Van Policies & Procedures

Van Policies & Procedures

Table Of Contents:

Driver/Department Responsibilities
Van Reservation Procedure
Van Assignment
Van Limitations
Van Charges
Cancellations
Damages
Passengers
Drivers
College Van Operation Policy
Accident/Incident Review Policy

Vehicle Pick-Up and Return
Pick-Up
Return

DRIVER/DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBILITIES


VAN RESERVATION PROCEDURE:
College owned or leased 15-passenger vans can be reserved by Colby-Sawyer College students, faculty and staff for college functions.

Faculty and Staff who would like to reserve a College vehicle should contact the administrative assistant from their area who will reserve a van through the EMS system.

Students wanting to reserve a van for a College sanctioned function should contact Student Activities at x3741.

Individuals reserving a van are required to provide the following information:

  • Title of event
  • Date(s) van is needed
  • How many vans will be needed- vans carry 15 passengers including the driver
  • Travel destination (town, state)
  • Start time (pick-up time)
  • End time (return time)
  • Name of driver-Operators must be certified (see below)
  • Van configuration-seats needed to be removed to accommodate luggage etc;
  • Advisor or trip sponsor

Once the reservation is entered into the College's reservation system a confirmation email will be sent to the requestor. Back To Top


VAN ASSIGNMENT:
Vans will be assigned on a first-come-first-served basis as determined by receipt of a completed vehicle requisition form by Campus Safety. If requests exceed Colby-Sawyer College owned vans, additional vans will be rented as needed.
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VAN LIMITATIONS:
Trips involving round-trip travel of 400 or more miles will require that no more than two vans be used for a single-destination trip. Groups of more than 30 students are required to use charter buses. There must be a minimum of one certified driver per every 400 miles, no more than 16 hours of continuous travel is allowed, and a driver must rest for one hour for every four consecutive hours of driving. A driver may not drive more than eight hours a day. The requester's Vice President may make exceptions to this limitation. The Vice President should send a letter of authorization to Campus Safety prior to van pick-up.
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VAN CHARGES:
The department or organization that requests a van is responsible for the mileage lease charges and any other costs. The cost for using a CSC van is .40 per mile. If all CSC vans are in use rental vans are available through Campus Safety at an additional cost of $75.00 per day plus .40 per mile. Back To Top


CANCELLATIONS:
Colby-Sawyer College owned van request cancellations must be made at least 12 hours prior to the scheduled departure time. Rented vans must be cancelled 24 hours prior to the scheduled departure time. All cancellations must be reported to Campus Safety to avoid any charges. NO SHOWS will be charged a flat fee of $20.00. NO SHOWS, which result in the unnecessary leasing of vans, will also be charged for the rental cost of the van.
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DAMAGES:
Vans, which are left in a condition that will not allow them to be immediately reused, will result in a minimum $25.00 clean-up fee. Vans will be maintained, fueled and inspected by members of the Facilities Department prior to each departure. Facilities will contact Campus Safety and the applicable department in writing with any additional charges.
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PASSENGERS:
Maximum passenger load is 14 per van, not including the driver. When determining the number of vehicles you'll require, please take into consideration any additional equipment that passengers may also be taking with them. Leave enough room for comfort and safety.
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DRIVERS:
Only students, faculty, and staff are eligible to apply for college vehicle operation. To operate a college vehicle, the driver must do the following:

  1. Submit a completed *CSC Driver Application to Campus Safety
  2. Submit a state **Motor Vehicle Operator Record Request form to Campus Safety
  3. Complete the online 15-passenger van safety course
  4. Complete a van driver orientation through the CSC Facilities department (extension 3699).

All of the above steps must be successfully completed before Campus Safety will authorize a driver to operate a Colby-Sawyer College 15-passenger van. Applicants will not be certified if they have more than 6 traffic violation demerit points under New Hampshire law, have been cited for an accident in the past 24 months or have been convicted of a major traffic violation, such as driving under the influence. Colby-Sawyer College reserves the right to revoke College vehicle operator privileges at any time and without prior notice.

Once approved, driver authorization remains in effect for two years. It's the responsibility of the van operator to keep their records current. To do so, drivers must submit a newly completed *CSC Driver Application and state *Motor Vehicle Operator Record Request form to Campus Safety prior to the end of their second year. Previously certified drivers DO NOT have to retake the Van Operator Defensive Driving Course or orientation.

*Forms and materials can be obtained at the Campus Safety office, James House, Monday-Friday 8 am-5 pm).

**Due to the increased cost of performing motor vehicle record (MVR) checks, starting July 1st 2015 Campus Safety will be charging back to departments the associated fees for this service. The price to perform MVR checks varies state to state but for budgeting purposes please estimate $16.00 per request. We will invoice the applicable department/club as the MVRs are requested.

COLLEGE VAN OPERATION POLICY:

  1. Only CSC approved drivers may operate college vehicles.
  2. All student passengers must sign an Assumption of Risk and Release Roster form and include their emergency contact information prior to boarding a CSC van. It is the responsibility of the van driver to ensure the forms have been completed and turned into Campus Safety prior to departing.
  3. The driver is responsible for operating the vehicle in compliance with all state and local driving regulations and posted speed limits. Unsafe operation of college vehicles may result in the temporary or permanent revocation of driving privileges for all college vehicles.
  4. Vehicle occupants are required to wear a seatbelt at all times.
  5. Operation of any college vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs is prohibited and will result in the revocation of driving privileges and be subject to disciplinary action.
  6. Transportation of alcohol or other drugs in any College vehicle is prohibited.
  7. Campus Safety personnel may deny issuance of any College vehicle and/or keys to any person suspected of being under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. In such a case, an incident report will be generated and forwarded to the Director of Campus Safety and the appropriate Department head.
  8. The use of tobacco products in a college van is not permitted.
  9. The driver or requesting department is responsible for all parking charges, tolls, parking and/or moving violations and fuel charges. (fuel tanks will be full prior to leaving campus).
  10. Due to limited height clearance, college vans may not be parked or driven in parking garages.
  11. College vehicles may not be parked at a driver's residence without prior approval of the Department Head or Supervisor.
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ACCIDENT/INCIDENT REVIEW POLICY

Any accident involving a Colby-Sawyer College vehicle or lease vehicle, regardless of severity, location, or fault, must be reported immediately to the law enforcement authority within the jurisdiction where the accident occurred and to Campus Safety at 603-526-3300.

For all accidents:

  1. Stop and secure your vehicle.
  2. Put on the hazard lights.
  3. Immediately contact the local police to advise them of the accident and to get medical assistance if there are any injuries.
  4. Once any medical needs are taken care of it is important to make sure you get the other driver’s information. At a minimum, write down:
    1. Name
    2. Date of birth
    3. Driver’s license number and state
    4. Phone number
    5. Address
    6. Insurance company – policy number, if known
    7. License plate number
    8. Make, model, and year of vehicle
    9. Damage to vehicle
    10. Injury to driver, if any
    11. Date, time, road and weather conditions
    12. Names and phone numbers of any passengers
    13. Injuries to any passengers
    14. Names and phone numbers of any witnesses
    15. If local police respond to the accident, request the investigating officer’s name, badge number, phone number, and report number
  5. You must also give the other driver your information and the vehicle’s information, including insurance coverage. Insurance information is located in the glove compartment of all College vehicles. The College’s insurer is Brown & Brown of New Hampshire, Policy Number ABV9616521-02. For rental vehicles, you should provide the name of the College’s insurance company, Brown & Brown of New Hampshire, and instruct the owner of the other vehicle to contact the Vice-President and Assistant Treasurer at 602-526-3880 for additional information.
  6. Cooperate with the driver and authorities but do not admit fault or give written statements.
  7. If the local police will not draw up a report (because the damage is minimal and there are no injuries), ask them to make a note that the driver called in the accident.
  8. As soon as practical, notify Campus Safety at 603-526-3300.
  9. If a College vehicle is damaged and cannot be driven contact Ford Roadside Assistance and request that the vehicle be towed. The number to be called in the US is 1-800-241-367 and in Canada 1-800-665-2006. Services are available 24/7. If a rental vehicle is damaged and cannot be driven contact North Country Auto Rental at 1-800-488-3039. In addition, contact Campus Safety at 603-526-3300 to report the accident. Unless approved by Campus Safety, in consultation with the Facilities Department, any damaged College or rental vehicle must be returned to campus or the rental location immediately following an accident.
  10. For any accident involving a fleet or rental vehicle, drivers must complete a Statement Form by the end of the day and submit it to Campus Safety. Blank forms may be picked up at James House. Campus Safety will generate an incident report and contact the Vice-President and Assistant Treasurer who will determine if any further action is required. The driver and the responsible supervisor will be notified of a decision.
  11. If it is determined that the accident or incident was avoidable, the driver may be subject to one of the following corrective actions:
    • Suspension of driving privileges for a specific time and review of the “College Vehicle Use Policies and Procedure”.
    • Revocation of driving privileges-must attend an approved driving training class prior to the reinstatement of privileges.
  12. The level of corrective action will depend upon the driver's driving history and the seriousness of the incident.
  13. Appeals for suspension or revocation must be submitted in writing to the Director of Campus Safety within 7 days of the action. The Director of Campus Safety will review appeals with the Vice-President and Assistant Treasurer if the incident involved employees of the college and the Vice President for Student Development where a student driver is involved. A determination will be issued within 7 days of the appeal.
  14. In addition to corrective action, the department utilizing the vehicle may be charged for any repairs not covered by insurance. Cost of the repairs will be billed separately from the mileage invoice.
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VEHICLE PICK-UP AND RETURN


PICK-UP

  1. Van keys and clipboards with the vehicle requisition form should be picked up at the Campus Safety office prior to departure by an approved driver prior to 4 PM during weekdays (where possible). Alternate van pick-up scheduling should be coordinated through Campus Safety prior to the reserved departure time to prevent delays. After the driver receives the keys and form, s/he will pick up the vans from the Facilities building parking area located behind the New London Mini-Mart (Main Street).
  2. Vehicle keys and requisition form must be picked up at Campus Safety. Keys will not be issued prior to requested pick up time unless prior arrangements have been made.
  3. Only the authorized driver may pick up the keys.
  4. The driver must supply completed and fully executed Assumption of Risk and Release Roster forms for all student passengers prior to leaving campus. This form must have the signatures and emergency contact information of all students who are riding in the van.
  5. The driver must show a valid driver's license at the time the keys are signed out. Anyone operating a college vehicle must have a valid driver's license in his/her possession at all times.
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RETURN

  1. Park all returning vans in the designated Facilities parking area.
  2. Complete the driver's section of the Confirmation form, record the starting and ending mileage, fuel levels, and vehicle condition.
  3. Remove any trash or property left behind by passengers.
  4. Lock the van and bring the completed form with clipboard and keys to the Campus Safety office. When the service window is not staffed, please place the keys in the lock box mounted on the wall to the left of the service window and the clipboard in the box below.

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