PURPOSEThis policy establishes guidelines and requirements for the operation of all types of licensed vehicles used in Durham County for business and operations. It is intended to maximize the safety of the general public, drivers of County-owned vehicles, passengers, and clients of Durham County by ensuring that only qualified drivers operate vehicles on behalf of Durham County.
This policy applies to ALL drivers who operate County owned vehicles (including leased, borrowed, loaned, or rented) and ALL drivers using personal vehicles for the use of County business. For the purpose of applicability, an employee is considered using their personal vehicle for County business if he/she meets one or more of the following criteria:
Accident: An unplanned or unintended event or series of events that may: (a) result in death, injury, loss of or damage to a system or service; (b) cause environmental damage; (c) adversely affect an activity or function.
Aggressive Driving: The operation of a motor vehicle in a manner that endangers or is likely to endanger persons or property.
Authorized Driver: Any person driving a County vehicle or personal vehicle used for County business that meets the criteria of this policy, verified by their driving history, who is approved by Risk Management.
Cell Phone: Any handheld electronic device with the ability to receive and/or transmit voice, text, or data messages without a cable connection.
Client A person receiving social or medical services provided by Durham County or those directly involved with the client i.e. family or guardian.
Collision: An incident in which the event involves a motor vehicle in motion coming in contact with another vehicle, other property, person(s) or animal(s).
Commercial Driver: Any authorized driver who is authorized by law to operate a vehicle that exceeds 26,000 lbs. Gross Axle Weight and that is not designated as an emergency or transit vehicle. If the department requires a Commercial Driver's License, then all applicable CDL rules shall apply.
County Employee: For purposes of vehicle assignment, a County employee is any individual working for Durham County for wages or salary.
County Fleet Coordinator. The General Services employee(s) responsible for all County vehicles, fueling sites, and all administration relating to the County fleet.
County-Owned Passenger Motor Vehicle: Any automobile sedan, pick-up truck, four-wheel drive utility vehicle, or passenger-type minivan or bus.
County Vehicle: Any vehicle owned, leased or rented by Durham County.
County Vehicle Tow: The current vendor being used for towing is: Lemon's Towing in Durham at (919) 688-3022. Other towing services may be used with approval from the County Fleet Coordinator.
Department Fleet Coordinator. Designated person responsible for managing vehicle reservations as well as scheduling and tracking their departments vehicles' maintenance and record keeping.
Employee: A person who performs services or labor for the County in return for some form of compensation, including those serving as full-time, part-time, reserve and/or volunteer.
Contract, seasonal, Interns, Temps and student employees are restricted from driving any County vehicle.
Emergency Vehicle Operator. Any authorized driver who has completed an approved EVOC course may operate a motor vehicle equipped with proper warning lights and sirens in an emergency response.
Personal Vehicle: A vehicle owned by a County employee used for County business. Vehicles shall have minimum insurance as defined by North Carolina and deemed safe by a state inspection agency.
Remedial Training. Remedial training may be required by the Supervisor, or Risk Management as a result of a preventable incident, moving violation, or report of policy infraction as a condition of continued driving privileges. An option for a remedial training course is the NC Division of Motor 4-hour Defensive Driving course.
Serious Collision: A collision is considered serious, if one or more of the following criteria are met:
*For these incidents, Risk Management is responsible for reporting the incident immediately to the County Manager, affected General Manager, County Attorney and Public Information Office with as much information that is available at the time. At no time should any employee, not officially designated to do so answer any questions from the media.
Driver Recruitment & Selection - For most of our employees, driving is a secondary but very important part of the job. Given this, assessment of an applicant's background and recent driving history are critical parts of the applicant review and screening process.
A new employee who is expected to be an Authorized Driver must have no more than 7 points on their motor vehicle report. The new employee driver must not exceed this limit during their probationary period. Exceeding this limit during their probationary period shall result in the driver being ineligible to drive County vehicles and/or personal vehicle for County business and may be cause for dismissal based on job responsibilities.
All drivers who drive County owned vehicles and/or personal vehicles for the use of County business, must have at least three (3) years of driving experience and possess a valid, current vehicle operator's license.
As a condition of driving County owned vehicles and/or personal vehicles for County business, all drivers shall consent to a review of their Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) by the Risk Management Division. Drivers must provide license information, (a copy of current license) attached to a completed Driver Eligibility Form, located under the Safety & Security Tab on MyDCo. Driver eligibility will be determined using the Driver Eligibility Scale (Appendix A) of this Policy.
Supervisors with an employee that would like to be an Authorized Driver are responsible for having affected employee(s) complete the Driver Eligibility Form, located under the Safety & Security Tab on MyDCo and forward to Risk Management. If Authorized Driver may use personal vehicle for County business, Supervisors shall verify vehicle insurance coverage. The Supervisor shall make available a copy of the Vehicle Operations Policy for review by the new Authorized Driver.
All other Authorized Drivers shall maintain less than 10 points. Any driver who accumulates 8 or more points, must complete a Defensive Driving Course. The driver is required to complete the Defensive Driving Course within six months from the date driver accumulates more than 8 points. Upon completion and passing the Defensive Driving Course, there will be a reduction <i 3 points from the number of points incurred by driver for a three-year period. The Defensive Driving Course can only be taken once within a three-year period. Thus, any points remaining after completion of the initial course, must be 10 or less points during the three-year period in order for the driver to remain eligible to drive an Authorized Driver. If more than 10 points are accumulated at any time after the Defensive Driving Course, and before the driver is eligible to repeat the Defensive Driving Course, the driver is not eligible to drive County owned vehicles and/or personal vehicles for County business until the points are reduced to 10 points or below.
When an employee becomes ineligible to drive under the Driver Eligibility Scale, that employee is immediately restricted from driving responsibilities, and may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal. Durham County reserves the right to review ineligibility based on license restrictions based on position and responsibilities.
The review of Motor Vehicle Reports and determination of the number of points and driver eligibility under the Driver Eligibility Scale shall be the responsibility of the Risk Management Division, subject to review by the County Attorney. Risk Management shall review the Motor Vehicle Reports for the prior three-year time frame for moving violations and at fault accidents for
eligibility to be an Authorized Driver. In addition to at-fault accidents listed on the Motor Vehicle Report, accidents shall also be included, and points given which involve County vehicles that may not be included on an employee's MVR.
Insurance coverage on personal vehicles will be the responsibility of the driver and will be the primary source of insurance regarding all vehicle accidents involving personal vehicles.
Permanent Assignment of County Owned Vehicles - Selected employees may, at the discretion of the Department Director, be permanently assigned a vehicle and allowed to drive the vehicle home. This is a privilege and is subject to revocation without notice.
Rental Vehicles - The use of rental vehicles is addressed in the Finance Department's Travel policy.
Inclement Weather - except for First Responders and those deemed emergency essential, the use of County vehicles during severe inclement weather emergencies shall be authorized by the Department's Director.
County-owned passenger-carrying vehicles shall be driven only by county employees and used for official county business only, except as may be allowed under the NON-COUNTY EMPLOYED PERSONS section of this policy. It shall be unlawful for any county employee to use a county owned vehicle for private purposes unless approved by Department Head.
Commuting privileges approved by the Department Head are not considered a private purpose. An employee with an individual permanently assigned vehicle may drive the vehicle to and from their home when one of more of the following conditions exist:
The following Safety Standards must be followed by all drivers operating any vehicle on behalf of the Durham County:
Operating any vehicle for County business when impaired will result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.
Distracted Driving is any diversion of the driver's attention from the task of operating a motor vehicle by activities, objects, or events inside/outside the vehicle. Any distraction to the driver should be avoided.
Cell Phones
Cell phone use is the leading cause of distracted driving fatalities, it is crucial for all drivers to do their part to end this epidemic.
Aggressive driving, which is prohibited, can include speeding, tailgating, failing to use a signal, running red lights and stop signs, weaving in traffic, yelling, making obscene gestures, or excessive use of the horn.
All drivers must be aware that when driving a county owned vehicle, you are representing the county.
Smoking or the use of smokeless tobacco, which includes vaping is not permitted in any County owned vehicle.
Reversing and driving backwards is permitted only if existing conditions make it impossible to drive forward. Drivers of non-commercial vehicles are encouraged to back into parking spaces whenever possible.
Drivers must always perform a vehicle walk-around prior to backing their vehicle, unless the driver is backing into a parking space. This procedure is performed by the driver walking around the vehicle to check the clearances to the side, front and back as well as above to ensure that there are no obstacles to backing the vehicle. Drivers shall always use a spotter, if available.
The Risk Management Division is responsible for administering the Vehicle Operations Policy.
Risk Management will:
Failure to follow the Vehicle Operations Policy and Safety Standards will result in ineligibility to operate a County owned vehicle and/or personal vehicle for County business and may result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.
Management Commitment - Management shall take all available steps to ensure the safe operation of any vehicles assigned to or operated by their employees.
Communications - Supervisors/Managers shall insure all Authorized Drivers are familiar with the contents of this policy.
Orientation - Once a driver has been selected and hired, appropriate training is required. Departments shall ensure reasonable training is provided to make certain all operators have an acceptable understanding of the specific vehicle they may operate.
A minimum of eight (8) supervised hours of practical driver training (behind the wheel) if the vehicle:
Remedial Training- Remedial training may be required by the Supervisor, or Risk Management as a result of a preventable incident, moving violation, or report of policy infraction as a condition of continued driving privileges.
Emergency Vehicle Operations - This training teaches effected employees the legal and practical aspects of operating a motor vehicle under emergency conditions. This training is normally provided by a certified internal or external instructor and is approved for continuing education by the appropriate state level certifying agency (State Office of EMS, State Fire Marshall).
Accident Reporting Requirements - Employee(s) involved in an accident/collision involving a County owned or leased motor vehicle, as well as a personal vehicle for County business must report that accident/incident immediately to their Supervisor and Risk Management. Durham Police Department or Durham County Sheriff's Office must also be contacted if the accident occurred on any street, highway and involved another County vehicle or private citizen. Accidents involving work-related personal injury must be reported to the CorVel 24/7 Work Injury Nurse Line at (855) 893-5281. Call 911 for Emergencies.
Traffic Violations or Accidents- All traffic violations, incurred while driving a County vehicle including towing, fines and court costs incurred by drivers are the exclusive responsibility of the driver.
All Authorized Drivers are responsible for notifying their Supervisor and Risk Management immediately (within 24 hours) of any moving violation.
Post-Accident Drug and Alcohol Screening
Employees involved in a vehicle accident driving a County vehicle are required to follow the Human Resources' Alcohol and Substance Abuse Policy for post-accident testing.
Accident Review - Completing a thorough review of vehicle related incidents help to identify causes to be avoided in the future, and as a result, reduce the number and severity of vehicle incidents which might occur. While the intent is to do a detailed review and analysis for every vehicle incident, it is may not be practical to do so.
Given this, those incidents which meet the following criteria will prompt a formal accident review that will be completed by Risk Management:
A. Damage estimated to exceed $10,000,
B. Involve the tow-away of one or more of involved vehicles
C. Involve an injury
D. Deemed necessary by the affected Department or Risk Management
A detailed Incident Review Report will be provided at the completion of the review process. This report created by Risk Management will contain findings and recommendations to the Department Head, to include any corrective action items as well as request for any remedial training for the driver.
Authorized Drivers must review any Department Specific Procedures pertaining to vehicle operations. Supervisors are responsible for alerting all staff members of any department-specific driving procedures.
Vehicles permanently assigned to individuals or departments may be recalled if any of the following occur:
1. If the vehicles is used for any purpose other than official county business, unless prior approval has been given.
2. If vehicle abuse occurs. Abuse includes, but is not limited to, improper care and maintenance of the vehicle (excessive and extended filth of the vehicle), willful damage to the vehicle (destruction of interior or exterior with foreign objects), excessive number of accidents, and reckless disregard for the proper operation of the vehicle (excessive moving or standing violations).
3. If substantiated violations of motor vehicle laws are committed.
4. If other rules and regulations or policies and policies are willfully violated related to the operation of the motor vehicle.
The maintenance of permanently assigned and department assigned vehicles is the responsibility of the individual and department to which the vehicle is assigned. Upon completion of vehicle maintenance, copies of invoices, bills of sale need to be forwarded to the General Services Fleet Coordinator at (919) 560-0052.
Drivers shall routinely check their assigned vehicles to ensure proper oil level, water and anti freeze for radiators, water for battery (if applicable), wear on belts, and proper inflation of tires. This service should be performed at least weekly.
Fuel purchases should be obtained from County facilities or approved facilities if county-owned facilities are closed; except when traveling to other counties or states.
It is the responsibility of the person(s) assigned a county-owned vehicle to keep the vehicle clean. The cost of washes is the responsibility of the person or department assigned the vehicle.
Preventive maintenance on vehicles is to be performed at scheduled intervals established by the vehicle manufacturer. Review the Drivers Manual that should be located in the glove compartment of most vehicles.
The driver or department may obtain required maintenance at county-owned or other authorized commercial facilities. Contact General Services Fleet Coordinator at (919) 560-0052 for information on approved vendors for vehicle maintenance and repair.
State law requires all motor vehicles to be inspected for safety, annually. It is the responsibility of the permanently assigned driver to ensure that the vehicle is up to date on inspections. Contact General Services Fleet Coordinator at (919) 560-0052 for information on approved vendors for vehicle maintenance and repair.
Two sets of keys are provided with each vehicle. If keys are lost or additional keys are desired, the cost will be the responsibility of the agency to which the vehicle is assigned
All toll charges will be paid by the employee and the employee may be reimbursed by their department. It is advisable for those County-owned vehicles to obtain an EZ Pass. For those who drive their personal vehicle while conducting County business, you will need to submit reimbursement for your toll charges.
Parking citations are the responsibility of the vehicle assigned driver, current driver of the vehicle when citation is issued, or the driver's department at the time of issue.
It is the responsibility of the individual driver to observe all state motor vehicle laws and ordinances. All violations and fines shall be the responsibility of the driver or department. Abuse of motor vehicle laws and ordinances may result in denial of the use of a County-owned vehicle.
Individuals and departments are responsible for secure and safe storage and parking of vehicles. Repeated acts of vandalism may result in the department being charged for repairs. County owned vehicles shall not be left on non-residential streets or highways overnight unless it is necessary due to mechanical failure or emergency. When a County-owned vehicle is parked on a municipal street, it shall be the responsibility of the driver or the driver's department to pay all parking fees and any parking fines or other fines assessed against the vehicle. The vehicle may be parked in a commercial or municipal parking facility provided the driver or the driver's agency pays for any parking fees. The driver shall be responsible for any towing fees resulting from improper parking.
Under no circumstances may a County employee operate a county-owned vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating beverages, drugs or substances, or transport except in the performance of law enforcement duties) these items in a county-owned vehicle.
Hitchhikers are not allowed to ride in any county-owned vehicle, or any personal vehicle being operated while on County business.
Spouses, children, and partners are permitted to accompany county employees on trips in county owned vehicles when sufficient space is available and when all travel is for official county business. Employee also needs to obtain approval from their Supervisor.
Those county employees with assigned vehicles to drive to and from home and work each day as part of their job duties, will be allowed to use the vehicle to attend personal appointments (medical, dental, school functions), to pick-up or drop-off spouses, children, and partners as these functions would normally be conducted with their private vehicle. The County vehicle can only be used for this purpose if the appointment is on a regular work day. The County vehicle cannot be used for these private appointments on a non-work day (vacation, holiday, sick). Employee must understand their liability, responsibility, and have approval from their supervisors.
Family pets are not allowed in county-owned vehicles. Leader (Service) dogs for blind persons and other officially certified assistance dogs are excluded from this restriction.
Non-county employed persons may accompany county employees driving county-owned vehicles when they have an interest in the purpose of the trip and their presence is related to county business.
Non-county employed persons, however, are not allowed to drive a county-owned vehicle.
There are no special requirements to use a county-owned vehicle for travel in the continental U.S. other than following the highway rules and regulations for the counties or states for which you are traveling through.
Drivers who drive during adverse weather conditions are cautioned to take extreme care and employ safety measures to ensure the safety of driver and passengers. Any damage to a county owned vehicle operated during adverse weather conditions shall be paid by the using department when it is found that such damage resulted from negligence on the part of the driver. Drivers are required to turn on headlights while driving during inclement weather and are also required by state law to turn on headlights when operating windshield wipers.
In accordance with State law, the driver and all passengers shall wear seat belts whenever the vehicle is in motion.
Smoking in County-Owned Vehicles
Smoking is not allowed in any County-owned vehicle. This includes tobacco use of any kind as well as vaping.
Texting while driving is not allowed in County-owned vehicles. The driver must pull over in a safe location in order to respond to a text message.
