HopSkipDrive just announced a significant expansion in its ability to meet the transportation needs of students. 

Now, schools can book rides for students needing wheelchair-accessible vehicles, rider assistants, and car seats. These three new transportation offerings will launch this fall. 

“All children, especially those with disabilities, deserve a safe, reliable ride in a vehicle that meets their specific needs with adults who are fully prepared to support them,” said Joanna McFarland, CEO and co-founder of HopSkipDrive. “Rising chronic absenteeism rates make clear that existing school transportation industry options leave behind students with unique needs.”

Wheelchair-Accessible Vehicles and Rider Assistants

Following a successful pilot earlier this year, HopSkipDrive is expanding the availability of wheelchair-accessible vehicle rides and Rider Assistants to all cities in which the company operates. These rides are fulfilled by CarePartners, local professionals who undergo HopSkipDrive’s certification process, including name- and fingerprint-based background checks, clearing child abuse and neglect screenings where available, and enrolling in continuous criminal monitoring. 

To meet the needs of students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and those who thrive most when an additional adult is in the vehicle, HopSkipDrive offers a rider assistant for schools to book to join the CareDriver or CarePartner driver on the ride.

Car Seat Program

In select cities, schools and school districts can select HopSkipDrive’s car seat program for students whose height and weight, typically between the ages of 4 to 6, require a car seat. 

CareDrivers can only opt in to fulfill these rides after completing comprehensive car seat safety education and using only the forward-facing car seat model approved by HopSkipDrive and Safe Kids Worldwide.

Britney Lombard, who has spent more than a decade as a Safe Kids Worldwide-certified Child Passenger Safety Instructor and performed thousands of car seat checks during her tenure, now leads HopSkipDrive’s car seat program. The HopSkipDrive Safety Advisory Council also played a key role in advising the development of the car seat program to confirm protocols meet industry standards.

Ahead of the implementation of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s new safety standards, HopSkipDrive selected a car seat model that goes above and beyond these requirements in consultation with the company’s expert advisors, according to the announcement.

In-Ride Recording

Schools and districts can request dashcam recording for rides with CareDrivers who have installed SafeRide InSight, which combines visual monitoring with audio recording. HopSkipDrive uses this technology along with advanced telematics. First piloted in Arizona and Colorado, the company is continuing to scale this technology to additional markets over the coming months.

HopSkipDrive has completed more than 5 million rides across 95 million miles, supporting over 600 school districts. Over the past year, the company announced nearly a dozen new safety initiatives.