Incidents and emergencies

It is important that you know how to handle incidents and emergency situations to protect lives and ensure that liability questions are handled properly. Please read over the following guidance, and know that additional resources can be found in the glove box of your vehicle.

General guidelines

In any incident or emergency, you and your passengers’ safety come first. Do not exit the vehicle unless safe to do so. Call 911 if medical assistance is needed.

A copy of the emergency procedures card is also included in your vehicle’s glove box. If the card is missing, call 911 first if necessary and then immediately call the Vanpool office at 206-625-4500.

Any situation involving vehicle or property damage, mechanical failure of your vehicle, or serious injury, or the potential for medical assistance or liability claim must be reported immediately to the Vanpool office.

Insurance info

King County Metro provides insurance coverage for Metro Vanpool. Refer to the emergency procedures card in the glove box for details.

Emergency roadside assistance

Your monthly fare includes emergency roadside assistance. In an emergency, you may call either your Maintenance Rideshare Service Representative (RSR), available Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm, or the Vanpool office at 206-625-4500 at any time to reach the on-call team member. Vanpool off-hours phones are for emergencies only.

Note: Roadside assistance does not cover expenses related to negligence, such as running out of fuel or locking keys inside vehicles.

Collisions

Do not admit fault! In the event of a collision or incident, remain calm and act promptly. Drive to a nearby safe location and following the collision procedures below. If necessary, ask another group participant to help. These collision procedures can also be found on the emergency procedures card located in your glove box.

How to handle a collision

Protect the scene

Turn on hazard flashers
Move the vehicle out of traffic
Make sure riders are in a safe location
Set up warning triangles (kit in the van)

CALL 911 to report the collision (regardless of severity)
Call King County Metro Transit at 206-625-4500 and report the collision immediately
Exchange information with the other driver(s)
- Obtain names, addresses and phone numbers
- Driver license numbers
- Vehicle license numbers
- Insurance information: King County Office of Risk Management, 206-263-2250, kingcounty.gov/claims
Ask all witnesses to complete Witness Courtesy Cards. Copies of these cards are located in the collision procedures packet.
Complete the Vanpool Incident Report within 48 hours.

Breakdowns

A breakdown is any event that causes your vehicle to lose function, including flat tires, fluid leaks, dead batteries, stalled engines or other mechanical issues. Adhering to Metro’s inspection and maintenance guidelines, as well as following safe driving habits, greatly reduces the likelihood of a breakdown.

Metro’s response will depend on the type of breakdown, location and time. Your vehicle will be towed if necessary, and alternate transportation for you and your riders will be coordinated.

How to handle a breakdown

Protect the scene where your van is disabled.
- Turn on hazard flashers
- Move the vehicle out of traffic
- Make sure riders are in a safe location
- Set up warning triangles (kit in the van)
Call a Metro team representative at 206-625-4500 and have the following information ready:
- Your high occupancy vehicle (HOV) number (for example, HOV 1234)
- Your exact location
- Your van’s condition and/or suspected problem
- A phone number where you can be reached

If the call is made outside of normal business hours, Monday – Friday, 8 am to 5 pm, your call will be routed to our after-hours call center. The call center will collect all necessary information and forward that information to our on-call representative. Our on-call representative will return your call as soon as possible.

If van requires towing

Leave the van in a secured area, lock it, tell Metro and the towing company where you will leave the keys. Do not take the keys with you. Metro will have the van towed to the nearest dealership, assigned garage or Metro facility.

Emergency Procedures Card

Each Vanpool vehicle has a copy of the Emergency Procedures stored in the glove box. Each card outlines the procedures detailed here, including how to provide insurance and how to handle collisions and breakdowns.

Vandalism, break-ins or theft

Other emergencies may occur from vandalism, theft, or attempted break-in. Never leave wallets, purses, briefcases, backpacks, shopping bags, electronics, or other valuables in the vehicle. They are an invitation to thieves.

If your vehicle is stolen or damaged from theft or vandalism, follow these steps:

Call your local law enforcement agency and file a report
Retain the assigned case number for future reference.
Report the incident to the Vanpool office immediately
You will be asked for the case number, the county or city jurisdiction where your report was filed and details of the incident.
Assess the damage
If the vehicle is drivable, you will be asked to take the vehicle to a body shop for a picture and estimate of damages or to document no damage.

Self-insurance

Metro’s self-insurance coverage does not extend to the loss of a group participant’s personal property while it is in the vehicle. All personal property in a Metro vehicle is there at the risk of the participant.

Emergency Ride Home / Courtesy Cab

To honor your commitment to participating in Vanpool, Metro commits to getting you home in an emergency on the days you use Vanpool to get to work. This covers unplanned circumstances such as:

You become ill during the workday
You need to attend to a household emergency
Your child or a family member becomes ill during the day

Check with your company’s Employee Transportation Coordinator or HR department to see if your employer provides a way to get you home for these types of circumstances. If they don’t, or you have maxed out your employer’s benefits, Metro guarantees you an emergency ride home through their Courtesy Cab/Guaranteed Ride Home program.

To use this benefit, simply take a taxi, Uber, or Lyft home. Get a receipt for the ride and submit it to your Vanpool Accounting RSR through the reimbursement request form; Metro will reimburse you for the ride. Tips are not eligible for reimbursement.

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