.
Top Risk Factors Facing Kids Transportation Services
A child pick-up service is a niche business and faces some unique risks:
- Multiple underage passengers
- Specific seat requirements (car and booster seats)
- Possible disabled passengers
- Children creating distractions
- Children harming other children
Four Ways To Make Transportation Safer
Once the risk factors are assessed, it’s easier to create a plan to make the service as safe as possible. Some successful solutions are incorporating a comprehensive background check that involves fingerprinting, a thorough hiring process to ensure the employee is a good fit, extensive driver training, and incorporating safety technology.
Along with these categories, the right insurance coverage is vital for protection. Here are some policies that should be considered:
- General Liability
- Commercial Auto Liability
- Workers’ Compensation
- Uninsured Motorist
- Physical Damage
Safety Technology
Dashboard cams should be a requirement for all vehicles. These cams can monitor the driver’s behavior and those of the passengers as well. There are cameras available that can record the inside of the vehicle and ones that can record the outside of the vehicle, tracking the actions of the surrounding drivers.
Driving Record
An impeccable driving record should be a requirement. This can help with insurance rates and prevent any safety issues. The age of the driver should be taken into consideration as well. Young inexperienced drivers as well as older drivers can pose a liability.
Vehicle Maintenance
Being an excellent driver is moot if the vehicle does not run properly. Some states have specific safety regulations for this type of business. Regularly inspecting vehicles can prevent potential accidents.
Recognizable Vehicles
Making the vehicles stand out can help the kids and parents find the vehicle easily out of a sea of cars. This aesthetic feature can also help with marketing purposes, making the business stand out compared to its competitors.
Stay Safe With Biscayne
The transportation industry has its set of unique issues and risks. Biscayne Risk specializes in transportation services and can help protect your business from harm with the perfect insurance policies. Our objective is to keep our clients and their business safe and secure. A business that works with children needs a little extra attention and consideration, and Biscayne Risk is the one for the job. Call us today to learn more about our services and insurance options.