PROCEDURE FOR USC Vehicle Driver Policy Procedure

USC Vehicle Driver Requirement

Procedure for Vehicle Driver Requirement

PROCEDURE FOR USC Vehicle Driver Policy

Issued: 11/11/2017

Last Updated: 06/12/2023

Procedure Introduction

Procedures for the USC Vehicle Driver policy which defines the compliance, restrictions and parameters

for operating University Vehicles, leased, rental and personal vehicles for university business..

Responsibilities

POSITION or OFFICE

RESPONSIBILITIES

Office of Risk Management

1. Monitoring and communication of Vehicle Driver policy and

pull program

Department Fleet Manager

1. Ensure department or school employees are enrolled in USC

pull program

Notify Office of Risk Management and Insurance of

add/deletions to pull program

Employee

1. Notify Office of Risk Management and Insurance of any

accidents in university vehicle

2. Employ

ees must immediately report to their manager or

Department Fleet Manager any conditions that may

potentially affect the safe operation of a university vehicle.

3. Authorized drivers must immediately report a change in their

driver’s license status to their manager or the Office of Risk

Management and Insurance

Procedure Details

Action #

Responsible Stakeholder

Details

1.0

• Employee (Authorized

Driver)

Driver Requirements

As a condition of employment, drivers of university

vehicles are

expected to obey all traffic laws and

regulations and maintain a valid license in good

standing. Accordingly, all citations and/or tickets

including, but not limited to, those related to a driver’s

license, failure to wear a seatbelt, speeding, distracted

driving, or DUI violations are the sole responsibility of

the employee to either pay or successfully contest; the

university assumes no obligation for any fines or fees.

The employee’s department/school is responsible for

“fix-it”-related citations and/or

tickets on university

vehicles only.

USC Vehicle Driver Requirement

Procedure for Vehicle Driver Requirement

2.0

• Office of Risk Management

• Employee (Authorized

Driver)

Authorized drivers

The Office of Risk Management and Insurance must

pre-approve all employees (including all categories of

faculty, staff, student employees, or temporary

employees), who drive university vehicles. Non-USC

individuals who do not fall in the categories listed

above are prohibited from driving university vehicles

unless authorized by the Office of Risk Management

and Insurance.

This pre-approval as an authorized driver requires the

employee to meet all of the following criteria:

 Have had a driver’s license for at least 2

years

 Have a minimum of 2 years driving

experience with the same class of license

as required by the university job

description

 Provide legible copy of current valid

California driver’s license – see below for

California license requirement

 Have an acceptable driving record per

university requirements – (scroll down

to see Appendix A)

 Provide completed California

Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)

Employer Pull Notice Program

Authorization for Release of Driver

Record Information form

 Successfully complete the Driving

Defensively modules in TrojanLearn

within 7 days of employment start date

or date of driving responsibilities being

added to job duties, and every 2 years

thereafter prior to the anniversary of

such date.

3.0

• Employee (Authorized

Driver)

California license requirement

All employees who drive any university vehicle must

have a valid California driver’s license unless:

 The employee is conducting official

university business outside California, in

which case employee must have a driver’s

USC Vehicle Driver Requirement

Procedure for Vehicle Driver Requirement

license from, or be otherwise authorized to

operate a vehicle in, that jurisdiction

 The employee is a student with a valid

driver’s license from their state of residence

 The employee or student employee is a

visitor to California who has had a valid

driver’s license for a minimum of 2 years

from their home country (NOTE: Visitors

who become California residents as defined

by the California DMV must immediately

notify their manager and provide a copy of

the California driver’s license within 10 days.

See the California DMV website and

USC’s Office of International Services

website for additional details.)

4.0

• Employee (Authorized

Driver)

Seat belt requirement

All drivers and passengers in university vehicles or in

any vehicle on official university business must wear

their seat belts at all times and sit in designated seats

while vehicle is moving; standing or riding in or on

beds of vehicles is prohibited.

5.0

• Employee (Authorized

Driver)

Alcohol/drug testing

All drivers must comply with the university’s USC

Drug-Free policy, and may be subject to pre-

employment/assignment testing as well as testing

based on a reasonable suspicion that an employee is,

or has been impaired. The university will conduct the

testing in compliance with Federal Motor Carrier and

Safety Act (FMCSA) regulations for those employees

required to drive vehicles that fall under federally

regulated transportation industry requirements (e.g.,

safety sensitive transportation employees, including

but not limited to tram drivers and haulers of

hazardous waste).

6.0

• Employee (Authorized

Driver)

• Office of Risk Management

• Fleet Manager

• HR Business Partner

Driver’s license loss or change of status

Authorized drivers must immediately report a change

in their driver’s license status to their manager or the

Office of Risk Management and Insurance at

uscris[email protected]. Authorized drivers are prohibited

from driving a university vehicle or driving any

USC Vehicle Driver Requirement

Procedure for Vehicle Driver Requirement

• Employee Manager

vehicle on official university business if their license

is revoked, suspended, expired or their driving

privileges are otherwise restricted (e.g., Ignition

Interlock Device) based on the said conviction date

on the motor vehicle record.

 If an employee in this situation has been

assigned a university vehicle for personal

use, the vehicle must be returned to the

university immediately.

 For employees in this situation whose

driving privileges are restricted in a way that

prevents the performance of driving duties

or meeting the requirements of an

authorized driver, and whose job

description requires driving a vehicle, the

employee will be subject to termination. If

an individual’s job description does not

require driving a vehicle, the employee must

immediately cease driving any university

vehicle.

Definitions

Term

Definition

Department Fleet

Manager

An employee assigned by a school or department to oversee

management of university vehicle

University Vehicles

Vehicles owned by the university

Rental Vehicles

Vehicle rentals or hired car from a car rental agency

Leased Vehicles

Long term vehicle rental agreement

Personal Vehicles

Vehicle owned by student, faculty, staff (including temporary or resource)

or visitor.

Pull Program

Driver motor vehicle record (MVR) monitoring program

MVR

Motor Vehicle Record from Department of Motor Vehicles

Authorized Driver

Approved USC students, faculty, staff (including temporary or resource)

and visitors qualified to drive a university vehicle

Hand-held electronic

device

Hand-held electronic devices include, but are not limited to, wireless

phones, computers, tablets, and any other communication device

Compliance

Driver Training:

USC Vehicle Driver Requirement

Procedure for Vehicle Driver Requirement

 All employees enrolled in the USC pull program must complete the Driving Defensively

modules in TrojanLearn within 7 days of employment start date or date of driving

responsibilities being added to job duties.

 Driving Defensively training must be retaken every 2 years thereafter prior to the

anniversary of such date.

 Any collision that occurs while driving a vehicle on university business which results in property

damage and/or personal injury, regardless of who was injured, what property was damaged, to

what extent, or where it occurred, Driving Defensively training is required to be taken by the

employee within 7 days of the accident. Operation of a USC owned vehicle should cease until

Driving Defensively training has been completed.

 Additional training may be enforced by the Office of Risk Management and Insurance.

University vehicle maintenance requirements

Each department using university vehicles is responsible for ensuring:

 quarterly maintenance checks are performed,

 records of these checks are maintained, and

 maintenance issues are properly addressed and documented.

The Office of Risk Management and Insurance may conduct audits of a department’s maintenance

records at any time. See the Office of Risk Management and Insurance website for more information.

Employees must immediately report to their manager or Department Fleet Manager any conditions that

may potentially affect the safe operation of a university vehicle. Vehicles should not be driven until any

needed repairs have been completed and documented.

Personal use of university vehicles

Personal use of university vehicles is prohibited, including but not limited to any activity not directly

related to university business during, before or after work, or during breaks. This includes using vehicles

to drive off-campus for breakfast, lunch or dinner, unless meal is directly related to university business.

Use of personal vehicles for university business

Personal vehicles to be used for driving on official university business must be insured for at least the

California-required minimum limits of $15,000/$30,000 bodily injury, plus $5,000 property damage. The

personal insurance policy cannot contain a business use exclusion. The university has the right to require

evidence of current automobile liability insurance coverage.

If an employee is driving his/her personal vehicle on official university business, the university’s liability

insurance policy program may provide excess liability insurance protection to the driver in the event of a

vehicle accident. The driver’s vehicle insurance is primary and must be exhausted before the university’s

insurance program will defend or pay any claim. Note that the university is not responsible for the

employee’s deductible under his/her personal auto insurance.

The university does not provide any insurance protection for fire, theft, collision or other loss or damage

to personal vehicles. Note: Individuals who use their vehicles frequently in connection with official

USC Vehicle Driver Requirement

Procedure for Vehicle Driver Requirement

university business should consult with their insurance agent or broker to ensure their insurance

coverage and limits meet their individual needs.

Insurance information

The university liability insurance program provides protection to authorized drivers of university

vehicles. The university self-insures for collision, fire, theft and liability. The employee’s department is

responsible for a $5,000 deductible per accident.

University vehicle rentals

When you rent with a USC preferred rental provider (Enterprise, National, and Hertz) for university

business within the 50 United States and the District of Columbia via the Travel & Expense Portal or

with a CBT agent, you are covered for:

• Free primary loss damage waiver/collision damage waiver (LDW/CDW) insurance (which covers

any damage to the rental vehicle); and

• Free primary liability insurance (which covers bodily harm and property damage outside the

rental vehicle).

There is no deductible, and this coverage applies to USC employees, students (21 and over), and non-

employees on university business when the reservation is made via the USC Travel Portal. Coverage

does not apply to personal rentals.

If you elect to rent from a different provider or do not use the USC Travel Portal, USC does not provide

any car rental insurance and recommends that you purchase loss damage waiver/collision damage

waiver (LDW/CDW) insurance and liability insurance.

USC auto insurance for international rentals

USC does not provide insurance coverage for international rentals, including Canada. If you rent a

car anywhere other than the 50 United States or the District of Columbia, you must purchase insurance.

Additional insurance for van and SUV rentals

If you are transporting students in a vehicle that seats more than seven (one driver plus six or more

passengers), you must purchase additional liability insurance in the amount of $1 million or more in

coverage. This policy applies to all van and SUV rentals. A 10-passenger van is the maximum van size

permitted by university policy. A 10-passenger van is defined as having seats and seat belts for one

driver plus nine passengers.

Accidents

If you are in an accident in a University vehicle, report immediately to your manager, Department Fleet

Manager and to the Office of Risk Management and Insurance via their incident reporting portal.

Please see the Office of Risk Management and Insurance website for more information.

Any collision that occurs while driving a vehicle on university business which results in property damage

and/or personal injury, regardless of who was injured, what property was damaged, to what extent, or

where it occurred, additional training may be enforced by the Office of Risk Management and Insurance.

Hand-held Electronic Device Use

California's hand-held wireless telephone law prohibits drivers from using a hand-held cell phone while

operating a vehicle. Hands-free operation of cell phones and use for emergency purposes is permitted.

USC Vehicle Driver Requirement

Procedure for Vehicle Driver Requirement

California Vehicle Code, Section 23123.5 Electronic Wireless Communications Device Prohibited Use

prohibits writing, sending, or reading text-based communications on an electronic wireless

communications device, such as a cell phone, while driving a motor vehicle.

All drivers of a university vehicle or any vehicle on official university business are expected to comply

with the laws that prohibit the use of hand-held electronic devices while operating a utility/motor

vehicle unless it is through the use of a one-touch or voice activated hands-free device.

The only exception to the above guidelines is an emergency call placed to the Department of Public

Safety or 911, as applicable, for situations such as a fire, traffic accident, road hazard, or medical

emergency. In such cases, the communication should be as short as reasonably necessary to

communicate the nature and location of the emergency.

USC Vehicle Driver Requirement

Procedure for Vehicle Driver Requirement

Appendix A

University-required “Acceptable Driving Record”

To have an “Acceptable Driving Record,” an individual may have no “Major Citations” issued by the

California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) within the last 60 months (5 years) and a “Total Point

Count” within the limits below. The “Total Point Count” is calculated by adding California DMV assigned

points for driving violations/infractions to the points assigned by the Office of Risk Management and

Insurance.

Non-student employee

A “Total Point Count” equal to or less than the following and no “Major Citation” within the last 60

months (5 years) based on conviction date:

-2 points in 12 months

-3 points in 24 months

-4 points in 36 months

Student or temporary/resource employee

A “Total Point Count” equal to or less than the following and no “Major Citation” within the last 60

months (5 years) based on conviction date:

-1 point in 12 months

-2 points in 24 months

-3 points in 36 months

Major Citations

Examples of “Major Citations” include, but are not limited to: driving under the influence (DUI), hit and

run, use of vehicle for illegal purposes, driving on a suspended or revoked driver’s license, speed

contest, reckless driving, and causing injury to a pedestrian while driving.

USC Risk Management assigned points

 1 point for each preventable vehicle collision – the university assumes all vehicle collisions are

preventable unless Office of Risk Management and Insurance is in collaboration with the

employee’s department determines otherwise. (A determination of “preventable”

does not mean the driver was legally at fault).

 1 point for each moving violation that has no point value per the California DMV vehicle code

(e.g., texting while driving).

Responsible Office

Office of Risk Management & Insurance

http://risk.usc.edu/

uscrisk@usc.edu

USC Vehicle Driver Requirement

Procedure for Vehicle Driver Requirement

Relevant Forms and Tools

USC Preferred Rental Car Agencies

Travel & Expense Portal

Office of Risk Management & Insurance website

www.risk.usc.edu

Defensive Driver Training

Trojan Learn

California Department of Motor Vehicles website

California DMV Website

International drivers license

Office of International Services website

Alcohol and drug testing

USC Drug-Free policy

Office of Risk Management Incident Reporting Portal

Origami Risk Portal

California Hand-Held wireless telephone laws

California’s Wireless Telephone Laws

California Code, Vehicle Code 1808.1

Contacts

Please direct any questions regarding this procedure to:

OFFICE

PHONE

Office of Risk Management and

Insurance

213-740-5091

uscrisk@usc.edu