All officials and employees who use a County or privately owned vehicle for County business shall follow the guidelines set forth in Board Policy Number O-90, Vehicle Use Policy and Procedures. 

 

Safe Driving Tips

 

Impaired Driving: Drivers must never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This not only means refraining from drunk driving, but also from drug-impaired driving.

Distracted Driving: Distracted driving is anything that takes your eyes or mind off the road

  • Cell Phone Use: Using a phone to dial, talk or text triples the risk of a driver getting into a crash. Texting is the most alarming distraction. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for an average of 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed. 
  • Drowsy Driving: The terms drowsy, sleepy, and fatigue are used interchangeably although there are differences in the way these terms are used and understood.  Some tips to drive alert provided by the NHTSA are:
    • Getting adequate sleep on a daily basis
    • Before the start of a long drive, get a good night's sleep
    • Do not take medications that could cause drowsiness before driving

Seat Belt Use: California seat belt law requires all occupants of a moving motor vehicle 8 years of age and older to wear a safety belt. Children under 8 years of age must be restrained in a car seat or booster seat in the back seat of a vehicle.

  • Seat Belt Extender: Employees who have difficulty using a seat belt due to body size or driving position, should contact their supervisor or reach out to Fleet Management to request a seat belt extender.  DO NOT use universal extenders!  Seat belt extenders must be specific to the manufacturer's requirements.  Contact Fleet Management for assistance with seat belt extenders.

Speeding: Speeding puts you and others on the road at risk. It’s harder to control the vehicle and make adjustments to any changing traffic or road conditions. There’s a reason we have speed limits. It is the maximum allowable speed for that particular roadway, not a suggestion.  California has three types of speeding laws: a "basic speeding law," "presumed speed limits," and "absolute speed limits."

 

Vehicle Accidents

 

 

 If you are involved in a vehicle accident, follow the tips below:

  • STOP, but do not block traffic if possible
  • Put the vehicle hazard lights on to help warn oncoming vehicles 
  • If no injuries or fatalities, move the vehicle off the street or highway
  • Use caution when exiting the vehicle, ensuring it is safe exit while in active traffic
  • If someone is injured, dial 9-1-1 for emergency assistance and notify the department

Accident Reporting: Employees involved in a vehicle accident while driving on County business should report the accident to their supervisor as soon as it is safe to do so. 

When it's safe to do so, employees should complete the entire Vehicle & Property Damage Report while at the scene of the accident.  To assist in this report, employees should take photos of the scene and all involved vehicles.

Completed Vehicle & Property Damage Reports should be submitted to the department, Fleet Management, and Risk Management.

Vehicle Incident Report

 

Employee Training

 

Prior to driving on County business, all new employees/drivers shall attend a defensive driver-training program.  This includes all permanent staff and temporary County employees.  The course shall be repeated every two years or sooner if the employee is involved in an accident or it is deemed necessary by their department. 

Training courses are available through Risk Management for in person training or through one of the County approved web based learning systems for virtual options.  Contact your department safety coordinator, LMS coordinator, or the Risk Management division for assistance or questions with defensive driver training. 

 

Resources and References