HopSkipDrive Deepens Commitment to Youth Safety Through Expert Advisory Council

May 08, 2025 at 10:00 AM EDT

Leading safety advocates bring multidisciplinary approach to student transportation safety

HopSkipDrive, a technology company that has raised the bar for safety, access, and care in supplemental student transportation for more than a decade, today announced the formation of a dedicated Safety Advisory Council, bringing together a diverse group of six safety experts to help guide the company’s ongoing innovation in youth transportation safety. Their insights will directly inform HopSkipDrive's product development roadmap as the company continues to launch and expand services for students with specialized transportation needs.

The Safety Advisory Council represents the company's deepened commitment to remaining at the forefront of safety innovation and transparency, and 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. Comprising of experts from across essential safety disciplines, 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 (Composed Mobility)

“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.”

The council’s formation comes on the heels of HopSkipDrive’s 2024 Safety Report and the announcement of new features which bolster its suite of over 50 safety products and initiatives. The company’s annual Safety Report–which includes metrics on road safety, interpersonal safety, and violations of its Community Guidelines–highlights the scalability of the company’s industry-leading safety record and outlines its work to build safety into everything it does. Last year, 99.7% of the 1.7 million HopSkipDrive rides ended without a safety concern of any kind, with CareDrivers completing an unprecedented 34 million safe miles while serving students across 14 states. These metrics demonstrate that the company’s multilayered safety systems work effectively across diverse regions, from dense urban neighborhoods to rural communities, and everywhere in between.

“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. 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,” said Cass Herring, Senior Director of Road Safety and Child Occupant Protection at Safe Kids Worldwide. “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.”

The Safety Advisory Council will bring fresh perspectives and specialized insights to HopSkipDrive's robust safety ecosystem. By collaborating with leading voices in road safety, interpersonal safety, child development, and youth advocacy, HopSkipDrive will continue to 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 (WAV) 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 advanced telematics. This expert-informed approach will help ensure that as the company grows to serve more diverse student needs, its commitment to safety scales alongside its expanding capabilities.

This initiative represents another milestone in HopSkipDrive's unwavering commitment to create opportunity for all through mobility. By bringing these leaders together with its team of experienced safety professionals, HopSkipDrive is continuing to redefine what safe, reliable student transportation can help achieve, ensuring every student has access to the educational opportunities they deserve, while giving schools and families the peace of mind that comes with truly exceptional safety standards.

About HopSkipDrive

HopSkipDrive is a technology company that solves complex transportation challenges where there is a heightened need for safety, access, and care. HopSkipDrive is modernizing the $30 billion school transportation industry through two core solutions: a care-centered transportation marketplace and industry-leading routing software, RouteWise AI™. HopSkipDrive’s marketplace supplements school buses and existing transportation options by connecting kids to highly vetted caregivers on wheels, such as grandparents, babysitters, and nurses in local communities. RouteWise AI helps schools and districts address critical challenges, including budget cuts, bus driver shortages, and reaching climate goals. HopSkipDrive has supported over 10,000 schools across 17 states, with over 600 school district partners. More than five million rides over 95 million miles have been completed through HopSkipDrive since the company was founded in 2014 by three working mothers.