Is it Legal for Teachers to Drive on Field Trips?

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It is without a doubt that minibuses are great modes of transport for groups of people. So, if you want to get a group of students from point A to point B, then traveling by minibus is something that you should definitely think about. Why? This is because there are many advantages of traveling with a minibus. A question that you may have is whether it is legal for teachers to drive students on field trips? The short and simple answer to that question is yes, but it is not as straightforward as you think.

Make Sure You Have a Valid License

For a schoolteacher to drive students on a field trip, they must first have a valid and full driving license. This may seem like an obvious statement, but it is important that it is mentioned. Under no circumstances should a teacher drive students or themselves without having a full license. Not only is this against the law, but it is extremely dangerous and irresponsible as this would put many people’s lives at risk. So, if you are a teacher looking to drive some of your students on a field trip, make sure that you have a full driving license. Importantly, while not a legal requirement, it is also highly advised that the teacher in question has a lot of driving experience under their belt. That way, they will likely feel more confident when driving around others, especially younger children.

Use a Minibus

If a teacher wants to drive around students for a field trip, then it is a good idea to look into renting or purchasing a minibus. Why? Well, this is because by doing so, they will be able to transport a larger amount of people at once. Transporting children in their own private vehicle is not advised. Not only is it inefficient, as a car can only hold so many people, but you also need to make sure your insurance meets the requirements. So, if you haven’t done so already, be sure to head over to The Minibus Centre in order to look into getting a minibus for the school.

Ensure Safety

When driving or using transport in general, it is important to make sure that you have the correct safety measures put in place. So, if you are driving a minibus, then be sure that it is fitted with all the necessary safety features. For example, when driving a school minibus, it is advised that you rent or purchase one that has fitted and secure seatbelts. Importantly also, be sure that the seats are easy to wipe so that any mess that is created can be cleaned in a prompt, swift, and efficient manner.

At the end of the day, the most important thing to be sure of is the safety of the passengers. In this case, the passengers are schoolchildren. So, whichever teacher ends up being in charge of transporting and driving the kids, it is important that they drive safely at all times.

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