If your Post owns one or more vehicles, you need to have policies and guidelines in place to make sure that you choose carefully when determining who is allowed to drive them on your Post’s behalf. You also need to establish how the approved drivers should behave while operating those vehicles. Most importantly, those policies need to match up with the actual practice.

Some things to consider when deciding who is allowed to drive one of your vehicles for business:

• Have you researched this person’s driving record?
• Is there anything about this person’s background that would make them a risky choice as a permitted driver?
• Do they have a valid driver’s license and their own vehicle?

Your policies for vehicle operation should include:

• Standards for a driver’s motor vehicle records, particularly if there is a violation on the job.
• Prohibited activities while driving, such as using cell phones or texting.
• Accident and violation reporting requirements.
• Any required driver training.
• Penalties for violating any of the policies.

Because your Post is liable for any accidents or incidents involving vehicles it owns, you need to make sure you are not being negligent when selecting approved drivers. It’s important to remember that you are running a business, with all the risks that entails.  It may seem like no big deal to let an unapproved driver use the vehicle “just this once,” but that can expose you to more liability and expense than it’s worth.

Coverage may not be available in all states and is subject to actual policy terms and conditions.  Coverage may be provided by an excess/surplus lines insurer which is not licensed by or subject to the supervision of the insurance department of your state of residence. Policy coverage forms and rates may not be subject to regulation by the insurance department of your state of residence. Excess/surplus lines insurers do not generally participate in state guaranty funds and therefore insureds are not protected by such funds in the event of the insurer’s insolvency.