| 1. | Guiding principlesa. | It is the intent of the Board of Education of School District No. 36 (Surrey) (the “Board”) to minimize risk to students being transported by volunteer drivers.
| | b. | Volunteer drivers and vehicles may be utilized within the law.
| | c. | Volunteer drivers will normally only be utilized on trips of one day duration or less.
| | d. | Selection of volunteer drivers is intended to achieve safe transport by giving consideration to factors including:
i. | Volunteer suitability for the task;
| | ii. | Driver licensing appropriate to the vehicle; and
| | iii. | Vehicle licensing, insurance and mechanical fitness.
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| | e. | Orientation of volunteer drivers is to cover both the specific travel and general procedures relating to transporting students.
| | f. | Documentation is to be retained on volunteer drivers, vehicles and students transported in accordance with standards established by District administration.
| | g. | Insurance on the vehicle driven by the volunteer is the responsibility of the owner. The District carries Excess Third Party Legal Liability Insurance to supplement the vehicle owner’s insurance.
| | h. | Societies which provide student transportation services are independent contractors responsible for the appropriate maintenance, licensing, insurance and operation of the bus by a driver appropriately licensed and operating according to law.
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| 2. | Parental consent
a. | Where student activities involve transportation by volunteer drivers, parents are to be informed and must consent to the arrangements.
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| 3. | Selection of volunteer drivers
a. | Selection of volunteer drivers should include consideration of the following criteria and may include other factors the educator-in-charge and principal deem appropriate.
| | b. | Driver licensing must be in British Columbia and appropriate to the licensing of the vehicle being utilized and number of persons to be transported.
| | c. | Vehicle licensing must be in British Columbia.
| | d. | The driver must be competent to drive, as established by viewing a current Driver’s Abstract.
| | e. | Volunteer drivers must successfully complete Criminal Records Check with Vulnerable Sector obtained through the Criminal Records Review Program.
| | f. | Students and volunteer drivers with Learner (“L”) drivers’ licenses are strictly prohibited from transporting students during field studies.
| | g. | Use of novice (“N”) drivers as volunteer drivers is discouraged but is permitted only for trips within Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.
i. | A novice (“N”) driver may transport only one passenger that is not a family member.
| | ii. | If the volunteer driver is an adult novice (“N”) driver, written consent for the use of the novice (“N”) driver must be obtained from the parents of the non- related student to be transported.
| | iii. | If the volunteer driver is a novice (“N”) driver and a student, written consent for the use of the novice (“N”) driver must be obtained from:
1. | Parents of student to be transported; and
| | 2. | Parents of the student volunteer driver.
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| | iv. | The legal restrictions for novice (“N”) drivers are as follows:
1. | “N” sign must be displayed at the back of the car.
| | 2. | Zero alcohol or drugs, including cannabis, in the driver’s blood while driving.
| | 3. | No hand-held or hands-free electronic devices.
| | 4. | Limit of one (1) passenger.
a. | To transport additional passengers, a supervisor aged 25 or older with a valid driver’s license (class 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5) must accompany the driver. (Note: The restriction of one (1) passenger does not apply if the additional passengers are immediate family members of the driver.)
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| | h. | Volunteer suitability should be considered with the factors enunciated in the administrative procedure governing school volunteers.
| | i. | Vehicle condition is to be certified by the driver. If something indicates a vehicle may not be roadworthy, it must not be utilized.
| | j. | Vehicles licensed for private purposes with a seating capacity of more than ten including the driver are not permitted for transportation of students by volunteer drivers.
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| 4. | Orientation of volunteer driversa. | Orientation of volunteer drivers is to cover both the specific travel and general procedures relating to transporting students.
| | b. | Instructions on the field study schedule, route, and passenger list must be clearly communicated to volunteer drivers.
| | c. | Volunteer drivers are to be oriented as to obligations and responsibilities of staff, volunteers and students including school procedures, particularly those related to safety, emergencies and the reporting of incidents (see administrative procedures governing risk management - incident reports and student accident and illness at school), confidentiality, and requirements for vehicle passenger restraint systems
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| 5. | Vehicle passenger restraint systems
a. | All automobile passengers are required by the Motor Vehicle Act wear a seatbelt.
| | b. | Where a vehicle is equipped with a front passenger air bag, vehicle manufacturers recommend that children aged 12 and under should not occupy that seat.
| | c. | Booster seats are required for children over 18 kg. (40 lbs) until they are 9 years old unless they have reached the height of 145 cm (4’9”).
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| 6. | Documentation
a. | Documentation is to be retained on volunteer drivers, vehicles and students transported in accordance with standards established by District administration.
| | b. | The following documentation is required to be completed before an individual may act in the capacity as a volunteer driver: to document the selection and authorization of volunteer drivers:
i. | A Volunteer Drivers’ Application form authorized by the principal or vice-principal.
| | ii. | A personal driving record, also known as a drivers’ abstract, which may be obtained online at ICBC by the driver at no charge. In order to act as a volunteer driver, the driver’s abstract must show:
1. | Driver Status: Normal;
| | 2. | No more than two Motor Vehicle Act violations in the past three years;
| | 3. | No more than three points in the last three years; and
| | 4. | No suspension or prohibition in the last five years.
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| | iii. | A Criminal Record Check with Vulnerable Sector obtained online through the Criminal Records Review Program.
1. | Staff acting as volunteer drivers will already have a criminal record check completed by human resources. An additional criminal record check is not required for staff.
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| | iv. | Approved Driver Application forms are valid for the current school year. New documentation must be obtained each school year or when the information provided changes if there are changes during the school year.
1. | Criminal Records Checks are valid for 5 years
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| | c. | A Staff/Volunteer Transportation Record is required each time volunteer drivers transport students. This form is designed to facilitate orderly recording of field study and extra-curricular transportation arrangements at the school. It is to be signed by the educator-in-charge and filed with the school’s file on the field study (Records Classification File #11150-20).
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| 7. | Insurance coverage for volunteer drivers
a. | Insurance on the vehicle driven by the volunteer is the responsibility of the owner. The school district carries Excess Third Party Legal Liability Insurance to supplement the vehicle owner’s insurance.
| | b. | The following is intended to establish a general understanding of insurance coverage for volunteer drivers. The precise attributes of insurance coverage are established by the legal terms outlined in insurance policies and are subject to interpretation by the courts.
| | c. | A volunteer driver, for the purposes of this insurance discussion, is voluntarily acting on behalf of or assisting the district while using or operating a vehicle not owned by the District.
| | d. | In the event of a motor vehicle accident, insurance claims are satisfied pursuant to the terms of the insurance coverage carried on the vehicle involved.
| | e. | Volunteer drivers must maintain (at minimum) $1,000,000 third-party liability insurance coverage on a vehicle used to transport students. The Schools Protection Program (SPP) provides excess liability coverage above the vehicles’ insurances, provided the vehicle has at least $1,000,000 third party liability coverage.
| | f. | The District does not insure volunteer vehicles for physical damage (comprehensive or collision). Volunteer drivers must determine for themselves whether to obtain such insurance, though it is recommended.
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