Motor Vehicle Policy
I. Policy Title: Motor Vehicle Policy
II. Who Does This Policy Affect:
All HFC faculty, staff, employees, vendors/contractors
III. Purpose:
This policy is to promote the safe operation of College provided vehicles that are operated by College employees, students, faculty staff and approved volunteers; to encourage driver and passenger safety; and, to minimize physical damage to the College’s fleet. This policy applies to all authorized drivers of College provided vehicles and for drivers using other vehicles for official College business.
IV. Policy Statement:
All College provided vehicles shall be operated in a safe and responsible manner in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local laws and traffic regulations. College provided vehicles may only be operated by a College authorized driver within the scope of their jobs for official College business. Regulations and procedures for use and operating a College provided vehicle are found in the Motor Vehicle Procedures.
“College provided vehicles” are not for personal use or non-College use by any employee. Exceptions to this prohibition are those vehicles issued to personnel who are on emergency call on a 24 hour/7 day a week basis. These vehicles may be sparingly used for incidental, de minimis personal use, such as incidental stops of a personal nature, when traveling to or from work. College provided vehicles may be issued to individuals for regular personal use if the vehicles are provided as a condition of employment.
Employees misusing College provided vehicles may be personally liable for damages to persons or property cause to third parties and the legal expenses of defense since employees act outside the scope of their employment during the misuse. In addition, employees misusing College provided vehicles are subject to disciplinary action by the College up to an including termination, in compliance with any applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The following conditions are some examples of what is considered to be a misuse of College provided vehicles. This is not an exhaustive list:
• Driving a College provided vehicle without driver authorization by proper College officials
• Driving without a valid Michigan or other State’s operator’s license of the appropriate class for the type of vehicle being driven
• Permitting an unauthorized person to drive a College provided vehicle
• Engaging is unsafe practices, including but not limited to , failure to use and to ensure that all passengers use all available safety equipment in the vehicle being operated, such as seat belts/ shoulder harnesses or other such devices
• Falsification of any documents or forms associated with the use of the College provided vehicles, such as but not limited to travel logs, travel authorizations, defensive driver training program certificates, accident reports
• Improper storage or parking of the College provided vehicle
• Unauthorized personal use
• Unauthorized transport of passengers
• Picking up hitchhikers
• Unauthorized transport of students for any purpose
• Failure to comply with any law, regulation, or College policy or procedure regarding use of College provided vehicles
• Transporting items/materials not authorized by the College (this excludes personal items such as clothing and other travel related necessities)
• Transporting unauthorized animals
• Transporting unauthorized hazardous materials ( approval to transport any hazardous materials for College business or College purpose requires Vice President or his or her designee’s authorization)
• Radar detectors, jammers or other such devices are prohibited in College provided vehicles
• Smoking is prohibited in College provided vehicles
• Consumption of alcohol is prohibited in College provided vehicles.
Authorized drivers are obligated to strictly follow all motor vehicle state laws and regulations, and local ordinances when operating a College provided Vehicle, For example, and without limitation, an authorized driver may be assessed for the loss or damage of a College vehicle if the loss or damage was caused while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or reckless driving. College employees who permit an individual to operate a College provided vehicle, will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including, termination in compliance with applicable CBA.
It is the responsibility of an authorized driver to self-report loss of a valid operator's license to the Office of Campus Safety. Failure to do so, and: operating a College provided vehicle without a proper license, will result in: disciplinary action up to and including termination, in compliance with applicable CBA. In addition, the driver will be held responsible for any liability incurred by the College.
It is the responsibility of-an authorized driver to complete any training the College requires prior to operating a College provided vehicle. Potential authorized drivers, and authorized drivers, are required to review all applicable policies and procedures, and be familiar with driver responsibilities and accident procedures. Authorized drivers shall sign an acknowledgment form they have received the applicable policies and procedures related to the safe operation of College provided vehicles. These signed forms shall be kept by the Office of Campus Safety with the authorized driver permit.
If a driver has restrictions or limitations indicated on their valid State license, the driver is required to follow those restrictions without exception. It is expected that any person seeking to operate a College provided vehicle has the physical ability to do so without endangering themselves or others.
Use of Personal Vehicle for College Business
The College assumes no liability for the use of a personal vehicle for College business or College purpose.
Liability Insurance:
If an accident occurs while a personal vehicle is being used for official College business, the vehicle owner's personal automobile liability coverage applies.
Vehicle Physical Damage Insurance:
The College provides no coverage for, and is not responsible for damage to a personal vehicle, even when used on official College business or other college purposes. The College does not assume liability for deductibles or any other uninsured loss to the vehicle.
Motorcycles, mopeds, scooters and similar vehicles may not be used to conduct College business or for other College purposes.
Students, including student-employees, are not authorized to operate College owned, leased or rented vehicles.
Rental Vehicles:
Rental of a vehicle may by the College for use to conduct College business or for any other College purpose. Authority to rent a motor vehicle, or trailer for College business or purpose, must first be approved by the Vice President of Finances and Facilities or his/her designee. The rental agreement must comply with terms and conditions for rental vehicles set forth in the procedures to this policy, and may include purchasing collision damage waiver, or similar coverage offered by the rental company. The driver seeking permission to rent a vehicle or trailer rental must be an authorized driver of the College and must comply with the all the requirements of this policy and procedure.
Driver Authorization
Authorized drivers are expected to follow all the requirements set forth in the Motor Vehicle Procedures, in addition to this Policy. The President, or his/her designee, shall implement and update procedures for use of College provided vehicles, including liability and vehicle insurance coverage, consistent with this policy.
Drivers must receive specific written authorization (permit) from the College in order to operate a College provided vehicle. A Driver Authorization Permit will only be issued by the Office of Campus Safety if potential driver meets all the requirements established by the College to operate a College provided vehicle, and there is appropriate approval that the driver requires use of a College provided vehicle in performance of his/her employment. An authorized driver is required to submit to the Office of Campus Safety the name(s) of all potential passengers in the vehicle. The Office of Campus Safety: will determine if: the passengers are considered authorized passengers. The Office of Campus Safety, or other department assigned by the President or his/her designee, shall be responsible for the issuance and- maintenance of driver authorization permits, and other- documents associated\With the issuance Of the permit (such as inspection forms, list of authorized passengers, etc.)
Authorization will be provided only to drivers who have a current, valid and unrestricted Michigan Driver's license, or other state operator's license, with the proper class and endorsement(s) listed for the vehicle(s) to be operated and who have a satisfactory driving record that meets the minimum driver qualifications established by the College. The Motor Vehicle Procedures shall identify the College's acceptable driving standards. No deviation from the minimum driving standards is permitted.
Minimum Driver Qualifications:
The College authorizes the President or his/her designee to develop minimum driver qualifications for the operation of a College provided vehicle and specify those qualifications in the Motor Vehicle Procedures. The minimum driver qualifications shall include without limitation, the following:
i. The age of the driver must be 21 years old.
ii. The driver must have no less than 5 years driving experience.
iii. The driver must possess a current, valid State driver's license with the appropriate endorsements for the vehicle to be operated.
iv. The driver must not have any major violations in the past 5 years.
v. The drivers must not have more than one minor driving violation in the past 12 months or two minor driving violations in the past 36 months.
The College is authorized to include in the Motor Vehicle Procedures stricter minimum driver qualification standards.
Review of Operator License.
In order to verify that the driving records of potential authorized drivers or authorized drivers meet the standards of the College, the College's Office of Campus Safety shall conduct an annual review of driving records. Official driving records of all authorized or potential authorized drivers shall be obtained from the Secretary of the State of Michigan or other State Department of motor vehicles for that annual review. Any employee, faculty or staff who wishes to become an authorized-driver or retain their authorized driver status, consents to the College obtaining an official copy of their driving record and will sign an authorization to allow the College to access to the driver's official motor vehicle record. If the employee chooses not to consent, their authorization to operate a College provided vehicle is terminated immediately.
It is the responsibility of the authorized drivers using College provided vehicles to inform the Office of Campus Safety of any motor vehicle violations that may affect their authorization to operate a College provided vehicle.
If a driver no longer meets the minimum driver qualifications as specified in this policy and the procedures, that individual is not permitted to operate a College provided vehicle. If operating a College provided vehicle is an essential function of an employee's job, the employee may be subject to discharge, in compliance with any applicable CBA.
V. Definitions:
College Provided Vehicles: Includes all vehicles owned or leased by the College for use by College employees, staff, or faculty, and any rental vehicles from external agencies that the College authorizes an employee, staff, or faculty to rent for transportation of one or more persons.
Personal Vehicle: A personal vehicle is a vehicle owned or operated by someone or some entity other than the College.
Authorized Driver: A College authorized driver is a College employee who meets all the qualifications set forth in this Policy and accompanying Procedure, has an Authorized Driver Permit issued by Campus Safety to drive a College provided vehicle, and requires the use of a College provided vehicle for a legitimate educational need or for a legitimate College business or College purpose.
Authorized Passenger: An authorized passenger is a passenger who is permitted to ride in a College provided vehicle when-there is legitimate educational need, or when there is a legitimate need to do.so for official College business or purpose. An authorized passenger is required to follow all College policies and procedures, and to adhere to all safety and operational practices as specified in •this policy and motor vehicles procedures. Unauthorized passengers include, but are not limited to, spouses or significant others, family members, pets, or any other passenger not on official College business or for official College purpose. Some College provided vehicles, such as Office of Campus Safety vehicles; may be used to transport passengers other than those listed above in the course of fulfilling their: employment responsibilities.
VI. Responsible Party for Policy Interpretation/Review
Vice President of Financial, Facility & Auxiliary Services
Manager of Campus Safety
VII. Related Documents
Vehicle Use Procedures (Steps for Reserving and Using HFC Vehicles)
Motor Vehicle Procedures (Previously 3800R)
https://policies.hfcc.edu/node/316
Vehicle Safety Checklist - Pre-Trip and Post-Trip Inspection
Steps to Follow after an Accident
https://policies.hfcc.edu/system/files/appendix_2_vehicle_information.pdf
Vehicle Request web page (School Dude)
https://login.myschoolbuilding.com/msb?acctNum=677171795&productID=MD
VIII. Policy History:
a. Adopted by Board: September 15, 2015
c. Previous Policy Section: Operations; Previous Policy No.3800
Review/Updated
September 18, 2017
** This policy supersedes and replaces any and all policies related to this subject**