4.3 Company Vehicles

Employees are reminded that the vehicle in their possession is an expensive piece of equipment and in order to safeguard it and to ensure it is used correctly, the following procedures must be adhered to at all times:

A vehicle is only available to named employees who hold a current and valid driving licence and who have been approved by First Vehicle to drive. As all vehicles are insured through the company any conviction for driving offences, any driving endorsements and any fines incurred whilst employees are in possession of the vehicle must be reported immediately.

The driver is to ensure that their driving or vehicle does not contravene any road traffic law or ordinance.

The driver will be responsible for any conviction or fine incurred whilst in charge of a company vehicle. Should the company have to pay any fine on behalf of the employee, then it retains the right to recharge all costs, including administration fees, and may deduct these directly from the employee's salary.

Adequate time must be allocated for all journeys. Any endorsement for speeding is considered to be misconduct, possible gross misconduct, and will result in disciplinary action being taken against the offender. If a driver is convicted of speeding, or other driving offence, when a child is carried, this is considered to be gross misconduct and may result in the dismissal of the employee.

In the interest of safety, all drivers of home attached vehicles are advised that mobile phones should not be used whilst driving other than with a hands free kit. If two members of staff are in the vehicle together, the phone may be answered by the non-driver.  If driving alone, the phone should be switched off. When the phone is switched off, please ensure the message service is operating correctly, this will only delay messages by a maximum of 2 hours within existing Company Policy for maximum driving time.

All fuel must be purchased by means of the vehicle fuel card, and mileage must be noted on each voucher. The fuel used must be of a quality standard in line with that recommended in the manufacturer's handbook. Should the wrong fuel be used, the company will recharge the employee the cost to rectify the error and any other costs incurred, including damage to the engine if appropriate.

Any employee who is considered to be acting carelessly or recklessly in their use of the vehicle will be subject to disciplinary action (and this may involve the withdrawal of the vehicle where appropriate).

Every accident or incident in which a vehicle in an employee's charge becomes involved, regardless of fault and whatever persons or property are affected, must be reported immediately to the Home Manager and  First Vehicle, regardless of blame or cause. Following investigation if an accident was caused by negligence on the part of the driver, then the cost of repairing the damage caused may be re-charged to the employee and disciplinary action may follow.  If the company has to pay an additional premium for a driver who is considered high risk (eg previous drink drive conviction), then the driver may be asked to pay part of the insurance excess should they become involved in an accident/incident resulting in an insurance claim.

Should an employee have a fault accident in a company vehicle, then the company reserves the right to re-brief or re-assess the driver, and if felt necessary, remove them from the insurance policy.

In the event of an employee being prosecuted or convicted of a driving offence which results in disqualification for any period and the holding of a licence is an essential requirement of the job, this will result in the employee's dismissal.

A driver of a company vehicle must avoid the consumption of alcohol or drugs prior to, or during, the course of driving. Infringement of this rule will result in the employee's dismissal.

No employee shall drive any vehicle prior to, during or after working hours if they are, or can reasonably be believed, to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Only authorised personnel may drive the company vehicles.

Unauthorised passengers must not be carried in vehicles, nor must vehicles be used for personal gain or pleasure without permission.

The appropriate documentation must be carried at all times e.g. insurance details.

Employees in general must ensure that the vehicle is kept in good condition. This includes keeping it clean and ensuring that, for example, the tyre pressure, lights, oil and water levels are up to the required standard. Employees should ensure that, as responsible drivers, their car is roadworthy in accordance with current legislation.

The person in charge of the vehicle must ensure that in their opinion the vehicle is safe to drive.

No vehicle is to be driven in an unroadworthy condition. Any defects must be reported immediately.  The vehicle must not be driven without the fault being rectified or prior approval given.

Statutory and company regulations regarding the recording of daily mileage, journeys undertaken and accrued driving hours, must be complied with. Prior to long journeys a risk assessment must be completed. There must be regular stops to avoid tiredness. Under no circumstances should any period of driving exceed two hours without a break.

All security devices must be operable when the vehicle is left unattended.

Any damage to a vehicle which is due to the employee's negligence or lack of care, the company reserves the right to rectify the damage or loss at the employee's expense either for the full amount where the cost falls below the insurance excess, or the full amount of the insurance excess.

Smoking is not permitted in any company vehicle.

Company vehicles are supplied for the transport of staff and children in our care.

Use of personal vehicles for business use (to attend training, meetings, etc) whereby mileage allowance is claimed, should be restricted and approved by line management prior to any journeys made. On first using a personal vehicle, a declaration needs to be signed to declare the vehicle is fit for the road, that it complies with all licence and Road Traffic Act requirements and meets the demands of the company's driving policy.  All drivers need to produce insurance documentation which shows they are covered for business use, vehicle registration document, valid MOT, proof that the vehicle is taxed and provide any service details. This to be verified by the line manager.  Line management to then forward signed declaration to  the Payroll Department in Dover

Any change to the above to be notified to the Payroll Department, who will administer and send reminders regarding tax, service, MOT, and insurance.

Employees not supplying details could have their company authorisation to drive withdrawn and the company reserves the right to withhold any motoring expenses.

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