We all have routines. Every morning I get in the car, hit the garage door button and back out. My friend recently drove my car and immediately joked about not being able to back up since she has a rear view camera and I don’t.  Looking at her screen was so innate to her routine that she had forgotten to actually use her mirrors! Recently the Insurance world has been hit with a surge of auto claims so I thought it would be good to remind you of some vehicle safety tips.

1. Vehicle Inspection
Use our vehicle inspection sheets to document the state of your church vehicles before driving. How do you do this? Create a routine. Keep a clipboard in the bus, van, etc. You can access a vehicle inspection form in our risk management library. To read more about vehicle inspection importance check out this blog. Vehicle Inspection

2. Driver safety
Did you know there is a proper way to load a 15 passenger van? Did you know there is a different way you should take an exit ramp if you are in a vehicle with a higher center of gravity? It is important to educate your regular drivers with driver training videos.  You can access these videos in our video library, where you drivers can submit their name with proof of training. Also, check out this blog on driver training. Driver Training

3. Approved Drivers
If you have anyone who is driving the church vehicles on a regular basis make sure to send them to us. The insurance carriers will run a motor vehicle report on the driver to check their record. If they are approved we will add them to the policy as a regular driver.

4. Who Should Drive      
Should you have teenagers drive others to a church activity? The answer is no! A teenager driving to a church activity of their own accord is one thing. Asking a teenager to drive on behalf of the church is another. If you have a teenager drive other teens to an outing you are essentially putting the church’s liability in the hands of a sixteen year old. You are responsible for the safety of the minors when they are under you care, ie a youth activity.  

5. Parking 
When parking a church vehicle, we recommend choosing a spot that you can pull forward instead of needing to back out. The majority of church auto claims are do to hitting something when backing out, mainly in the church parking lot! 

While you can't control what happens with the other drivers around you, you can make sure to do your part to protect the safety of those in your care.