As a nonprofit animal shelter or rescue, you often times rely on volunteers to utilize their personal vehicles for transporting animals or running errands. What many organizations do not realize is that they can still be named in a lawsuit if that volunteer is involved in a vehicle incident while doing volunteer work for the animal shelter or rescue. Since this is the case, it is important for the shelter or rescue to have proper procedures and protocols in place for volunteers using their personal vehicles.
What is The Volunteer’s Driving Record?
To understand and paint a picture of the type of driver your volunteer is, it is best get a motor vehicle record (mvr) on the driver. MVR’s will show you if they have had any past wrecks or speeding tickets and will help you identify high risk drivers.
Policy & Procedures
Proper policies and procedures will identify the do’s and don’ts of driving for the animal shelter or rescue as well include a place for the volunteer to sign that they agree to these policies and procedures.
Do’s of Driving for the Animal Shelter
1. Always wear a seatbelt.
2. Always follow traffic laws.
3. Obey all traffic signs and lights.
Don’ts of Driving for the Animal Shelter
1. Never drive recklessly.
2. Never use a cell phone while operating the vehicle.
3. Never transport individuals not associated with the shelter at the same time.
Is There Insurance for That?
It is true that organizations can still be named in a lawsuit if the volunteer is an accident while running shelter errands. Why? If the volunteers is transporting an animal and hits another vehicle, causing injury to the other parties, they can come back and find the organization to be at fault for those injuries. The good news is that you can add non-owned and hired auto liability insurance to your policies. This coverage provides protection in excess of the volunteer’s personal coverage and helps protect the finances and assets of the organization.