Reducing Auto Losses Through Practice and Training
By Annette Satterly, Certified School Risk Manager and Harry Cheff, Certified School Risk Manager
The MSGIA Pool has been experiencing losses in Auto Liability/Auto Physical Damage, and we can attribute most of the costly accidents to drivers either being in a hurry or being distracted. Many of the accidents can thus be prevented and the necessary claims avoided by taking a few simple steps:
- First, slow down, especially at dusk and at dawn, when the odds of striking an animal increase significantly. By driving 5 mph below the posted speed limit, especially after dark, a driver has much more time to react to the unpredictable movements of animals along the highway.
- Second, allow only district students or staff to be passengers in district-owned vehicles.
- Third, purchase Supplemental Auto Insurance; School District Employees and Officials shall secure supplemental auto physical damage and auto liability coverage when renting a vehicle to complete School District business or duties or when traveling to conduct School District business. If vehicle rental arrangements are made through the school district, transportation or business office officials shall secure the supplemental coverage. If the employee or official pays for the supplemental coverage, the employee or official will be reimbursed for the cost of the supplemental coverage through regular reimbursement protocols in accordance with School District Policies 1531 or 7335.
In addition to the above steps, MSGIA has made it convenient to offer many hours of training for your drivers. Through SafeSchools program, there are 13 transportation classes for the everyday driver. Additionally, MSGIA purchased the School Bus Safety Company Training, which can be reached through the Safe Schools platform for our property and liability pool members with buses. These classes are approved by OPI for the mandated training requirements.
At MSGIA, we try to keep abreast of the changes required through regulations as well as the changing environment we live in. New regulations brought the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). To meet this need, MSGIA has arranged for Entry Level Driving Training – Map 21 to be available through the SafeSchools platform. Paired with School Bus Safety Company’s Driver Training Courses, this program helps the district comply with Map-21.
Aware that school districts are struggling to hire bus drivers and other drivers who have a CDL, MSGIA has made it possible for your drivers to study for the written test at home or at school by purchasing the CDL Training Course; we have, moreover, made it available to members through the SafeSchools platform. The CDL training course consists of 7 interactive modules of class material and an extra module that contains practice tests. Your driver will still need to arrange to take the necessary tests (written and driving), but these classes prepare your driver for the CDL written test and increase the odds of passing the test the first time.
The SafeSchools platform can be reached here http://msgia.org/safety-resources/training/safeschools or through the MSGIA website. Classes may be assigned to employees (this is easier to track), or individuals may access the training on their own (their email address serves as their username). Please contact Harry or Annette to ensure that your drivers are loaded into the system to ensure their training success. Return to newsletter