Safe Driver Program

The LSU at Alexandria campus will follow the guidelines for a driver safety program as outlined in the Loss Prevention Manual of the State of Office of Risk Management. The Director of Budget and Risk Management/Safety assumes the role of the State Office of Risk Management on the LSU at Alexandria campus. The following administrative procedures should be followed in carrying out this program.

Driver Record Checks

Driver record checks are required to be made annually on staff and faculty drivers, including student workers, who drive university vehicles or personal vehicles on university business. In order for this to be accomplished, department heads must submit form DA2054 (Authorization and Driving History Form) to the Auxiliary Department on a yearly basis on drivers in their departments who are expected to drive. The Auxiliary Department is responsible for the University Motor Pool and for making reservations for the use of university vehicles. Anyone without a DA2054 should not be allowed to drive a university vehicle.

By the beginning of each academic year, the Auxiliary Department will submit a listing of the drivers to the Office of Motor Vehicles to obtain driver history records for evaluation and maintain a list of authorized drivers.

On new employees hired after the beginning of the academic year, the department head/supervisor must determine the new employee's driving status based on the job description and assure that the employee possesses a valid driver's license for the type of vehicle to be driver prior to authorizing the driving assignment. Department heads of new employees must follow the same procedures as indicated in paragraphs above.

Upon reviewing the driving record and discovering that a driver is a "high risk driver", the Auxiliary Department will immediately send the information to the Campus Safety Officer, the appropriate department head, and in some cases the appropriate higher level administrator including the Chancellor. Until an administrative meeting can be held for a final determination on driving status, an employee who is considered a "high risk driver" will not be allowed to drive a university vehicle nor will that employee be allowed to drive his/her personal vehicle for university business.

A "high risk driver" is defined as:

• An individual who has three or more convictions, guilty pleas and/or nolo contendere pleas for moving violations in a single year.
• An individual who has a single conviction, guilty plea or nolo contendere plea for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, hit and run driving, vehicular negligent injury, reckless operation of a vehicle or similar violation within a single year.

Employees who are authorized to drive university vehicles are responsible for the safe operation of those vehicles. They should report any unsafe conditions or accident involving state vehicles to their supervisor immediately. Employees must report a revocation of their driver's license or driving citations received immediately or within the next scheduled work day. Failure to report an accident or citations while driving a university vehicle and/or a revocation of a drivers' license may be cause for disciplinary action.

Defensive Driving Training

Defensive driving training must be provided to employees who drive university vehicles or personal vehicles on university business. Refresher courses must be provided at least once every three years unless their class of license requires other training. The defensive driving training may be scheduled as part of follow-up action when a driver has a preventable accident, or when driving performance or history reveals a need for additional training.

Records of driving training are maintained in the Office of Finance and Administrative Services.

Accident Reporting and Investigation

University vehicle accidents must be reported and investigated in a timely manner using form DA2041. Copies of this form are located in the university vehicle glove box/compartment and/or may be obtained from the Auxiliary Department.

Questions or additional information needed regarding this policy should be directed to Eric Gossett, Director, Auxiliary Services, Room 201 University Student Center, Telephone number—(318) 427-4455 or click here.