The University of Wolverhampton has duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its employees and make similar provision for non-employees including students and visitors who may be affected by the University’s activities.

The purpose of this document is to ensure, where applicable compliance with the Health & Safety Executive Guidance for employers “Driving at Work – Managing work-related road safety”, to fulfil the requirements of our statutory ‘duty of care’ and meet current insurance sector standards.  It details the arrangements necessary and the individual and collective responsibilities that will ensure that the risks associated with occupational driving are minimised, so far as reasonably practicable. 

The applicable legislation and standards include:  

• The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (Section 2).
• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
• The Road Traffic Act 1991.
• Driving at Work – Managing work-related road safety (HSE, DfT, RoSPA).
• Road Safety Act 2006. 

The Health and Safety Executive in collaboration with the Department for Transport and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents have published Guidance for Employers on “Driving at Work – Managing work-related road safety”. This Guidance clearly states their view that the requirements of Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 apply to all work-related activities, including “work-related driving”. 

The Guidance states that it is essential to have an effective policy which covers the issue of work-related driving, clearly defining responsibilities for both the employer and employee and the arrangements for implementation. 

The purpose of this document is to ensure that adequate controls are in place to protect both the institution and the individual and to provide a set of standards, which form a framework within which all parties may confidently operate. 

This Policy establishes a framework for dealing with situations that may arise as a consequence of its implementation, e.g., identifying persons who are unfit to drive or are no longer permitted to drive. 

This Policy does not diminish in any way the individual’s responsibility to act within the law in all regards when driving on the public highway.

This Policy recognises that there are distinct categories of employees who drive as part of their work activities: 

• Employees who are required to drive vehicles owned/leased by University of Wolverhampton as an integral part of their employment (e.g. maintenance staff, security, drivers etc);

• Employees who use their own vehicles or hired vehicles for convenience on a casual basis, in order to undertake some element of their role within the institution (e.g. outreach work, business development, marketing, inter-site travel etc.)

Qualified to drive

All persons who drive on behalf of the University for business purposes, either as an essential part of their employment, or on a casual basis, or for convenience are personally responsible for ensuring that they are qualified to drive the relevant type of vehicle within the UK.

All persons who drive University owned or leased vehicles as an essential part of their employment should present their driving licence for inspection by their Head of Department/Faculty on an annual basis, to ascertain their continued qualification to drive.  As per instructions on: https://www.wlv.ac.uk/university-life/travel-and-transport/self-drive-hire/

If you are required to drive outside of the UK on university business you must ensure you have any required driving permits prior to departure.

Insurance arrangements

The law requires all persons who drive on the public highway to be adequately and appropriately insured. This means that any person driving, albeit occasionally in connection with the business of their employer, must be covered for “business use”.

All persons who drive University of Wolverhampton owned or leased vehicles as an essential part of their employment and, all persons who request vehicles to be hired or leased by the University of Wolverhampton for their use on business purposes are automatically covered by the University of Wolverhampton insurance policy

Persons who use their own vehicles for University business purposes on a casual basis or for convenience (e.g., travel to meetings) should ensure that their personal insurance policy states “for business use”. 

Fitness to drive 

It is every individual’s responsibility to ensure that they are medically fit to drive on the public highway, irrespective of whether they are doing so as an individual for social, domestic or pleasure purposes, or whether they are doing so as a work-related activity.

Drivers of University of Wolverhampton vehicles must declare to their line manager if they are suffering from, or diagnosed with from any medical condition that might adversely affect their ability to drive safely, (e.g. epilepsy, diabetes, and vision impairment).  

Reference will then be made to Occupational Health Adviser, who will assess the individual concerned and advise the University of Wolverhampton Human Resources Department regarding the correct course of action. 

University of Wolverhampton will seek to support individuals to ensure that fitness to drive is achieved, where the person drives on behalf of the University either as an essential part of their employment, or where the driving is part of an approved activity (e.g. driving a minibus).  

This support includes, pre-employment medical screening, and health checks via Occupational Health (intervals as determined by OH). 

If you require eyesight correction to maintain visual standards when driving, it is your obligation to make arrangements to have an optician’s check every 2 years, or more frequently if advised to do so. 

University Vehicles 

University of Wolverhampton operates a separate Code of Practice for all drivers of University vehicles whether they be owned, leased or hired.

https://www.wlv.ac.uk/university-life/travel-and-transport/self-drive-hire/ 

Road Safety 

The law states that it is the responsibility of the driver to ensure that any vehicle driven on the public highway is safe and fit for use. 

In the case of employees who use their own private vehicle for the purposes of work, it is their responsibility to ensure that the vehicle has a valid MOT certificate (where applicable), is properly maintained and roadworthy. 

Where an employee uses vehicles owned, leased or hired by the University of Wolverhampton appropriate servicing and maintenance arrangements must be established in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendations, to ensure that the vehicle is fit for use.  

Drivers must not drive under the influence of alcohol, intoxicating drugs or other substances that are likely to impair judgement or the ability to react quickly and appropriately to road conditions or circumstances. 

For more information see the University Alcohol and Substance Policy and Procedure available through the HR self-service portal. 

Employees who are driving whilst at work are required to comply fully with the law, which prohibits the use of handheld mobile phones and other devices whilst driving.  Employees are encouraged to make use of the voicemail facility on their mobile phone and make return calls when it is safe to do so. For further information on the use of handheld devices refer to the University of Wolverhampton Policy.                                                           

Passenger and goods carrying drivers must not exceed the maximum permitted driving hours and comply with regulated driver rest breaks as per current legislation.                                                           

As of April 2017, drivers can be charged up to 175 per cent of their weekly wage for speeding in the UK. (See Appendix B for maximum UK speed limits). There is a cap of £1,000 on minor offences or up to £2,500 for major ones. A three-band system will determine the severity of an offence and corresponds to different charges. These charges are calculated on a percentage basis. In addition to the variable fee motorists could land themselves with a driving offence of this nature, they could also receive between three and six penalty points. 

EU law in relation to speeding is different and motorists are advised to ensure that they are fully aware of speed limits imposed within the country in which they are required to drive. 

Risk Assessment 

Where employees are required to undertake work-related driving, it is expected that the schedule of driving, work activities and periods of rest are mutually agreed and determined in order to identify any significant risks, so as not to place an undue burden upon the person concerned. 

Reporting accidents and incidents 

In the event of any accident, an internal accident report form must be completed online and submitted to the University Health & Safety Department.

https://www.wlv.ac.uk/staff/services/hsd/accident-reporting/

Where employees who are driving University of Wolverhampton owned or leased vehicles, or vehicles which are hired by the University for their use, are involved in road traffic accidents or incidents which result in damage to vehicles, loss or damage to property or injury to persons, they must;

• Report any incident that may give rise to a claim to the University of Wolverhampton Insurance Officer as soon as possible irrespective of the amount of damage.
• Under no circumstances should a driver/employee admit liability or make offer of payment to a third party or his insurer.
• It is vital that the driver notes the registration number of the vehicle(s) involved. The full name and address of each driver should be obtained. A mobile phone number proves insufficient in many cases.
• It is vital to obtain contact details of any witnesses, and preferable to also obtain statements from such witnesses if possible.
• Photographs and a detailed sketch (showing road markings) may also assist if liability is subsequently disputed. 

Employees who are involved in an accident/incident whilst engaged in work-related driving in their own vehicles should deal with any claims that arise from this directly with their own insurer.

Dealing with medical conditions affecting the ability to drive 

Where employees are required to drive University of Wolverhampton owned or leased vehicles, or their own vehicle, as an essential part of their duties, they are duty bound to inform their line manager immediately of any medical condition which would prevent them from driving legally on the public highway.

Managers will relieve the person of all driving duties with immediate effect and in consultation with the individual, identify suitable means by which they may continue to undertake their normal duties or alternative work activities (as a short-term solution).

Advice should be sought from Human Resources and where applicable Occupational Health.

Dealing with employees who have incurred additional convictions or disqualification

Where employees are required to drive University of Wolverhampton owned or leased vehicles, or their own vehicle, as an essential part of their duties, they are duty bound to inform their line manager and Insurance Officer of any additional convictions (including penalty points) or periods of disqualification immediately.

For disqualification managers will relieve the person of all driving duties with immediate effect and in consultation with the individual, seek to identify suitable means by which they may continue to undertake their normal duties or alternative work activities (as a short-term solution). 

Advice will be sought from Human Resources to identify, in consultation with the individual and their line-manager, the most appropriate course of action. 

Failure to comply with this policy may be referred to the relevant line manager as a disciplinary offence.

There are no exceptions to this policy.

The University may change this Policy at any time, and where appropriate. Where a policy is not due for review, but is found to require updating, it will remain published, unless the reasons for review render it obsolete.

• The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (Section 2).
• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
• The Road Traffic Act 1991.
• Driving at Work – Managing work-related road safety (HSE, DfT, RoSPA).
• Road Safety Act 2006.

 https://www.gov.uk/drivers-hours/overview

For general queries, please contact the University Health and Safety Department.
Email: HSDEmails@wlv.ac.uk

Or the University Corporate Compliance Team via email:  compliance@wlv.ac.uk.

The Road Traffic Act 1991 states that the driver is responsible for the roadworthiness of any vehicle, the load being carried and the wearing of seat belts by passengers, whilst travelling on the public highway.

As such, it is strongly recommended that for University of Wolverhampton employees intending to drive any vehicle for work related purposes, they should undertake appropriate checks prior to using the vehicle, for example:  

• Tyre tread
• Foot and hand brake operation
• Lights, indicators and hazard warning lights operate
• Horn operates
• Screen wash and wipers operate
• Seat belts fitted and functioning
• Mirrors adjusted/adjustable 

These are tasks which do not require any technical expertise and are the basic checks included in the current UK driving standards examination. 

• Additional checks for long journeys might usefully include:
• Fluid levels (oil, coolant and screen wash)
• Tyre pressures
• Locks and security functional
• Fuel level 

It is not intended that checklists are provided or that records of pre-use checks are kept, as it remains the responsibility of any driver to ensure that a vehicle is roadworthy.

The speed limit is the absolute maximum and does not mean it is safe to drive at that speed irrespective of conditions. 

Driving at speeds too fast for the road and traffic conditions can be dangerous. You should always reduce your speed when: 

• The road layout or condition presents hazards, such as bends.
• Sharing the road with pedestrians and cyclists, particularly children and motorcyclists.
• Weather conditions make it safer to do so.
• Driving at night as it is harder to see other road users. 

You must not exceed the maximum speed limits for the road and for your vehicle (see table below). Streetlights usually mean that there is a 30 mph (48 km/h) speed limit unless there are signs showing another limit. 

Please Note - The 30 mph (48 km/h) limit applies to all traffic on all roads in England and Wales (only Class C and unclassified roads in Scotland) with street lighting unless signs show otherwise. 

 These are the national speed limits and apply to all roads unless signs show otherwise.