The following policy shall be in force for all electric carts owned by or operated at Â鶹ӰÊÓ. It is the responsibility of the office controlling the cart to ensure compliance with this policy. Employees who violate this policy may be disciplined or terminated.
- College employees are the only persons authorized to drive carts. College employees are defined as those on a regular payroll of the College, including student employees. All drivers must possess a valid driver’s license. The office controlling the cart will obtain a copy of the driver’s license and have it on file prior to issuing keys to the cart. Keys to all carts and padlocks will be kept in a secure place, in the department controlling the cart. (Please note: Authorized cart drivers are not necessarily authorized to drive College motor vehicles.)
- At the time of hire, the office controlling the cart will give training to all employees who will be driving carts. The training will include information about the specific vehicle they will drive how to secure the cart, etc. and employees will be required to drive the cart as practice. As part of this training, each employee will be given a copy of this policy.
All electric carts must be driven in conformance will all applicable state laws and College policies. Electric carts that are licensed with the Department of Motor vehicles shall be operated on the roadway and adhere to all rules of the road, like passenger and commercial vehicles. Always use caution when operating any college owned vehicle on campus and city streets.
Licensed carts:
Electric carts shall travel in the regular traffic lane in the appropriate direction as other vehicles. Carts may pull close to the curb when driving to allow fast moving vehicles to pass. If a bicyclist is in the bike lane, the electric vehicle shall move into the regular traffic lane and pass the cyclist safely. Electric vehicles shall not operate on public sidewalks, only when crossing the sidewalk to enter a driveway.
Unlicensed carts:
Are not allowed west of College Avenue and are prohibited from operating on public streets or sidewalks.
Exceptions: Leaving the Physical Plant’s west driveway, across 1st Street and entering college property at Amherst and crossing 6th Street at College Way.
- Carts should not be driven or parked on turf or other landscaped areas.
- Any employee who is under the influence of or who is impaired by alcohol or drugs may not drive a cart. Violation of this “zero tolerance’ policy shall be grounds for termination.
- The maximum number of occupants for an electric cart is the number of seats provided by the manufacturer. In a licensed cart, the driver and all passengers must be properly restrained by a safety belt when traveling on city streets.
- When operating an electric cart at night headlights are mandatory.
- No cart owned by Â鶹ӰÊÓ, except the escort service cart, may be used to transport an intoxicated person. If such a transport is requested, the cart driver should contact the Escort Service or Campus Safety to transport the person in question.
- The Escort Service shall be trained in using a cart to transport an intoxicated individual. The Escort Service must use a cart with seat belts and ensure that the intoxicated person is at all times in her or his seat with the seat belt fastened when the cart is moving.
- Any accident involving the cart, any cart damage, property damage or any cart malfunction must be reported to the cart operator’s supervisor as soon as possible, but no later than 24 hours from the occurrence of the incident.
Using a cell phone or radio while driving increases the risk of an accident by four times, and texting increases accident risk by 23 times. College employees must refrain from using Radios, PDAs, and cell phones, either hand-held or hands-free, while operating a cart or motor vehicle. College employees must not initiate or respond to phone calls, read, or respond to text messages or emails while driving a cart or motor vehicle. College employees who need to make an emergency call while on the road must first park the vehicle in a safe location.
Failure to follow College policy and refrain from talking on the radio, phone, texting or emailing while driving all College vehicles or off the job may result in disciplinary action.