Safety First: Livery Insurance
We take pride in having livery insurance to back us up at all times. At VIP Limousine, our absolute #1 priority is the safety of all of our clients and our chauffeurs. When you are out on the road, you should be able to proceed with complete confidence. None of the glittering lights, champagne flutes, powerful stereos, lacquered wood, and plush leather mean anything if something goes awry.
Approximately 1 year prior to the publication of this blog, Hasy Limousines in upstate New York was at the center of one of the worst individual transportation accidents in recent memory. The chauffeur was not qualified to drive the vehicle. It was an SUV stretch limo which had failed mandatory safety inspection and was not road-worthy. This is entirely preventable in Utah where there are fewer regulations governing safety of limos.
VIP Limousine uses a common sense approach to safety– training each of our chauffeurs on defensive driving and bad weather. This is in order to navigate all variety of trouble. We regularly inspect all of our vehicles to the standards and frequency expected and mandated by the USDOT. This includes the drivetrain and internal safety equipment, as well as capping passenger capacity. As a result, our company has a great safety record. However, what if something DOES go awry?
That’s where insurance comes in. Livery insurance is different from regular car insurance in a few ways. First, it’s quite expensive, taking up a good portion of operating costs. It covers multiple vehicles in a fleet with high limits and deductibles for larger passenger capacities. Second, it has to cover a wide variety of other entities, including local municipalities (like SLC) where a company does business and other livery companies which may work in conjunction, usually in an affiliate relationship. Finally, there’s also the matter of proper coverage.
Some insurance policies won’t meet certain state minimum standards, and therefore cannot be used in certain areas. In other instances, the coverage provided by a particular policy may not be enough. This is why we start looking at policies and alternatives up to 6 months in advance of our renewal.
We have stringent requirements for what this must look like. First, the livery insurance policy must be affordable for the company to operate. There’s no point in splurging if it puts you out of work. It must also be able to cover all vehicles in the fleet, and it must also meet or exceed state minimum standards. Our staff spent months searching for the right new policy, and didn’t settle until after going through several dozen of them.
What does this mean for you? It means we can operate safely and securely above the state minimum standards. We can work in conjunction with more affiliates across the country and around the world. Further, it also means that our prices do not have to rise to offset cost. This keeps our limo services affordable and competitive with the local market. That is just part of why our clients are #drivenbetter.
Special thanks to Joy and the rest of her team at our new brokerage for working with us!
One of the reasons VIP Limousine is still the most trusted airport shuttle, black car and limousine service provider in Utah is our commitment to provide you with the safest trips you can possibly get. Our 3 decades of experience in this industry backed by our passion keeps us grounded. Get that #drivenbetter experience today! Click HERE to book a VIP vehicle.