Private Vehicle Use

Policy

The purpose of this policy is to ensure schools meet safety and legal requirements when using private vehicles for official business.

Summary

Schools must:

• not direct staff members to transport other staff, students or equipment
• ensure private vehicles used meet requirements for insurance and registration
• avoid use of private vehicles, including those driven by volunteer workers, parents etc whenever possible
• ensure the approval, safety and legal requirements are met when use of private vehicles is unavoidable

Details

Schools must not direct staff members to transport other staff, students or equipment. Schools must ensure the following requirements are met when use of private vehicles is unavoidable.

Approval, safety and legal requirements

The steps below set out what a principal or principal’s delegate must do when a staff member has volunteered the use of their private vehicle for any official business which may include transporting students.

Steps

Principal or principal’s delegate must:

1. ensure the application form to use a private vehicle on official duty is completed, Refer to Application to use a private vehicle on official duty form (also available on the Resources tab of Travel and Personal Expenses — Teaching Service)
2. view the current and valid:
   • registration certificate for the vehicle
   • driver’s licence of the driver
     
3. ensure compliance with child seat belt/restraint laws, see:
   • S558-2009 Changes to Child Restraint Laws (Word)
   • S561-2009 Changes to Child Restraint Laws Clarification (Word)
     
4. sight the vehicle’s comprehensive insurance policy that includes:
   • liability at law by way of damages no less than $20 million
   • an indemnity to the employer
     
5. approve the vehicle for use on duty by signing the Application to use a private vehicle on official duty form
   
6. provide written authority to the person in the case that they are approved to receive reimbursement for using their private vehicle which specifies the conditions under which that the vehicle may be used

Further requirements if transporting students

When transporting a small number of students to a school activity in a private vehicle is unavoidable, the principal must ensure that:

• if the driver is a staff member they are a member of the supervising staff
• if the driver is not a staff member:
  • that steps 2 and 3 of the above process are adhered to
  • ensure that the school's volunteer checks policy is applied. Refer to Working with Children and Other Suitability Checks for School Volunteers and Visitors
• parents and/or carers are advised that their child will be transported in a private vehicle and by whom
• the school keeps accurate records of the students travelling in each vehicle, in case of an accident occurring

Related topics

• Travel and Personal Expenses — Teaching Service (includes Reimbursement guide)
• Working with Children and Other Suitability Checks for School Volunteers and Visitors
• Work-Related Driving

Relevant legislation

• Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic)