Vehicle and Fleet Safety
Harper Vehicle Vs. Your Vehicle
- Harper Vehicle: If you are going to drive a Harper College owned vehicle you must follow Harper Colleges
safety rules, check out the Fleet Safety Guidelines.To be on the list of authorized drivers you need to complete online safety training
and fill out a vehicle use acknowledgement form. If you are not already on the list,
contact Environmental Health and Safety to inquire about driving a campus vehicle for an event.
- Use of Personal Vehicles: When staff, faculty, volunteers and students use a personal vehicle while on College
business, their personal auto insurance is primary and there is no reimbursement for
damage to a personal vehicle. Staff, faculty, volunteers and students are required
to comply with all state regulations when operating a vehicle on College business,
including maintaining the applicable State mandated minimum amount of insurance coverage.
Some important points from the Harper guidelines include:
- For Long Distance Trips: There should be more than one authorized driver, such drivers should consider rotating
every 3 hours. No driver may drive more than 9 hours during a 24-hour period. If there
are not enough drivers to rotate an overnight stay en-route should be planned.
- Citations: Drivers must observe all traffic regulations. Drivers are personally responsible
for any traffic citations (tickets) that may be issued as a result of operating a
College owned or insured vehicle.
- Accident Reporting / Investigation: Drivers must report all accidents, regardless of damage. Accidents that occur on
College property must be reported immediately to Harper Police (847-925-6330). Accidents
that occur off Harper property must be reported immediately to the appropriate law
enforcement agency (911) and to Harper Police (987-925-6330) as soon as practical.
See Section 17.2 Accident Reporting for what to do in case of an accident and how
to report an accident that occurs off campus.
As of July 1, 2019 a stricter driving law in Illinois has taken effect. Individuals caught texting will be issued a moving violation instead
of a warning ticket. Three moving violations in a year could have their license suspended.
A fine is also included, $75 for the first offense, $100 for the second and $125 for
the third. Any additional offenses will cost $150.
Top 4 Driving Tips from Nationwide
- Focus on Driving; no multi-tasking or using your phone, and slow down
- Drive Defensively; expect the unexpected, keep a 2-4 second cushion between you and
the car in front of you
- Make a Safe Driving Plan; adjust your seat, mirrors and climate controls before putting
the car in gear
- Practice Safety; secure cargo, don’t attempt to reach items that have fallen to the
floor, and always wear your seatbelt
Or check this out! “A Quick Guide to Safe Driving” from the Illinois Secretary of
State, Jesse White. https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/dsd_a270.pdf
Review the Top 20 Defensive Driving Tips
- Focus on the Task at Hand
- Expect other drivers to make mistakes
- Slow Down
- Take Advantage of Safety Devices
- Always, always, always buckle up
- When in doubt, yield
- Stop on red
- Use your blinkers
- Let it go
- Keep a buffer between yourself and other motorists
- Monitor your blind spots, and stay out of others’ blind spots
- Don’t drive drunk, buzzed, high or low
- Adjust for rain
- Prepare for snowy weather
- Inflate your tires appropriately, and change them when they are worn
- Use headlights wisely
- Maintain your vehicle
- Respond safely to tailgaters
- Keep a steady pace
- Look far ahead of your vehicle
