617 Policy on Driving for College- Sanctioned Trips

(Approved by Senior Staff, August 20, 2014)

This Policy is intended to provide guidance and rules for driving of vehicles, whether owned by Centre or another party (including rented vehicles), on all the trips undertaken by members of the Centre community, in connection with a Centre sanctioned activity. Examples are class trips, club trips, and athletic trips.

Student Drivers

1. It is the clear preference for employees (staff or faculty) to be the drivers on all trips sanctioned by the College.
2. In unusual cases or where it is wholly not practical for employees to drive a vehicle on a trip, students may be allowed to drive on such trips, with some limitations. The employee responsible for the activity (such as a faculty member, club sponsor, or coach) must approve any student driver and ensure that the student meets the qualifications in this Policy.
3. Any student driver must have these qualifications:
   1. Have a validly issued driver’s license;
   2. Have not accumulated more than three points on their license during the past two years; and
   3. Be capable of driving the particular vehicle.
4. Students will normally not be permitted to be drivers on any trip that is longer than four hours or 250 miles. It is not permissible to stack multiple student drivers on a longer trip. For a trip longer than this, there must be an employee driver or a hired commercial driving company.

College Vehicle Preference and Insurance Coverage

Where possible, the trip should be taken in a vehicle owned or leased by the College. If that is not possible, the driver may be allowed to drive their own vehicle. In that case, the liability insurance applicable to the driver and/or the vehicle will be the primary coverage; in the event that the trip is for College business (that is, it is a College sanctioned trip), the College’s auto liability coverage will provide excess insurance.

Van Drivers

1. The College owns several multi-passenger vans (MPVs) able to carry 12 or 15 passengers; these are occasionally rented from rental firms, as well. The following rules apply to any use of an MPV on a College-sanctioned trip.
2. Anyone driving an MPV must qualify as follows:
   1. Have a validly issued driver’s license;
   2. Have not accumulated more than three points on their license in the past two years;
   3. Passed an online safety training module assigned through the College’s insurance carrier; and
   4. Passed a driving test in a similar vehicle as the one to be driven, which test is administered by a designated College official.
3. A student may, under limited circumstances, be allowed to drive an MPV if they qualify as above in section 2, plus has no significant disciplinary violations in their record. A member of the Senior Staff must approve any student for driving an MPV on a College-sanctioned trip.

Drivers on Any College-Sanctioned Trip

All drivers on College-sanctioned trips, whether in a personal vehicle or one owned or leased by the College, must obey all traffic rules regulations and all applicable laws. In addition, drivers must observe rules of reasonable safety, must not use cell phones or other electronic devices while driving, and must minimize distractions while driving (no excessively loud music, keep eyes on the road, and so on). A driver risks losing insurance protection or indemnification from the College in cases of recklessness or violations of law.

Training for Drivers

All drivers on College-sanctioned trips should be trained appropriately for the trip. For drivers of MPVs, the College will provide in-the-vehicle training at the beginning of each semester. Anyone seeking to be permitted to drive an MPV must have received this training prior to driving, and as often as once every two years. In addition, the online training module will be provided and must be passed prior to driving. The online training must be passed once every academic year.