ASU announces new Driver Qualification Program and safety goal

A new safety program for ASU drivers was implemented in February that will benefit the entire university community. The Driver Qualification Program comes at the recommendation of Ed Finnegan, Auto Insurance Program Officer for the State of Georgia Department of Administrative Services. This program is a statewide initiative recommended for all State of Georgia agencies.

• The objective of the Driver Qualification Program is to increase driver safety and to minimize associated risk and loss.

“ASU drivers have historically maintained an exemplary record. This program will bring a heightened awareness to the importance of safe driving habits and will help us stay on course,” explains Dan Whitfield, vice president for business operations. “Money that is saved by avoiding costly accidents can be put to better use. More importantly we don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

A Driver Qualification Committee has been formed to oversee the program. One of the committee’s responsibilities is to identify an annual safety goal. This year, the goal is to reduce by 50 percent the number of incidents in which a stationary item is struck. In the past two years, there have been five accidents in total. Nearly all of these accidents involved striking a fixed object of some sort—whether a golf cart, a flatbed trailer, or some other type of parked vehicle. Through safety awareness, it is hoped these types of incidents can be minimized significantly.

Look for the How’s My Driving stickers now on all university service vehicles. As the program expands, there will be additional efforts to widen safety awareness, including video training for employees who drive on state business; 15-passenger van driver training; post-accident driver training; and new-hire driver background checks.

THE most important thing for reducing auto risk is to improve the quality of the drivers.

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April 2008
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