HopSkipDrive, a technology company solving complex transportation challenges where there is a heightened need for safety, equity, and care, today released its sixth annual Safety Report, highlighting comprehensive safety metrics and technological innovations in student transportation. The report details that in 2024, 99.697% of rides were completed without a safety concern of any kind - representing an improved safety rate even as ride volume grew to serve over 1,000 school districts, government agencies, and nonprofits and completing more than 1.7 million safe rides across 34 million miles.

These results reflect the impact of the company’s 50+ safety products, features, and initiatives that work in concert to create multiple layers of protection for every ride, every step of the way. To date, HopSkipDrive remains the first–and only–company in the student transportation industry to proactively publish comprehensive safety data on an annual basis. 

“As we enter our second decade of operations, our founding commitment to safety has never been stronger,” said Joanna McFarland, CEO and Co-founder of HopSkipDrive. “While completing 34 million safe miles last year marks a significant milestone, we see it as a foundation for even more robust safety protocols and standards. Every ride represents a student’s opportunity, and we’re committed to protecting each one.” 

Key product developments from 2024 include:

• Safe Ride InSight™, which provides AI-powered dashcam recording technology with advanced telematics
• Wheelchair-accessible vehicle (WAV) support, with specialized training and verification processes to ensure consistent safety standards across all ride types, now active in 10+ cities
• Enhanced CareDriver video screening as part of the 15-point certification process
• Improved Safety Alerts of live ride monitoring to an expanded and specialized sub-team within HopSkipDrive’s industry-leading Safe Ride Support® team
• Expanded caregiver notifications which detects and helps communicate important ride events, including vehicle stops, route deviations, and collisions
• Daily Queue, a new feature within the RideIQ ride management platform built specifically to streamline school staff workflows and improve the efficiency of car lines
• In-app Digital ID for CareDrivers, allowing CareDrivers to seamlessly identify themselves to school staff upon arrival

Behind these innovations stands HopSkipDrive’s growing team of safety experts. Led by Jen Brandenburger, who joined in summer 2024, the company has expanded its safety organization to include over a dozen dedicated Trust & Safety professionals, working alongside nearly 70 Safe Ride Support teammates nationwide. This team brings together diverse expertise from education, transportation, technology, and crisis management, ensuring that at any moment a ride is active on the platform, so is a trained Safe Ride Support specialist, working diligently to put safety at the forefront.

The complete 2024 Safety Report demonstrates HopSkipDrive’s ongoing commitment to transparency and continuous safety improvements in student transportation. In the coming weeks, the company will introduce additional safety products and initiatives, further raising the bar for safety standards across the industry.