Motor Vehicle Safety

Employees may be required to operate motor vehicles in the performance of their job duties. The purpose of this policy is to ensure the safety of those individuals who drive Company and customer vehicles and to provide guidance on the proper use of these motor vehicles. It is the driver’s responsibility to operate the vehicle in a safe manner and to drive defensively to prevent injuries and property damage. As such, the Company endorses all applicable state motor vehicle regulations relating to driver responsibility and requires each driver to drive in a safe, lawful, and courteous manner pursuant to the following rules.

 

Motor Vehicle Records

LWG reserves the right to regularly check the DMV records of all employees who drive as part of their job. Whenever an employee is driving on behalf of the Company, either in their own vehicle, any vehicle the organization owns, or any customer vehicle, the following expectations and rules apply:

 

• The Company may request a motor vehicle report. Management reserves the right to use its discretion in determining an unsatisfactory report and may be cause for disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
• Employees who are required to drive a Company or customer vehicle on Company business or drive as part of their job duties will be required to show proof of a current, unrestricted, valid driver’s license. Any employee who has a driver’s license revoked, suspended, restricted, or expired is prohibited from operating a motor vehicle and shall immediately notify their immediate supervisor.
• LWG retains the right to transfer to an alternative position, suspend, or terminate the employment of an employee whose license is revoked or who is uninsurable under LWG ’s automotive insurance policy.
• Employees are required to notify LWG immediately if they no longer possess a valid, unrestricted driver’s license.

 

Insurance Requirements

Employees who use their personal vehicles for Company business are required to carry adequate limits of liability, with a suggested minimum of $100,000 for property damage and $300,000 for bodily injury.

 

Traffic Violations

LWG requires its employees to obey all traffic laws. LWG is not responsible for any traffic violations or parking tickets acquired by violation of any ordinance or law regarding driving and operation of a motor vehicle. Any ticket issued is the employee’s responsibility. Tickets billed to the Company may be deducted from the employee’s wages or final paycheck when permitted by applicable law.

 

Refueling Guidelines

For your safety when operating a vehicle, follow these guidelines:

• Turn off the vehicle’s engine while refueling.
• Never smoke, light matches, or use lighters while refueling.
• Do not get into the vehicle during refueling, as this presents a flash fire hazard.
• Do not overfill or top off the vehicle’s fuel tank. The fuel dispenser shuts off automatically when the tank is full.
• Never force the hold-open latch on the gasoline pump with any means other than the latch provided.

 

Authorized Use of Company Vehicles

The use of Company vehicles is restricted to authorized personnel only. Only the assigned driver of a Company vehicle is authorized to drive and operate the vehicle.

 

Distracted or Impaired Driving

LWG is committed to employee safety, and for this reason, it firmly prohibits all behavior that distracts or impairs employees while operating a Company vehicle. No employee shall drive a Company vehicle or customer vehicle during their job duties when their ability to do so safely has been impaired by illness, fatigue, injury, prescription medication, or drugs or alcohol. LWG may conduct mandatory random drug and alcohol testing. Driving under the influence of alcohol or other illegal substances is grounds for termination.

 

Accident Reporting Procedures

All accidents in Company or customer vehicles, regardless of severity, must be reported to the police, the employee’s supervisor, and Human Resources by completing the following accident reporting procedure:

• Call for medical aid if necessary.
• Call the police. All accidents, regardless of severity, must be reported to the police. Do not discuss the accident with anyone at the scene except the police. Do not argue with anyone. Do not accept any responsibility for the accident.
• Record names and addresses of the driver, witnesses, and occupants of the other vehicles, if any, and any medical personnel who may arrive at the scene.
• Provide the other party, if any, with your name, address, driver's license number, and insurance information.
• Complete the Motor Vehicle Accident Reporting form and return it to Human Resources as soon as possible, but no later than 24 hours following the accident. Pertinent information to obtain includes license number of other drivers; insurance company names and policy numbers of other vehicles; make, model, and year of other vehicles; date and time of the accident; and overall road and weather conditions; and
• There will be a formal accident review conducted on each accident. Based on the findings of the review, an employee may be subject to disciplinary action, including termination of employment.

 

Employees may be responsible for reimbursing LWG for damages caused during an accident, to the extent permitted by applicable law. Where permitted by applicable law, the payment for such damages may be deducted from their wages and/or final paycheck.

 

Disciplinary Action

Violations of this policy and/or failure to cooperate with an investigation may result in disciplinary action, including termination of employment.