Motor Vehicle Travel Permission Policy

Rationale: Excursions need careful planning to minimise risk. To ensure everyone’s safety, all precautions will be taken to ensure an excursion where motor vehicle transport will be used is a safe and well-planned experience for all involved.

Objectives: Children’s safety will be maintained while travelling in a motor vehicle. Consideration will be given to additional risks of excursion and supervision requirements. Parents will be made aware and approve of planned supervision standards. Staff will have written permission from parents/guardians to transport children by motor vehicle.

Policy and recommended procedure:

• Each child will be properly restrained in an approved car seat when travelling in a motor vehicle, as required by Land Transport legislation (traffic regs 1976, clause 29A). Adults must wear seatbelts and be responsible for ensuring children are properly restrained.

• Any vehicle children travel in must have a current Warrant of Fitness and registration.

• Anyone who intents to use the Bright Beginnings Van must correctly fill in the Van Log book at the beginning and end of their trip and must also sign to acknowledge that they have sighted the diesel milage; WOF and their own drivers license.

• The van must have a current Warrant of Fitness and registration as well as sufficient road user mileage. The driver must have a current driver’s license.  All drivers must ensure they adhere to the rules of their license.
• There must be at least two adults (inclusive of the driver) in any motor vehicle carrying more than four children.

• Excursion ratios may vary between 1:1 and 1:4. Consideration of any risk factors in regard to the safety of the children will be carried out prior to the trip to determine which child/adult ratio is needed. For example, transport, destination features, planned activities.

• Parents agree to travel by motor vehicle when their children are enrolled: “In the event of an emergency (including illness/accident) where the parents/ whānau cannot be contacted, I give permission for Bright Beginnings to take whatever actions necessary to safeguard the well-being of my child”.

• Bright Beginnings will obtain written permission from each child’s parent/guardian for their child to travel in a motor vehicle prior to any excursion/trip. For planned excursions records of permission slips will be recorded on the Record of Outings/Excursions form, along with the planned child/adult ratio, and assessment and management of risk.

• As per the enrolment forms, children who do not have consent to travel by motor vehicle on spontaneous trips out of the centre will only be taken where written permission is granted for the occasion.

• The centre van is insured under the Baptist Insurance Fund. In the event of an accident, the proper authorities, the centre manager and parents will be notified immediately. Children being transported in the van are required to wear a safety belt and/or be in a legal car seat or restraint. The van will be maintained in good legal condition. (Refer to van procedure for more information).