HopSkipDrive has formed a new Safety Advisory Council, bringing together a diverse group of six safety experts to help guide the company’s ongoing innovation in youth transportation safety. 

The insights from the council will directly inform HopSkipDrive's product development roadmap as the company continues to launch and expand services for students with specialized transportation needs. 

About the Council

The Safety Advisory Council represents the company's deepened commitment to safety innovation and transparency. It will enable HopSkipDrive to set new industry standards for specialized transportation products and features that support the diverse needs of all students. 

Recognizing that comprehensive safety encompasses multiple factors, from road safety to interpersonal safety, HopSkipDrive has assembled the council to address every aspect of the safe ride experience. The council brings together the following leaders: 

• Jonathan Adkins, Governors Highway Safety Association

• Cass Herring, Safe Kids Worldwide

• Lexi Higgins, TAT

• Katie Mueller, On the Road & KM Strategies

• Shael Norris, SafeBAE

• Jacob Smith, Composing Mobility

The council brings fresh perspectives and specialized insights to HopSkipDrive's safety ecosystem. By collaborating with leading voices in road safety, interpersonal safety, child development, and youth advocacy, HopSkipDrive will refine and enhance its approach to innovating in safety. 

The council will play a crucial role in guiding HopSkipDrive’s expansion of wheelchair-accessible vehicle rides, elevating its support for all students with diverse transportation needs, and further strengthening the company’s Safe Ride InSight technology, its programmatic AI-powered dashcam recording technology with telematics. 

“Safety is a multifaceted challenge that requires diverse perspectives and specialized expertise,” said Jen Brandenburger, SVP of safety at HopSkipDrive. “By assembling this council of respected leaders, we’re ensuring that our safety features, policies, and educational initiatives benefit from the latest research and best practices from across disciplines. Our goal is to keep aiming higher for what’s possible in youth transportation safety, so that families and schools can focus on helping students thrive.”

A Commitment to Safety: Insights into Methodology

The council’s formation comes on the heels of HopSkipDrive’s 2024 Safety Report and the announcement of new features for its 50+ safety products and initiatives. The company’s annual Safety Report highlights its scalability and work to build safety into everything it does.

As other companies in the space have also increased transparency and released safety reports, HopSkipDrive goes a step further by implementing a robust methodology to include additional data points and factors that inform a safer ride experience.

Last year, 99.7% of the 1.7 million HopSkipDrive rides ended without a safety concern of any kind (more on this methodology on pages 36-41 of its report). This data covers the entire time from when a driver starts their trip to pick up a rider, through when the rider is dropped off. This measurement includes metrics on road safety, interpersonal safety, and violations of its community guidelines. Critical safety incidents are measured as defined by NSVRC, taking any allegation of assault or misconduct seriously, and its collision data uses DOT definitions.

Additionally, CareDrivers completed 34 million safe miles while serving students across 14 states, working effectively across diverse regions, from dense urban neighborhoods to rural communities.

“As an organization dedicated to keeping children safe, Safe Kids Worldwide recognizes that transportation safety requires a comprehensive approach that addresses all aspects of a child’s journey,” said Cass Herring, senior director of road safety and child occupant protection at Safe Kids Worldwide. “Through the Safety Advisory Council, we’re combining expertise across multiple disciplines to advise on products and policies that help protect all children, particularly those with specialized needs. Working with HopSkipDrive, a company purpose-built for facilitating safe rides for children since day one, we’re establishing new benchmarks for youth transportation safety that will not only benefit the students and districts who use HopSkipDrive, but will ultimately elevate standards across the entire industry.”