Vehicles and Driving

What this policy covers

This policy applies to employees, workers and contractors.

This outlines the Organisation's expectations and your responsibilities when driving either a vehicle provided by the Organisation or your own vehicle for business purposes.

It also highlights the actions that you must take to ensure you drive safely and the procedures you must follow in the event of an accident. In addition, it sets out the circumstances in which the Organisation can recover related costs if you are responsible for an accident or damage to a vehicle provided by the Organisation.

Your responsibilities

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are familiar with the procedures and that you understand your responsibilities when using a vehicle for business purposes to ensure the vehicle is roadworthy and does not pose a risk to other users. You are also responsible for ensuring your health and safety and that of your passengers and/or other road users.

Driving whilst carrying out your duties

To be permitted to drive as part of your duties, you must hold a full and valid driving licence that permits you to drive in the UK.

Prior to driving for business purposes, you are responsible for ensuring that your vehicle is roadworthy. You may also be responsible for completing any checklist relating to the vehicle as instructed by management. Under no circumstances should you drive a vehicle that is not roadworthy, does not have a valid MOT or is illegal to drive.

You are required to drive in a safe, lawful and efficient manner, paying due regard to all traffic and weather conditions. You must use the most direct route when carrying out your duties and you should advise management of any problems or delays that could affect the scheduling for that day.

Mobile phones and driving

You must not use a mobile phone or any other hand-held device, including a hands-free phone, while driving for any purpose including calls, text messages, photos and videos, scrolling though playlists and playing games. Mobile phones should only be used when the vehicle has been parked in a safe place and the engine has been switched off.

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs

You must not drive on business while you are under the influence of alcohol, illegal drugs or prescribed drugs if the prescribed drug has any potential effect on your fitness to drive.

Organisation vehicles

Any entitlement to drive a vehicle provided by the Organisation and any provision in respect of payment of private mileage will be set out in your Contract of Employment.

You are not authorised to permit anyone else to drive a vehicle provided by the Organisation without prior approval from your manager. You are not permitted to carry passengers in Organisation vehicles except for staff of the Organisation, unless otherwise agreed with management.

If you are absent from work for any reason, the Organisation reserves the right to require you to make your Organisation vehicle available for business use by other staff.

The safety and security of the vehicle, passengers or loads are your responsibility and you must always lock and alarm the vehicle when you leave it unattended.

You must wash and clean your Organisation vehicle, both inside and outside, as often as is necessary to maintain a smart professional image. Failure to comply may result in the Organisation arranging for the vehicle to be valeted and deducting the associated costs from your pay.

The Organisation will normally meet the costs of maintaining and repairing Organisation vehicles if those costs arise in the course of normal use of the vehicle.

If damage to a vehicle provided by the Organisation is incurred as a result of your negligence or breach of this policy, you will be liable for the total cost of repairing the vehicle, for paying any insurance excess and/or any increase in premiums following a claim as a result of damage to a vehicle provided by the Organisation. Payments will be deducted from your pay unless an alternative method of payment is agreed with management.

Using your own vehicle when carrying out your duties

If you use your own vehicle when carrying out your duties, it is your responsibility to ensure that your vehicle is roadworthy and properly taxed and that your vehicle insurance cover extends to business usage.

The Organisation rules relating to Vehicles and Driving also apply if you drive your own vehicle at any time for the purpose of undertaking your duties You must read, understand and follow these rules.

Vehicle tracking

You should be aware that all vehicles provided by the Organisation may be fitted with a tracking system that allows the Organisation to locate vehicles provided by the Organisation at any time and to analyse its use.

Interference with the tracking unit is viewed as a gross misconduct offence and will result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal without notice.

You should be aware that data obtained from the tracking system will be analysed and may be used in any disciplinary proceedings. If evidence of inappropriate use of the vehicle whilst undertaking your duties is obtained, disciplinary action may be taken against you.

Procedures

Taking your driving licence details

If you drive a vehicle provided by the Organisation or drive your own vehicle on business you must provide the latest Shared Driving Licence Information to the Organisation every six months.

To do this, log on to www.viewdrivingrecord.service.gov.uk and enter your details as required. You must then create a licence check code to share your driving record with the Organisation and supply this to the Organisation within 21 days.

You must also notify your manager whenever there is any change to the details on your driving licence, such as the addition of penalty points.

Accidents and damage

If you are involved in an accident in a vehicle provided by the Organisation, you are responsible for obtaining the full contact and insurance details of any third party and any witnesses to the incident.

You must immediately report to management all damage to the Organisation's vehicle. The Organisation may require you to provide a full written report of the circumstances in which the vehicle was damaged.

Driving offences

If you are charged with, or convicted of, a driving offence, or if your driving licence is endorsed, you must report this fact to your manager at the earliest opportunity and, in any event, within 24 hours.

Driving-related fines are your responsibility, whether or not they were incurred in the course of undertaking your duties for the Organisation, and you must pay these as soon as is reasonably practicable. If you fail to pay a driving-related fine, and the Organisation pays it on your behalf, the Organisation will deduct the cost of paying this fine from your pay.

If you are disqualified from driving, and you are required to drive for all or a significant proportion of your job, the Organisation reserves the right to terminate your employment.

Breach of this policy

In the event that you breach this policy or the procedures to be followed, this may result in disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal without notice.