Devine Accounting - Safe Driving Policy

15th May 2011

Aim of this Safe Driving Policy

To reduce at fault crash costs and injuries by promoting a safe driving culture within the organisation.

Objectives of this policy

To ensure that staff who drive vehicles in the course of their work demonstrate safe, efficient driving skills and other good road safety habits at all times.

To maintain all company vehicles in a safe, clean and roadworthy condition to ensure the maximum safety of the drivers, occupants and other road users, and reduce the impacts of company vehicles on the environment.

This also applies to personal vehicles used for work purposes.

Code of Conduct

The code of conduct for Devine Enterprises Ltd T/As Devine Accounting states that:

“While driving company vehicles or own vehicles for work purposes, staff must comply with traffic legislation, be conscious of road safety and demonstrate safe driving and other good road safety habits.”

The following actions in company vehicles will be viewed as serious breaches of conduct and dismissal may be a consequence:

drinking or being under the influence of drugs while driving
driving while disqualified or not correctly licensed
reckless or dangerous driving causing death or injury
failing to stop after a crash
acquiring demerit points leading to suspension of licence
any actions that warrant the suspension of a licence.

Responsibilities of an Employee

Every driver of a company vehicle will:

ensure they hold a current driver licence for the class of vehicle they are driving and this licence is carried when driving a company vehicle
immediately notify the manager if their driver licence has been suspended or cancelled, or has had limitations placed upon it
be responsible and accountable for their actions when operating a company vehicle or driving for the purposes of work
display the highest level of professional conduct when driving a company vehicle
regularly check the oil, tyre pressures, radiator and battery levels of company vehicles they regularly use
comply with traffic legislation when driving
assess hazards while driving and anticipate ‘what if’ scenarios
drive within the legal speed limits, including driving to the conditions
wear a safety belt at all times
never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, including prescription and over the counter medication if they cause drowsiness – to do so will merit disciplinary measures
avoid distraction when driving – the driver will adjust car stereos/mirrors etc before setting off, or pull over safely in order to do so
report any near-hits, crashes and scrapes to the manager, including those that do not result in injury
report infringements to the manager at the earliest opportunity
report vehicle defects to the manager before the next vehicle use.

In addition, it is required that all drivers:

take regular and adequate rest breaks, at least every two hours
stop when tired
plan their journeys, taking into account pre-journey work duties, the length of the trip and post-journey commitments

If an employee is driving their own vehicle for the purposes of work, the same policies apply.

In addition:

the employee must seek the employer’s agreement before using their vehicle for work
the car must be legally registered, warranted and insured for the purposes of work – the employee must show evidence of this on request
the employee must not carry loads for which the vehicle is unsuited, nor may they carry more passengers than for whom there are seat belts
the vehicle must not be used in conditions for which it was not designed (such as off-road).

Responsibilities of an Employer

The employer will take all steps to ensure company vehicles are as safe as possible and will not require staff to drive under conditions that are unsafe and/or likely to create an unsafe environment, physical distress, fatigue, etc.

The employer will do this by undertaking the following tasks:

Ensuring all vehicles are well maintained and that the equipment promotes driver and passenger safety by:

servicing the vehicles according to manufacturers’ recommendations
setting up procedures where employees check vehicles’ oil, water, tyre pressures and general cleanliness on a regular basis, and record the inspections

Collecting and collating statistics on incidents, crashes and their causes, including:

the number of crashes
who was thought to be at fault
the probable causes of the crashes and other contributors, such as unrealistic work schedules
the financial cost of all crashes
the number of prosecutions
the number of near-miss events
other costs, such as downtime, ACC compensation claims, temporary workers and lost productivity.

Encouraging safe driving behaviour by:

not paying staff speeding or other infringement fines
forbidding the use of mobile phones in vehicles while driving
encouraging regular breaks while driving
providing taxis and designated drivers to and from work social events

What employees are to do if there is a crash in a company vehicle

Immediately stop your vehicle at the scene or as close to it as possible, making sure you are not obstructing traffic. Ensure your own safety first. Help any injured people and call for assistance if needed.

Try to get the following information:

details of the other vehicle(s) and registration number(s)
name(s) and address(es) of the other vehicle owner(s) and driver(s)
name(s) and address(es) of any witness(es)
name(s) of insurer(s).

Give the following information:

your name and address
company contact details.

If you damage another vehicle that is unattended, leave a note on the vehicle with your contact details.

Contact the police:

if there are injuries
if there is a disagreement over the cause of the crash
if you damage property other than your own
if damage to the vehicle looks to be worth more than $2500.

Follow-up:
If there is an injury or major damage, report the crash to the manager as soon as you can.

How the success of the policy will be measured

The success of this policy will be measured by:

the number of crashes involving company vehicles
the number of at-fault crashes involving company vehicles
the number of traffic infringements received
the costs of repairs and maintenance
other financial costs associated with vehicle use
the average cost of vehicle-related workers’ compensation claims.

Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed annually and employees will acknowledge their role in implementing the company’s safe driving policy