Non-emergency medical transportation drivers have a high level of responsibility. While they might not drive patients to the ER, they do have to ensure their riders experience a smooth, safe, and reliable journey.
If you regularly drive patients around, safety is likely your biggest concern. To help keep you, the patients, and everyone else on the road as safe as possible, read on.
Choose the Best NEMT Insurance
Insurance is essential for anyone on the road, including NEMT drivers. If you are responsible for your vehicle’s insurance, be sure to do your research and choose the one that covers the most for the fairest price. The best way to do this is to find one specific for patient drivers. By finding the best NEMT insurance, you ensure you are suitably covered on the road.
Check on the Patient
While you don’t need to medically check the patient, you should check in with them verbally before they get in the vehicle. Ask them how they are feeling, where they are heading, and how comfortable they are. Not only will this help you establish a better relationship with them (which is good for regular riders), but you’ll also know if there’s ever a time a patient needs emergency transportation instead.
Keep Your Distance
While on the road, you must keep enough distance between yourself and the drivers both in front and behind you. If someone makes an emergency stop, you want there to be enough time and space to stop accordingly to prevent an accident. It’s all about providing a smooth ride for the patient.
Maintain the Vehicle
Another essential step is vehicle maintenance. By sticking to your regular checks and doing a quick once over before each shift, you reduce the risk of an easily avoided accident. The tires are especially important – always check their pressure before driving out for the day.
Know Your Regular Routes Well
The more you know the roads, the safer you will be. After all, it’s easier to take notice of the traffic around you if you already know what junction is coming up. Likely, you will come to know the roads over your shifts as you pick up patients and take them where they need to go. If you ever take a new route with a rider, check it out on Google Maps beforehand.
Keep an Eye on Road News
Lastly, it’s important to keep an eye on road news going on in the area you will be driving. There might be road maintenance, or there might have been an accident on one of the roads, meaning you must avoid it. You should check the weather report, too – certain weather requires extra safety precautions, such as appropriate tires. By knowing the roads, you will have an easier time driving safely on them and avoiding bad routes.
Becoming a safer NEMT driver doesn’t have to be hard. By talking with your riders, staying alert, keeping a good vehicle, and knowing the roads well, you can safely and smoothly get the patients from A to B.
