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Driver Safety Training to Become an Authorized Driver

̽̽ students, faculty and staff are eligible to become authorized to drive ̽̽ owned, leased or rented vehicles for University business. Authorized Drivers operating ̽̽ owned, leased or rented vehicles for ̽̽-related business including ̽̽-sponsored activities are covered by ̽̽'s automobile insurance.
Driver Authorization is required in the following situations
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  • All ̽̽ students who drive ̽̽ owned, leased or rented vehicles
  • ̽̽ faculty and staff where driving is indicated as an essential function of their job per the Human Resources Job Description Form
  • ̽̽ faculty or staff who drive University owned, rented or leased vehicles six or more times per year
  • All ̽̽ faculty, staff and students driving an 8-12 passenger van (vehicles larger than 12 passenger vans are not allowed)
  • ̽̽ faculty or staff who drive ̽̽ students
  • ̽̽ Students driving other ̽̽ students in personal vehicles for University-sponsored activities (personal vehicles use for ̽̽ activities is not recommended.  See FAQ below.)

It can take up to 30 days to complete the driver authorization process.  Please ensure that you have allocated sufficient time between the date you send your driver training application and the date you need a vehicle.

Maintaining Driving Privileges -Annual Reauthorization
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̽̽ Driver Authorization needs to be renewed annually to maintain driving privileges. You will receive an email from Risk Management when it's time for your reauthorization, or you can . A driver's license check and motor vehicle record review is required for reauthorization. Please email driving@uvm.edu with any questions about driver training and authorization.

 

If you do not request annual reauthorization, your authorization to drive ̽̽ vehicles will be deactivated. You can request reactivation at any time, however, remember Motor Vehicle Record reviews can take up to two weeks; please plan accordingly. 

Driver Insurance and Indemnification
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̽̽, as per the terms of its Officers and Employee Indemnification Policy, will provide its officers and employees a legal defense and pay judgments or settlement expenses incurred in connection with civil claims brought against such persons, provided that the individual was acting within the scope of University employment, in compliance with University Policies, and in good faith. 

University insurance or self-insurance shall be used to finance such protection. Any student with claims or actions brought against him/her and resulting from the authorized use of a ̽̽ owned or leased vehicle will be indemnified only to the extent that insurance coverage applies, and only if the student follows the driver safety requirements noted in this policy. ̽̽ reserves its right to subrogate its interest against any personal auto insurance a student may have that would respond to such claims. 

All physical damage claims are subject to a $1,000 deductible to be borne by the department or unit. Risk Management reserves the right to charge all physical damage costs to the employee/student’s department or organization if the driver was not authorized to drive. Risk Management may revoke future driving privileges if employee/student no longer meets criteria for driving. Employees who are furnished with a ̽̽ vehicle are to use the vehicle for University work purposes only. Students who are furnished with a ̽̽ vehicle are to use the vehicle for University related purposes only.

Electric Vehicle (GEM) Training and Certification
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Additional training is required before driving a ̽̽ GEM (Global Electric Motorcars) vehicle. Current ̽̽ Driver Certification status is a prerequisite for GEM driving. GEM drivers must complete two trainings - an  and a driving test. Log in with your NET ID and Password. GEM Electric Car Training is under Specific Hazards. 

Once you have completed the online portion, email driving@uvm.edu to schedule the driving test. 

Trailer Towing Training and Certification
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Towing a trailer with a ̽̽ vehicle or towing a ̽̽ owned trailer with any vehicle require additional training. 

Choose "Trailer Towing Safety" under the "Specific Hazards" menu: 

The Department of Risk Management recommends hands-on trailer training to be provided by your department in addition to the online training. If this is not an option, reach out to Risk Management for support at driving@uvm.edu 

You can check the completion status of your Trailer trainings via . 

Note:  Our contracted rental agencies, Enterprise and Hertz do not allow towing with their vehicles.  This holds true for most rental agencies.  If a ̽̽ tow vehicle or trailer is not available, one solution is to rent through U-Haul. When doing so, select the additional CDW/Safetow insurance options. Using a personal vehicle to tow is highly discouraged because all liability of vehicle, trailer, and contents will rest on the driver's personal automobile insurance. 

Supervisors 

Supervisors and advisors are responsible for checking the Driver Certification status of their supervisees/advisees. This includes advisors for student clubs. 

Supervisees are responsible for alerting their supervisor/advisor of all moving violations and accidents even if these occur in a non-̽̽ vehicle because this may affect the supervisees’ eligibility to drive ̽̽ vehicles and to be covered by ̽̽'s automobile insurance. 

ճ  allows supervisors to view the status of all drivers for whom they are listed as a supervisor. 

Fleet Managers 

ճ  provides real time information on the Authorized Driver status of all drivers. 

We recommend each department designate one or two people. To request access to the AllCert List, email driving@uvm.edu

Tips for using the AllCert List: 

  • This report provides the training record, driver’s license expiration date and Authorized Driver expiration date 
  • Yellow dates indicate expiration is within the month 
  • Red dates indicate expired status 

Commercial Driver's Licenses 

A commercial driver’s license (CDL) is required of anyone who drives a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of more than 26,000 pounds; a vehicle designed to transport more than 16 passengers, including driver, or any size vehicle that requires a hazardous materials placard. ̽̽ employees who are required to hold a CDL as part of their jobs must receive information about ̽̽'s Guidelines for Commercial Drivers Concerning Alcohol and Substance Abuse

When driving in Canada, a CDL is required to drive a 12-passenger van. The Canadian fines for driving a 12-passenger van without a CDL are substantial and will not be reimbursed by ̽̽. A CDL is not needed to drive a minivan in Canada; minivans are the largest vehicle that can be driven in Canada without a CDL. 

Steps to Become an Authorized Driver

1. Meet Basic Criteria

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To become an authorized driver, you must first meet all of the following criteria:

  1. Be a current ̽̽ student, employee, or other ̽̽-affiliated individual approved by the Director of Risk Management through the application and training process.
  2. Be at least 19 years old
  3. Hold a valid U.S. or Canadian driver's license for at least 6 months

2. Fill Out and Submit a Driving Training Application

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Fill out and submit a .

Note: Pennsylvania and Washington applicants must fill out an additional form with their state DMV. Please follow the instructions on our application webpage.  Ohio applications will need to send their Social Security number and/or a photo of their Social Security card using . Do not send by regular email.

3. Successfully Pass a Motor Vehicle Record Check

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Anyone seeking to become an Authorized Driver must pass a motor vehicle record check upon applying and each year thereafter to maintain their driving privileges. For a listing of Motor Vehicle Record Check Criteria, see the ̽̽ Driver Safety and Motor Vehicle Use Policy.

4. Successfully Complete Two Online Training Courses

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  1. The first training covers the requirements specified in the ̽̽'s Driver Safety and Motor Vehicle Use Policy and ̽̽'s driver safety requirements. Once this training is complete, you will receive an email with a link and an access code for the second training. 
  2. The second course is the National Safety Council Online Defensive Driving Course. Use your access code to create an account. This training has 6 sections and takes about 4 hours to complete.  You do not have to complete the entire training in one sitting (and we recommend you do NOT complete the training in one sitting).  You can save your place and log back into the training to pick up where you left off. Log on for the first time as a "New Student”; you will need to choose a login ID and password. Use your netID for your login. DO NOT use your ̽̽ password (please choose a different password for security). After creating a login ID and password, you will login as a "Returning Student".  Here is what you will see when you go to the NSC DDC training: .

You must pass a test at the end of the course with a score of 80% or greater.

5. Receive An Authorized Driver Confirmation E-Mail

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Risk Management receives your test score from the National Safety Council. You will receive an email from Risk Management confirming that you are authorized to drive for ̽̽. Save this email for your records.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who needs to be an Authorized Driver?
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  • ̽̽ students who drive ̽̽ owned, leased, or rented vehicles
  • ̽̽ faculty and staff where driving is indicated as an essential function of your job per the Human Resources Job Description Form
  • Anyone driving a ̽̽ owned, rented, or leased vehicle six or more times per year
  • Any driving an 8-12 passenger van (vehicles larger than 12 passenger vans are not allowed)
  • Anyone driving ̽̽ students for University sponsored events or travel.
Can I use my personal vehicle for ̽̽ business and ̽̽ sponsored events?
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Risk Management recommends employees and students organizations do NOT use their personal vehicles for travel for ̽̽ sponsored events or ̽̽ business travel. Using personal vehicles exposes students and employees financially if there is an accident. Vehicle insurance follows the vehicle, so any claims arising from the use of a personal vehicle will be processed through the vehicle owner’s automobile insurance rather ̽̽'s automobile insurance.

How long will it take to become an authorized Driver?
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It can take up to 30 days to complete the Driver Authorization process. Please assure that you have allocated sufficient time between the date you send your application and the date you need a vehicle.

 

How do I know where I am in the authorization process?
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The  provides this information.

How will I know when I have been authorized to drive a ̽̽ vehicle?
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Risk Management will contact you via email when your application has been approved. You will receive another email authorizing you to drive once you have successfully passed the National Safety Council (NSC) Defensive Driving course. Note that it can take several days for the NSC to notify us of your successful completion of the Defensive Driving course. Please be patient.

Who should I put down as my sponsor on my driver training application?
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Your sponsor/supervisor/advisor needs to be a current ̽̽ staff or faculty member. You cannot list a student as your sponsor or your application will be flagged as invalid. ̽̽ faculty and staff should choose their current supervisor as their sponsor. Students should choose the advisor of the club or sport if they are driving for that purpose, or an academic advisor or professor if they are driving for a class or department.

I live in a dorm. What address should I use on my driver training application?
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Please enter the address that is printed on your driver's license, even if you no longer live there. If the address we provide when requesting your Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) does not match the address on file for your state's DMV, our MVR request will be denied. Do not use your University address or dorm address.

What should I do if I get into an accident?
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If there are any injuries, call 911 and notify local police. Inform your supervisor or advisor as soon as possible. If you are driving a rental vehicle, notify the rental company immediately. Notify ̽̽ Risk Management within THREE days of the accident by called 802-656-3242 or emailing risk.management@uvm.edu.

Can I drive a ̽̽ vehicle in Canada?
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Yes. However, a CDL is required to drive a van designed to hold 7 or more passengers. For example, you may drive a minivan to Canada but not a 12-passenger van. The Canadian fines are substantial, and you will not be reimbursed by ̽̽.

How do I update my driver training application?
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You can make changes to your driver profile at any time by  and clicking on the button at the bottom of the page that says, "you may edit the above information".  You may need to update your profile when you renew your driver's license, change your address, or get a new advisor/sponsor.

I no longer need to drive for ̽̽. What should I do?
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Please let us know by emailing driving@uvm.edu and we will deactivate your driver certification.

Where can I find ̽̽'s policy on driver safety and motor vehicle use?