HopSkipDrive forms dedicated Safety Advisory Council
Six safety experts join the newly formed Safety Advisory Council at U.S.-based student transportation tech firm HopSkipDrive.
HopSkipDrive, which focuses on solving school transportation challenges, says the new council will guide its ongoing innovation in youth transportation safety.
Insights from the Safety Advisory Council will directly inform product development as the company continues to expand its offering of services for students with specialized transport needs.
The members of the Safety Advisory Council are:
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
The new council will address every aspect of the safe ride experience, from road safety to interpersonal safety. It will play a crucial role in guiding HopSkipDrive’s expansion of wheelchair-accessible vehicle rides and strengthening its AI-powered dash cam recording Safe Ride InSight technology.
“Safety is a multifaceted challenge that requires diverse perspectives and specialized expertise,” explains Jen Brandenburger, Senior Vice President 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 formation of the safety council follows shortly after HopSkipDrive published its 2024 Safety Report and announced new features aimed at improving its suite of safety products and initiatives. Last year, 99.7 percent of the 1.7 million HopSkipDrive rides that took place ended without a safety concern of any kind.
“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,” adds 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 news follows shortly after HopSkipDrive added Bright Horizons’ Dave Lissy to its board in April 2025.
