SAFE DRIVER PLAN | Administrative Procedures

8600 - SAFE DRIVER PLAN

Introduction

Statistics indicate the Board can significantly reduce the potential for injuries and lawsuits by initiating a plan that assures the District does not hire or allow any person to drive for the District who does not have an acceptable driving record.
All operators and passengers traveling in a School District vehicle shall use the appropriate safety restraint device (seat belt) for that vehicle.

Administration

The Safe Driver Plan Committee (hereinafter "committee") will administer this plan. The committee will be organized and trained to perform the following duties:
1. to determine if an accident was preventable in accordance with the National Safety Council's Safe Driver Awards Program and to make recommendations to the driver's supervisor concerning positive corrective action;
2. review any convictions for driving violations;
3. assess points in accordance with the District's imposed point system.
The Safe Driver Plan Committee will consist of ten (10) individuals in the following positions:
1. risk management representative
2. Director of Transportation Services or designee
3. maintenance representative
4. one (1) driver from each transportation operational area (4)
5. warehouse representative
6. one (1) union representative
7. mechanic
8. supervisor or designee of vehicle involved in accident (non-voting)
The chairperson of the Safe Driver Plan Committee will be the Director of Transportation Services or his/her designee.
The committee shall meet when called by the chairperson.
The Director of Transportation Services or his/her designee shall establish a schedule for review of driver's records. The name of the individual will be obliterated on the record before being presented to the committee chairperson.
The chairperson shall call the committee together as soon as possible for review of any records with convictions, incidents, or accidents and the committee shall assess points. A majority of the committee members must be present to assess points. A simple majority of the members present must agree on the number of points assessed. The chairperson or designee must be present.
The committee will assess the maximum points to be assigned for a moving traffic violation resulting in a citation in a School District vehicle unless there are extenuating circumstances including an appeal by the driver leading the committee to assess fewer points.
Points assessed will normally be one-half (1/2) the points to be assigned when the violation occurs in a non-School District vehicle, unless there are mitigating circumstances leading to a higher point assessment.
A driver has the right to appeal assessment of points and/or administrative actions relating thereto by requesting a hearing before the Safe Driver Plan Committee. The appeal shall be in letter to the chairperson within five (5) working days of the receipt by the driver of the committee's action, and will state the employee's objection in detail. The committee shall meet and respond to the appeal at the next scheduled meeting. If an appeal is initiated, the action recommended by the committee is suspended until the appeal process is completed. A driver who elects to appeal will have a maximum of five (5) minutes to present his/her appeal to the committee.
A driver who elects to complete a defensive driving course at his/her own expense after a moving traffic violation may have his/her points assessment reduced by one-half (1/2) by the committee. The provision does not apply to driving while impaired, driving under the influence, or driving with unlawful blood alcohol level.
If the driver does not agree with the committee's final review, the employee has the right to appeal this decision to the Superintendent or his/her designee. The Superintendent's decision is final.
Each driver shall be given an opportunity to read this plan and have all his/her questions answered. Each driver shall sign a form indicating that s/he has read this plan.

Plan
1. In order to qualify for and remain employed by the Board, every driver must establish and maintain an overall driving record which exemplifies careful driving habits and meets the criteria prescribed by this plan. The Director of Transportation Services is responsible for monitoring all driving records. All drivers will report the following to their supervisor:
  1. All accidents and violations in which they are involved as the driver of a Board-owned vehicle.
  2. All accidents and violations in which they are cited or charged as the driver of a non-Board owned vehicle.
  3. All evidence of damage to their assigned vehicle.
  4. Suspension or revocation of driver's license. No driver shall be allowed to drive for the Board without a proper license or when such license is under suspension or revocation.
2. The above incidents must be reported on the next duty day.
3. Failure to report as required above, or making a false or misleading report, may be grounds for termination or other disciplinary action.
4. Drivers shall not be assigned points until court action is taken. The effective date of points assigned shall be the date of the first meeting following the date of the conviction.
Application
1. This plan will be applicable to all current and prospective drivers of Board vehicles, or personal vehicles while on official Board business. No drivers will be terminated based on their driving record prior to the effective date of this plan. Prospective drivers will not be hired if, according to this plan, they have more than five (5) points in the last year or more than ten (10) points in the last three (3) years, or have been convicted of Driving While Impaired (DWI), Driving Under theInfluence (DUI), or Driving with Unlawful Blood Alcohol Level (DUBAL) in the last seven (7) years. Any inappropriate driving may be cause for non-employment.

The District Imposed Point System

The driving record of all drivers will be reviewed at least annually. The committee shall assign points as convictions occur according to the following schedule. A driver involved in a single accident or event and convicted for more than one (1) violation will receive no more than the maximum points assigned to the highest violation.

	Violation Categories	Maximum Points to be Assigned

0.	Not at fault	0
1.	Unable to determine	0
2.	Failure to observe traffic instruction sign	1
3.	Driving on wrong side of road	2
4.	Improper turn	2
5.	Improper backing on roadway	2
6.	Hitting a fixed object	2
7.	Crossing private property to avoid traffic light or stop sign	3
8.	Following too close	3
9.	Speeding fifteen (15) mph or less, over the posted limit	3
10.	Careless driving/violation of right-of-way	3
11.	Speeding more than fifteen (15) mph over posed limit	4
12.	Reckless driving	4
13.	Failure to observe stop sign	4
14.	Failure to observe red light	4
15.	Improper lane changing	4
16.	Failure to have vehicle under control/failure to use due care	4
17.	Failure to yield	4
18.	Improper passing	4
19.	Failure to stop at railroad crossing (when you are required to do so)	5
20.	Failure to use vehicle safety restraint system	5
21.	Conviction of Driving While Impaired (DWI), Driving Under the Influence (DUI), or Driving with Unlawful Blood Alcohol Level (DUBAL) will result in mandatory recommendation for termination as a driver	10
22.	Operating without a valid driver's license or improper (revoked, suspended, etc.) license (Driver will be assigned non-driving duties until court action is completed.)	10
23.	Leaving the scene of an accident	10
24.	Fleeing or attempting to elude police officer	10
25.	Failure to observe any other established driving law (points will be established 0-10 by the committee using the above schedule as a guide)	10
26.	Any motor vehicle incident or accident indicating evidence of driver negligence, failure to report an incident or accident, results in injuries causing damage to vehicle or property, or demonstrated unsafe driving practices, will be charged to this category (the committee may assess 0-10 points using the above schedule and categories as a guide)	10

A majority of the committee must be present to assess points. A simple majority of the committee present must agree on the number of points assessed.
The committee may review any conviction involving property damage or personal injury at any time. All incidents/accidents, whether investigated by a law enforcement officer or District personnel, will be reviewed by the committee.

The committee will normally assess half the maximum points to be assigned when the violation/crash occurred in a non-District vehicle.

An accumulation of points will result in the following administrative action:

Number of Points	Time Period	Action
1 - 2 points within	12 month period	Summary of conference with supervisor, 3 hours of additional training with trainer, may be reflected on employee's evaluation.
3 - 4 points within	12 month period	Oral warning reduced to writing, Six (6) hours of additional training with trainer, will be reflected on employee's evaluation.
5 - 6 points within	12 month period	Letter of reprimand, attend Defensive Driving course at driver's expense, will be reflected on employee's evaluation.
7 - 9 points within	12 month period	Up to three (3) day suspension without pay, will be reflected on employee's evaluation.
10 points within	12 month period	Termination of employment as a driver
15 points within	24 month period	Termination of employment as a driver
20 points within	36 month period	Termination of employment as a driver

According to the agreement between the School Board of Brevard County and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, Local 1010, Article 11 - Termination of Employment, the term "just cause" as used herein shall include but not be limited to the following reasons. It is agreed that an employee whom the Board determines to have committed any of the acts listed below shall be cause for immediate termination. Stealing, dishonesty, misconduct, or willful neglect of duty.

Revised 7/1/07

Reviewed 2/6/25
Revised 2/13/25