Driving Safety Guidelines

Maintain good physical and mental condition to drive. Don't drive when you’re sick, injured or under the influence of any impairing medications, alcohol or recreational drugs.

Prior to driving, check for any alert notifications from your vehicle. Ensure that your vehicle is regularly maintained to reduce the risk of breakdowns and accidents. 

If you’re driving a university-owned vehicle, report any vehicle issues or required repairs to your supervisor so they can be addressed before the next trip.

Do not use hand-held mobile devices or electronics while driving and avoid other distractions such as adjusting the radio, eating or drinking. 

It’s important that you follow the speed limit while driving. As a reminder, be mindful of school zones, construction zones or areas with high pedestrian traffic.

Seatbelts save lives. Wear a seatbelt no matter how short the distance of your trip. If your vehicle has a seatbelt, you are legally required to use it.

• Acquire an emergency kit (including a warning sign, flashlight, blanket, first aid kit, etc.) and keep emergency contact information (e.g. a phone number for roadside assistance, towing, your supervisor’s phone number, etc.) in your vehicle.
• Use the GPS in your car or on your phone if attached to a hands-free device.
• Familiarize yourself with the route in advance and have a back-up route.

Ensure your vehicle is properly equipped for the weather. Perform a safety circle check, including checking for snow tires, tire pressure and fuel levels. Always adapt your driving to the current weather conditions. If the weather conditions are obscuring your vision or making it difficult to drive, pull over when safe to do so.

Plan the route ahead of time and take breaks at least once every two hours.

Choose shoes that are comfortable and give you a good grip on the pedals. Avoid clothes that might get in the way and slow your reaction time.

Secure loose items to prevent them from becoming projectiles during sudden stops or collisions.

Stay calm and courteous on the road. Do not tailgate, speed excessively or engage in road rage behaviours.

Call 911 if you are injured or have immediate safety concerns. Report any incidents to your supervisor and notify your vehicle insurer.

If your employee is driving a university-owned vehicle, maintain a list of licensed and approved drivers along with their three-year driving record (external link) .

If your employee is driving their own personal vehicle, ensure they have adequate automobile insurance coverage (such as third-party liability insurance or collision coverage) as TMU does not provide automobile insurance coverage for employees using personal vehicles for university business. 

If you have questions regarding automobile insurance, please contact the university’s  Insurance unit by emailing insurance@torontomu.ca.

Before asking an employee to drive for work, consider the following hazards:

• Driver’s fatigue;
• Posture and ergonomic issues, e.g., aches or pain while driving, seat adjustment etc.;
• Driving in inclement weather;
• Driving alone to remote areas or driving at night; and
• Using devices while driving that may cause distractions.

Where possible, eliminate or mitigate hazards by considering the following:

• If possible, eliminate the need to drive by having your employee take alternate means of transportation (e.g. public transit, a taxi, etc.) or by using a courier;
• Ensure your employee’s vehicle has a hands-free GPS for navigating;
• Remind employees to use a hands-free device when making phone calls;
• If possible, shorten the distance your employee is required to drive;
• Remind employees to perform a vehicle circle-check prior to driving; and
• Implement an employee check-in procedure when the employee begins and ends their drive.

Please refer employees required to drive for work to the tips for employees section of this page and encourage them to review additional safe driving resources.