Vehicle insurance and becoming an authorised driver for University business

Becoming an authorised driver

If you need to drive a University owned/leased/hired vehicle for University business, you must register to become an authorised driver. The minimum age for this is 18 and the maximum age is 70.

The cost for this is borne centrally by the University.

Please complete the Drivers Declaration Form and have it signed by your Head of School/Directorate. You will need to provide a scanned copy of both sides of your photocard driving licence and email the paperwork to insurance@dundee.ac.uk

If you have a GB driving licence, you will also need to visit the DVLA website, and view your driving licence information. Save your driving licence details from the three sections headed:

• your details
• vehicles you can drive
• penalties and disqualifications

If you do not have a GB licence you do not need to carry out this step.

Information about driving in Great Britain on a non-GB driving licence.

Driving a University owned/leased vehicle for University business

Once you have registered to become an authorised driver and have received an Authority to Drive confirming this, you can book a University vehicle.

Hiring a car for University business

All vehicle hire must be booked through Arnold Clark using the OneUniversity Finance system. Vehicle hire is charged at the University of Dundee rate. Ensure you hire a vehicle appropriate for the need, for example, journeys within 1-hour range for one person should be a small car, etc.

If you hire a vehicle in the UK and drive it abroad for University business, you will only be covered under the University’s motor insurance policy to drive in:

• all member countries of the European Union and Andorra, Iceland, Norway, Serbia and Switzerland (including Liechtenstein)

Hiring a car abroad

If you hire a vehicle abroad for University business, you will not be covered by the University’s motor insurance policy.

You must arrange motor insurance through the hire company. When arranging such insurance, note the exclusions in the cover you buy and ensure that you have sufficient funds to meet any claims excess requirement.

For further information, see the Procurement sharepoint site.

Hiring a car for personal use

If you require a hired vehicle for personal use, bookings must be made by yourself to the hire company at the rate for University staff (not the business rate).

You must take out the hire company’s motor insurance – this is required to be paid by yourself and not by the University.

Driving your own car on University business

The University's motor insurance policy does not provide insurance cover for the use of vehicles owned by members of staff or students when used on University business.

If you do use your own car, you must ensure that you have appropriate 'Business Use' cover on your personal insurance policy, as the University cannot cover this driving activity and it is a criminal offence to drive without insurance.

'Business use' generally means travel which occurs as part of your employment, and would include anything beyond normal 'commuting' (i.e. ‘social, domestic and pleasure’ which is defined usually as travel between home and normal place of employment). By way of example, trips to the airport for onward travel on University business would therefore be 'Business Use', as would trips between University buildings, or trips from home to other University buildings which are not the one in which you are normally employed. We strongly recommend you discuss this with your own insurer as definitions and interpretations will vary from policy to policy.

Please ensure your vehicle is road-taxed, well-maintained in line with manufacturer's recommendations and, where appropriate, has a current MOT certificate.

Members of staff or students contemplating the transportation of hazardous materials should check with Safety Services before loading their vehicle or undertaking a journey. The carriage of hazardous materials is governed by detailed legislation and may affect the validity of insurance.

The University's ‘Goods in Transit’ and ‘Property’ policies provide cover for University property which suffers accidental damage or loss but excludes theft from unattended vehicles. University property (including manuscripts) should be concealed from view and locked in the boot, if unavoidably left in an unattended vehicle. As far as is practical, manuscripts and other reproducibles should be copied to avoid total loss in vulnerable situations.

Driving a minibus on University business

You can drive a minibus if you have the driving category D1 (minibuses) on your licence.

If you do not have the driving category D1 on your licence, there are certain circumstances where you may still be able to do so.

You may drive a minibus with up to 16 passenger seats provided:

• you drive on behalf of a non-commercial body for social purposes, but not for hire or reward (unless operating under a permit);
• you are aged 21 years of age or over;
• you have held a car (category B) licence for at least 2 years:
• you are providing your service on a voluntary basis;
• the minibus maximum weight is not more than 3.5 tonnes excluding any specialist equipment for the carriage of disabled passengers. Minibuses up to 4.25 tonnes will be permitted in certain circumstances;
• you do not tow a trailer

Make a claim or report an incident

Contact the Insurance Office in the first instance by emailing insurance@dundee.ac.uk

If you are involved in a motor incident, you should:

• exchange details with other driver(s):
  • name
  • address
  • contact telephone number
  • registration number
  • make and model of vehicle
  • insurer’s name, address and policy number
• take photographs of the accident scene and vehicle damage (if any) on your camera/mobile phone.

Departments are responsible for paying the relevant policy excess as and when this arises.

If a University owned/leased vehicle requires a windscreen replacement, contact the Insurance Office in the first instance by emailing insurance@dundee.ac.uk.

Departments are responsible for paying the £50 policy excess.

Driving convictions

If you receive a driving conviction, in order for your record to be kept up-to-date within the Insurance Section, please view your driving licence information here and save a copy of your details under the heading ‘penalties and disqualifications’ and email this to insurance@dundee.ac.uk.