Table of Contents:

1. Usage Guidelines
2. Procedures for Checking Out and Maintenance of an Agency Vehicle
3. NSHE Vehicle Insurance
4. Personal/Privately-owned Vehicles
5. Vehicle Rentals
6. Vehicle Accidents/Claims
7. State Motor Pool
8. Files/Forms

Section 1: Usage Guidelines

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1. Under specific conditions, an employee may request and obtain special exception from this policy through their appropriate department administrator to use a private vehicle.
2. All vehicles owned by the college are only for authorized official business use.
3. Agency vehicles are not used to drive between home and workstations at the beginning or end of working hours, or driving on personal business. Parking a vehicle at your home at night requires preapproval and is rarely done. You must obtain the approval of a vice president, provide indoor parking, and notify BCN risk management.
4. College employees using college and/or State motor pool vehicles should familiarize themselves with state vehicle use policies and procedures. They are located athttp://nevadabudget.org/index.php/publications/sam/32-1300
5. All new employees, including employees that are obtaining their initial State of Nevada approved defensive driver class or the National Safety Council Defensive Driver Training Certificate, must successfully complete the course prior to use of a campus/state motor pool vehicle, a rental vehicle, or their personal vehicle on state business.Employees completing their initial State of Nevada training, as well as new employees that hold a valid State of Nevada defensive driving certificate, must send the course completion certificate to the Carson WNC Facilities Central Receiving office, which will send a copy to the WNC motor pool in Fallon as required. A completed WNC Driver Acknowledgment Form, signed by a supervisor, must also accompany the defensive driver certificate upon submission. The final item required is a valid Nevada drivers license (see section F and G below).Maintain a copy of the defensive driver-training certificate for yourself as a copy of the certificate will be required when using State vehicles from other State motor pools.To take this State of Nevada training course or the National Safety Council Course or to take the defensive driver refresher that is required every four years, follow the instructions below:

   Defensive Driving Requirement

   In accordance with BCN Risk Management and the Nevada State Administrative Manual (section 0521), state employees who drive state-owned vehicles must participate in an approved defensive driving class and applicable refresher course once every four years, or subsequent to an at-fault accident if recommended by an accident review committee.

   For additional questions, please contact the WNC EH&S Department at 775-445-3327.

   Initial Defensive Driving Course

   Defensive Driving Refresher Course

   The States Risk Management Office offers a defensive driving class in Carson City. To enroll: Use the Nevada Employee Action and Timekeeping System (NEATS). Contact,the NEATS Help Desk (775-687-9099) or Nevadas Divisionof Risk Management if you do not have the,resource to use NEATS, or have any questions. Deliver a copy of the certificate to the Carson Campus Facilities Central,Receiving Office. Online Option:The National Safety Council offers an online defensive driving course, which can be taken in lieu of the four-hour in-class training. Note: there is a cost associated with this option that is normally funded by the employees department or division.An online defensive driving refresher course is available through the state of Nevada.

   An online defensive driving refresher course is available through the state of Nevada. This course must be taken once every four years (after completion of the initial state of Nevada in-class session or the National Safety Council online course). To register: Visit the State of Nevada,Online Professional Development Center Click on the State of Nevada Employees,link under Course Categories. The list of classes will appear. Click on the Defensive Driving course. Select Defensive Driving (Refresher). You will,be asked to log in with your NEATS user name and password. Complete the online course. Print your certificate of completion. Keep a copy of the completion certificate for your records. Deliver a copy of the certificate to the,Carson Campus Facilities Central Receiving Office.

6. All WNC employees who drive state vehicles or drive their own vehicle on state business must have a valid Nevada or California Drivers license. Student employees can have a license for where they reside.
7. Each employee who has their drivers license suspended, revoked, or canceled by a State or jurisdiction, or who loses the right to operate a commercial motor vehicle in a State or jurisdiction for any period, or who is disqualified from operating a commercial motor vehicle for any period, shall notify his/her current employer of such suspension, revocation, cancellation, lost privilege, or disqualification. The notification must be made before the end of the business day following the day the employee received notice of the suspension, revocation, cancellation, lost privilege, or disqualification. WNC Public Safety department will periodically check license status.
8. Each employee must ensure a valid drivers license is on file at Carson Central Receiving and upon renewal bring the drivers license to Central Receiving or submit a copy.Students are not allowed to ride in an agency staff or private vehicle unless they are working for the college (e.g. volunteer or student government member).The only exception to this is an approved activity/ field trip approved by the appropriated WNC vice president (see Attachment B the Request for Activity/Field Trip Approval Form) whereby all employee, volunteer or work study drivers must have complied with Defensive Driver Training, Employee Driver Acknowledgement form/Work Related Business, and driver license requirements. In addition all students (except WNC employees) must complete Attachment C Activity Waver, Release, and Indemnification Agreement.In addition to the above if private vehicles are used for an activity/field trip. Private vehicle information must be stated on Attachment D the Activity/Field Trip Private Vehicle Information form.NOTE: Vehicle mileage for private vehicles will not be paid to owner drivers unless all vehicle usage procedures are followed.

Section 2: Procedures for Checking Out and Maintenance of an Agency Vehicle

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1. On the Carson campus, a vehicle is checked out through Central Receiving/Mail Services; on the Fallon campus, arrangements for vehicle use are made through the main office.
2. In compliance with the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety, all employees must show a valid drivers license when checking out a state vehicle or have a record of their drivers license on file with Central Receiving/Mail Services (Carson/Douglas) or the Fallon Campus office, and must have a valid drivers license in their possession while operating a state vehicle.
3. To comply with State Risk Management, which now handles the colleges vehicle physical damage (APD) insurance, all WNC personnel driving on NSHE business, whether in a state, WNC, or personnel vehicle, must complete and sign the WNC Employee Drivers Acknowledgement Form/Work Related Business see Attachment A to this procedure. The purpose of or all campuses to the implementation of the use of the Employee Driver Acknowledgement Forms is twofold. First, this form establishes a method of consistently communicating all the rules related to vehicle use that the State has established and establishes best practices related to prevention of claims. Secondly, it provides documentation that the college has implemented a procedure to inform all employees and drivers of the vehicle use rules and thus preserves the ability to have claims accepted and reimbursed.In the event of an accident, the States claims adjustor will ask for documentation of the employees Defensive Drivers Training and documentation of the procedures in place to notify employees of the rules and requirements related to vehicle use. If this documentation cannot be provided, and one of the established rules was violated, the claim can be denied and/orthe employee could be held personally responsible to reimburse the claim costs.
4. For in state travel (i.e. trips to meetings, conferences, travel to other college centers to teach etc.), employees should reserve a car at least two days prior to when it is needed. Realizing that the requested two days notice is not always possible, all efforts to reserve a state vehicle will be made, but because of limited numbers of vehicles, a choice as to vehicle type may not be available.
5. When checking out a car for out-of-state travel, employees should make a request at least three weeks in advance of a trip.
6. A gasoline credit card may be issued to college personnel using agency vehicles. Anyone using a vehicle should check to ensure that the vehicle used has at least one-half of a tank of gas when returning the vehicle to the college. Personnel who pay cash for gas purchases must have a receipt in order to be reimbursed.
7. If a driver notes problems with a vehicle, the problem must be reported to the colleges motor pool immediately upon returning to the college.
8. Vehicle users must discard all trash upon returning the vehicles.
9. Smoking is prohibited in all college and state motor pool vehicles.
10. It is also necessary to notify college personnel when a vehicle is not performing properly or has been damaged due to a malfunction (take photos!). If you return the vehicle when no one is present attach a note to the key so the vehicle will not be dispatched again without inspection/repair.

Section 3: NSHE Vehicle Insurance

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1. The Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) is self-insured for vehicle liability through the State of Nevada Torts Claim Fund. The Office of the Attorney General administers the Fund. Claims are handled in accordance with Chapter 41 of the Nevada Revised Statutes. Under Chapter 41, claims against the state and NSHE are limited to $100,000 per cause of action. There is no per occurrence cap on claims.
   1. Liability insurance for NSHE owned vehicles Liability includes bodily injury or property damage to others, including passengers in our vehicle, arising out of a NSHE drivers negligence. The NSHE employee is generally entitled to defense and indemnification in such situations.
   2. Liability insurance for Volunteers A person, who performs volunteer service under the direct supervision and control of and for the benefit of NSHE, is considered an employee for liability purposes and is generally entitled to defense and indemnification.
   3. Liability insurance for student employees Students cannot be defended or indemnified by the NSHE under Nevada law unless the student is also an employee and is acting as such at the time of the accident. Students performing required course work are not volunteers.
2. Uninsured motorist coverage (coverage for bodily injury to a vehicle occupant caused by an at-fault driver who does not have insurance or enough insurance) NSHE does NOT provide uninsured motorist coverage. In this situation, an injured NSHE employee would have his medical bills and part of his lost wages (when eligible) paid by Workers Compensation.
3. Medical payments coverage NSHE does NOT provide medical payments coverage. An injured NSHE employee in this situation would have his medical bills and part of his lost wages paid by Workers Compensation. An injured 3rd party person may be eligible for reimbursement of medical expenses through the State of Nevada Tort Claim Fund.
4. Vehicle physical damage coverage for NSHE owned vehicles Vehicles can be insured for Comprehensive and Collision (collectively known as Automobile Physical Damage coverage or APD) at your option through a self-insurance program funded by the State of Nevada, effective July 1, 2009. Claims will continue to be administered by NSHE Risk Management. This coverage is not provided unless requested by the department owning the vehicle. The department bears the cost of repairs or replacement of a damaged vehicle when coverage has not been requested. Insured vehicles are subject to a deductible of $300. The deductible will be waived when it is recovered from another party.
5. Automotive Physical Damage Coverage and Liability Coverage, add, delete or change coverage A request to have a vehicle covered must be made within 30 days of purchase. This request should be made by completing a URM-004 form. Once the form is completed, it should be submitted to the BCN Risk Management Office. Requests to delete a vehicle or change liability or APD coverage should also be made by completing a URM-004 form.The URM-004 can be located at:

   http://www.bcn-nshe.org/downloads/riskmgmt/urm004vehiclechangeform.pdf

   1. For more information on insurance and auto physical damage procedures see the BCN Risk Management office website at:
      http://www.bcn-nshe.org/hr/riskmanagement/
   2. Covered Vehicles: Any vehicle that is scheduled for automobile liability coverage with the State is eligible to have APD coverage. This includes busses, cars, trucks, dump trucks, motor homes, motorcycles, trailers, Gators and golf carts.
   3. Leased Vehicles: When the lease agreement requires that NSHE insure these vehicles, special arrangements must be made to add the vehicle to a Commercial Auto Insurance Policy administered through the BCN Risk Management Office.
6. All WNC motor pool vehicles have NSHE accident packets in the glove box. All accidents must e reported as soon as possible to immediately with-in 48 hours of an accident you must complete the accident report and file it with Business Center North and the Attorney Generals Office. To meet this deadline it is important to notify your supervisor, as well as the Carson City motor pool and the WNC Carson Environmental Health and Safety Department for assistance.

Section 4: Personal/Privately-owned Vehicles

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1. Personal/privately-owned vehicles NSHE does not have insurance coverage on the personal vehicle of an employee. Persons using their privately owned vehicles for regular business use should inform their insurance agent. In some cases, a business use rate may be applied. In the event of an accident, the personal vehicle insurance carrier would be required to provide coverage for liability, physical damage to the vehicle and legal defense for NSHE.
2. Private Vehicle Use for Colleges Convenience If a college employee is directed by his department administrator to use a private vehicle for the colleges convenience, he/she shall be reimbursed at the current higher rate (see Travel Policy) allowed for reimbursement per mile and shall be entitled to reimbursement for meals and lodging enroute.
   1. An employee shall not be directed to use a private vehicle if a college vehicle is available unless the round trip is 75 miles or less. Use of a private vehicle is prohibited for transportation of students on official trips.
   2. A college employee must use a private vehicle when using Reno/Tahoe International Airport for a trip exceeding one day, and will be reimbursed at the current higher rate allowed for reimbursement per mile.
   3. Taxicab, bus fare and parking receipts are required for reimbursement of these expenditures.
   4. A college employee leaving from his/her college workstation and returning the same day must use a college vehicle, when available.
      1. If a college vehicle is NOT available, the college employee may use a personal vehicle and obtain reimbursement at the current higher rate allowed for reimbursement per mile. Vehicle non-availability form must be obtained from appropriate college motor pool office.
      2. If a college vehicle is available, and the college employee chooses to use their personal vehicle, he/she is reimbursed at the lower rate allowed for reimbursement per mile.
3. Private Vehicle Use for Employees Convenience If a college employee is authorized by their appropriate department administrator to use a private car for the employees convenience for a trip to a city served by commercial airlines, he/she is reimbursed the round trip air coach ticket cost or at the current lower rate allowed for reimbursement per mile, whichever is less, to the destination city.
   1. When a college vehicle is available, and a college employees request is authorized by an administrator to use his/her private vehicle for a trip to a city not served by commercial airlines, he/she is at the current lower rate allowed for reimbursement per mile.
   2. There shall be no reimbursement of meals enroute, or for any other enroute expenses. Reimbursement departure and return times should correspond to the airline departure and return times.
4. In all cases where private vehicles are used, reimbursement of mileage payments will not be made unless all vehicle usage requirements are followed including defensive drivers training, employee driver acknowledgment forms, and current drivers license on file.

Section 5: Vehicle Rentals

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1. Rental Vehicles: Vehicles must be rented from companies with whom the State of Nevadas Purchasing Division has negotiated overriding agreements. This information is found on their website at:http://purchasing.state.nv.us/Vehicle_Rentals/Vehicle_rental.htm
   NOTE: Departments renting from car rental companies with whom there is no overriding agreement will be responsible for all APD claims and other contractual fees relating to those rentals. Should it be necessary to rent a vehicle outside of these agreements, the collision damage waiver must be accepted and paid for at the time of the rental.
2. NSHE has a rental agreement with Enterprise Rent-a-Car that provides primary automobile liability limits of $500,000 per claim. This insurance will pay damages to third parties that the NSHE would otherwise have to pay. The program also provides for a FULL LOSS DAMAGE WAIVER with no deductible (the rental company does not hold the renter responsible for damage to the rented vehicle). This means there is no charge to the NSHE or the driver for physical damages to a rental vehicle. This program can be accessed online athttp://www.enterprise.comor by calling 1-800-593-0505. This program will be honored by all Enterprise locations in Nevada. The NSHE rental agreement account number and PIN number must be referenced to insure access to the insurance coverage. The NSHE rental agreement account number is on this web-site http://purchasing.state.nv.us/Vehicle_Rentals/Vehicle_rental.htm (this is the State of Nevada Department of Administration Purchasing Division. Please contact the BCN Risk Management Office at 775-682-6105 for the account and PIN number for they may change.)
3. NSHE can also use the State of Nevada Purchasing Departments four automobile rental agreements. These agreements provide primary liability insurance coverage for $100,000 per claim, $300,000 per accident, and $25,000 property damage. While these limits are not as good as those provided by Enterprise, they are much better than renting a vehicle without using them. These agreements also provide for a FULL LOSS DAMAGE WAIVER with no deductible. Current information on these agreements is available athttp://purchasing.state.nv.us/rental.htm. The Vehicle must be rented in the name of the individual traveler, and the State of Nevada rental agreement account number and PIN number must be referenced to assure the contracted price and appropriate insurance coverage are provided. The State of Nevada account number is NA54621. (Please contact the BCN Risk Management Office at 775-682-6105 for the PIN number.)
4. There are exclusions under the Enterprise and States programs for:
   1. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
   2. Driving off road
   3. Vehicles rented principally for personal use
   4. Vehicles driven by non-employees (which means students cannot drive unless they are also paid employees and acting as such at the time they are driving)
   5. Anyone under the age of twenty-one.
   6. 15 Passenger Vans
5. Enterprise Rent-A-Car or the State purchasing programs must be used whenever they are available. The campus and renting department are responsible for all damages to a rented vehicle if the vehicle is rented from a rental agency other than those in the two programs above. Payment for damages to the rented vehicle in this situation may be available under the employees personal insurance or by a Loss Damage Waiver if one was purchased from the rental agency.
6. Rental trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) If a truck or SUV is rented from anyone other than Enterprise Rent-A-Car, please call the BCN Risk Management Office prior to renting the vehicle to ensure that proper insurance coverage is obtained.
7. Long-term rentals Long-term rentals requiring APD coverage must be reported to the NSHEs BCN Risk Management Office prior to the date of the rental. Coverage cannot be retroactive. The request for liability coverage must be made within 30 days of the rental.
8. Rentals in foreign countries NSHE has no contracts with rental companies that apply to foreign countries. Employees renting a car in a foreign country should purchase the insurance offered by the rental company.
9. If a college employee is authorized by the appropriate administrator to rent a vehicle while conducting college business (i.e., out-of-state travel in conjunction with conferences, workshops, etc.), the employee will be reimbursed for the rental cost, excluding the insurance waived collision deductibles.
10. Fifteen-passenger vans may not be rented, leased or used in the transaction of college business.

Section 6: Vehicle Accidents/Claims

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1. Accidents involving NSHE owned vehicles All accidents involving another party must be reported to the BCN Risk Management Office and to the Tort Claims Manager in the Attorney Generals Office within 48 hours. Details of the accident should be reported on the URM-002 (Vehicle Accident Report).
2. Claims for damages to NSHE owned vehicles with APD coverage should be reported to the BCN Risk Management Office as soon as possible. Reports should be made utilizing the URM-002 (Vehicle Accident Report) form and filled out as completely as possible. The department is responsible for obtaining three repair estimates. Reimbursement will be made based on the lowest estimate. There is a $300.00 department deductible. Claims will be adjusted by BCN or BCS Risk management.
3. If a third party is responsible for the damage to a NSHE vehicle, the BCN Risk Management Office will subrogate against the third partys insurer for the repair or replacement of the damaged vehicle. If the third party has no insurance or is not able otherwise to pay for the damages, the cost of repairs will be reimbursed through the BCN Risk Management Office if there is APD coverage on the vehicle. The $300.00 deductible will be applied.
4. Accidents involving rental vehicles Damages to rental cars should be reported to the rental agency and the BCN Risk Management Office as soon as possible.
5. Glass Repairs If the damage is such that a repair, rather than replacement, will take care of the damaged glass, departments are encouraged to make the repair. These repairs usually cost between $30 and $50 and are 100% reimbursable. Multiple estimates are not required for glass repairs and the usual $300 comprehensive deductible is waived.
6. Glass Replacement NSHE Risk Management uses the contracts awarded by the State of Nevada. Departments utilizing these vendors will not be required to obtain competitive bids for automobile glass replacement. The URM-007 (Windshield/Glass Loss Report) form should be completed and submitted to the BCN Risk Management Office with a check for the $300 deductible. Attach the original invoice if BCN Risk Management is requested to pay the vendor directly. Go to the Windshield Repair Vendors form for a list of authorized vendors. Departments unwilling to utilize preferred glass replacement vendors must obtain three (3) estimates for vehicle glass replacement and have the glass replaced for the lowest available cost. Exceptions to this rule may be made on a case-by-case basis in rural areas where there are not three available vendors. Because of the nature of glass replacement claims, agencies may obtain telephone estimates for windshield and other vehicle glass replacements. However, these estimates should still be documented for the file. Reimbursement of claims not utilizing contracted vendors must also be made using the URM-007 (Windshield/Glass Loss Report) form, which also helps to document telephone estimates.

Section 7: State Motor Pool

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1. A college employee, with the approval of the appropriate administrator, may use state motor pool vehicles, if an agency vehicle is unavailable.
2. All State-owned vehicles shall be used only for authorized official business and driven by qualified and authorized personnel in a safe and courteous manner. (State Administrative Manual, Twenty-Fourth Edition, page 80, State Vehicles, and Chapter 1300)
3. A partial list of potential abuses includes:
   1. Driving between home and work stations at beginning and end of shift or during lunch
   2. Driving by anyone other than authorized state employees
   3. Driving on personal business, visiting, shopping trips, etc.
   4. Carrying unauthorized passengers
   5. Excessive speed and poor driving habits
   6. Improper care and treatment of state property
4. Motor Pool Locations and Hours
   1. State motor pool information is available at the following website http://www.motorpool.state.nv.us/
   2. Parking space for private vehicles is available.
   3. Motor pool vehicles may be assigned to other locations throughout the state.
5. Motor Pool Requisitioning
   1. College employees will present a completed Rental Request Form (vehicle requisition) signed by an authorized college administrator to the motor pool attendant. The Rental Request Form can be located at:http://motorpool.nv.gov/Docs/Documents/All employees who complete the approved defensive driving class will receive a certificate of completion. Employees with current certificates will be asked to attach a copy to the MP-2 form when submitting a request to Motor Pool. We understand that there will be unique circumstances for non-compliance and Motor Pool will not deny use if the certificate is not presented. However, Risk Management will be auditing the Motor Pool forms and initiate follow up if defensive driving has not been completed.
   2. The motor pool attendant will enter the vehicle number and starting mileage on the requisition. If the trip destination is away from motor pool service areas, credit cards, field requisitions and instructions are furnished to the driver. The pool will retain the vehicle requisition while the vehicle is in service.
   3. On the return, the driver will note in the remarks section of the requisition, any discrepancies encountered. Emergency service, if necessary, will be provided as instructed by the attendant.
6. Insurance and Accident Reporting
   1. Accidents must be reported promptly to the college motor pool and to risk management, as well as normal law enforcement agencies.
   2. In the event of an accident where driver neglect is apparent or where defensive driving practices are not used, the college motor pool shall follow-up with risk management and with the drivers supervisor. In such an event, the college employee driving the vehicle is required to complete recertification under the National Safety Council Defensive Driver Training program.
   3. Liability coverage on state vehicles provides insurance to the state, its officers and employees (or volunteers formally registered with an agency) when driving state vehicles.

Section 8: Files/Forms

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1. Attachment A: Western Nevada College Employee Drivers Acknowledgement Form/Work Related Business[PDF]
2. Attachment B: Western Nevada College Request for Activity/Field Trip Approval[PDF]
3. Attachment C: Western Nevada College Activity Waiver, Release and Indemnification Agreement[PDF]
4. Attachment D: Western Nevada College Activity/Field Trip Private Vehicle Information[PDF]

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