Driver Safety

Your responsibility for safe transportation of students, employees, and volunteers doesn’t end at the edge of the driveway. Field trips, excursions, and other events requiring your parish or institution to transport people, young or old, includes a responsibility to utilize safe drivers.

Institutions are frequently reluctant to question or research the history or background of volunteers that are offering their own vehicles for use. But the risks associated with transportation of others dictates that these institutions exercise due diligence to ensure that drivers acting on their behalf have the appropriate license and history of safe motor vehicle operations.

After identifying the driver(s) for a particular outing or event, it is incumbent upon the institution or parish to obtain documentation verifying the following:

• The driver has a current driver’s license; and
• The driver has a clean driving record; i.e., the driver does not have a record of any driving safety violation, including convictions for driving under the influence.

These documentation procedures should be uniformly followed for each volunteer driver.

Drivers' Record Check Service

To assist you with this important safety precaution, the Office of Risk Management has contracted with a company that can provide the record check for a nominal fee. In order to take advantage of this service, please contact David Huskins at 617-746-5742.

In addition, when the transportation involves children, youth, elderly and the disabled, appropriate measures, including CORI checks, must be taken in order to comply with volunteer safety procedures.  Parishes may contact the Office of Background Screening at 617-746-5840 for assistance.