March 2021

Driving Policy and Procedure

Driving Policy

While driving your vehicle on company time, transporting a client, or driving a company vehicle, you will be required to follow California Vehicle Code laws and regulations. In addition to following all rules of the road, you must also drive safely dependent on conditions presented to you. Weather, road or vehicle conditions may dictate that you reduce your speed or drive more cautiously. It is your job to evaluate these conditions at all times and adjust accordingly to keep yourself and your client safe at all times.

California Spectrum Care (CSC) management will conduct periodic checks of your vehicle to ensure that it is in good working order and safe for you and clients to use. The inspection will include, but is not limited to the following items: seatbelts, brakes, lights, windshields, mirrors, tire tread, tire pressure, engine oil level, coolant levels, horn, and the check engine light).

Despite the management’s inspection, it is your job to ensure that your vehicle and all of it’s components remain in good working order at all times. Failure to do so may result in your inability to transport clients. It is also your duty as an employee to ensure that you maintain a clean driving record. Too many accidents or traffic citations may also lead to the inability to transport clients. In turn, this could negatively affect your employment status if you are no longer able to carry out your job duties which entail transportation. Despite the periodic checks, it is expected that employees will conduct their own quick safety checks before transporting. Prior to transporting any clients, ensure that you do a quick visual inspection of your vehicle to ensure that all your vehicle’s components and safety equipment are in good working order. This includes ensuring that your lights are working, mirrors and windshields are not obstructed or have any large cracks, tires are not flat and wheels are not bent or cracked. When transporting clients, ensure that you and any clients you may be transporting are safely secured using any necessary safety restraints (i.e. seatbelts or harnesses). Once it has been determined that it is safe to begin driving, check all mirrors to ensure they are free of defects and adjusted accordingly, adjust your drivers seat so that you can safely and comfortably reach the gas, brake pedal, and gear shift. After the mirrors and seating position have been adjusted, test all safety equipment on the vehicle to ensure that they are in working order. This includes testing the lights and blinkers to ensure they work, let the vehicle roll and test the brakes to ensure they are in good working order, test the handbrake, engage the gas peddle slowly to ensure the accelerator is working appropriately, and turn the steering wheel the maximum rotations in both directions ensuring no kinks or binds in the steering controls. If any of these systems does not work appropriately, immediately park the car and do not drive it. Contact your immediate supervisor and advise them of the problem.

While driving your vehicle, follow all California laws and drive in a safe manner. If at any point you feel that conditions are too unsafe (i.e. snow, heavy rain, extreme fog), immediately stop your vehicle in a safe location. Contact an immediate supervisor and wait until conditions get better. If conditions worsen or continue to the point that you feel the need for an emergency rescue, call 911 and provide the operator with your location and emergency. If driving your own vehicle or a company vehicle and you are clocked in, you are to only conduct official company business. This does not include personal errands such as getting gas, shopping, or purchasing food/drink. California Spectrum Care expects you to plan accordingly and refill your gas tank, maintain your vehicle, purchase food/drinks or run other errands on your own personal time.

Time Management Software

All employees shall track their drive time separate from their regular hours. If assigned a work phone, employees shall utilize the time management software as instructed by management. If the employee does not have a work phone assigned, they have the choice to utilize the time management software or a paper timesheet to track drive time. When utilizing time management software only employees may only utilize their personal accounts. Employee may not ask other individuals to clock in/out or utilize the system in anyway for them. Employees must also ensure that geo-location services are enabled when using such software. When logging into the time management software ensure that you are ready to clock in at your assigned work location prior to opening the software/website/program. This will ensure that there are not incorrect geo-location stamps. Logging in prior to arrival at your work location may cause accidental punches or geo-stamps that will be erroneous. If this occurs, since employees have been forewarned, it will be assumed that the errors are indicators of wage theft. Such errors may be subject to disciplinary action, including but not limited to, write-up, suspension and/or termination.

Accident Procedures

If ever involved in an accident, it is your duty to ensure the safety of all the clients you are transporting. The immediate supervisor should be notified as soon as it is convenient and safe to do so. If involved in an accident follow the steps below to ensure safe and proper handling of the situation.

1. Do a quick visual and verbal inspection to ensure that all consumers, employees, and other parties involved are okay. If anyone is severely hurt proceed to step 2. If no one has suffered serious injuries then proceed to step 4.

2. If possible have someone immediately call 9-1-1 for an ambulance to begin making its way to your location. If no one is available then call 9-1-1 yourself.

3. If the injuries warrant immediate medical attention and it is safe to do so begin providing first aid/CPR until you physically can no longer do so or someone of higher medical training arrives to take over.

4. If keeping the vehicle where it is would be is too dangerous, check to see if the vehicle is safe to move. Proceed to cautiously move the vehicle to a safer location.

5. If you are unable to move the vehicle to a safe location, use reflectors or flares to warn other oncoming vehicles. Place the warning devices at least 150 feet prior to the vehicle. More distance may be needed depending on weather and road conditions (i.e. rain, poor road surface, or high-speed limit).

6. Once you have taken the appropriate measures to prevent more additional accidents, begin to assess for moderate or minor injuries. Call 9-1-1 and provide first aid if necessary. If needed continue to administer first-aid until someone of higher medical training comes to take over.

7. Once you have ensured the safety and well being of all individuals involved begin the exchange of information with other parties involved. *If at anytime any party involved attempts to leave without exchanging information immediately call 9-1-1 to report a hit and run. You will need to provide the police with your location, the fleeing parties license plate number, description of the car, description of the driver and the direction they are headed.*

8. During the exchange of information be sure to give and get the following information: Full name, DOB, driver’s license number, contact number preferably cell phone number, address, vehicle description, license plate number, vehicle make, vehicle model, vehicle year, registration information, insurance company name, insurance policy number, insurance company contact number, 360-degree pictures of both cars and location of accident (including any traffic signals or signs).

9. Contact the program manager to begin contacting guardians and any other necessary parties.

10. Fill out a special incident report to document the accident (See appendix-A for an copy of the incident report).

11. If driving your personal vehicle, contact your insurance and file the appropriate reports. Provide the Program Director with any paperwork provided by your insurance company regarding the accident. If it is a company vehicle the Program Director will handle contacting insurance.

Failure to comply to any part of this policy may result in disciplinary action including but not limited to: verbal warning, write up, days off, or termination