The latest Idealease Safety Bulletin, "Back To School Safety" is available for download!   Read the entire bulletin online here, or click to download a PDF version.  Don't forget to sign up to have them delivered straight to your inbox each week for instant access to the latest safety news, tips and information!  

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BACK TO SCHOOL SAFETY:

In this issue:

• School Buses and Laws
• Do You Allow Your Drivers to Take Passenger with Them While They Drive?
• Deadline for Updated Drug Testing Custody and Control Form (CCF) is August 31st
• CVSA Brake Safety Week is Coming Soon!

Throughout the upcoming weeks, we will all see students returning to school after summer break! For some, this will be the very first time returning in person since the pandemic.  It is important to remember to remind drivers to be alert and aware, especially around school zones, crosswalks, bus stops, and any other outdoor area where children may be at play! Pedestrian/vehicle accidents are a leading cause of death among children 5-14 years of age. 

Some back-to-school safety tips:

1. Be familiar with school zones! Notice where school zones and crosswalks are on normal routes! 

2. Always stop for school buses! Drivers must come to a full stop when school buses are stopped with red flashing lights! Proceed with extreme caution when yellow flashing lights are present. This often signals the bus is about to stop. 

3. Obey crossing guards! 

4. Anticipate the worst! Slow down and prepare to brake.

5. Be careful around parked vehicles! It can be difficult to see smaller children around parked vehicles.

6. Turn your headlights on! The use of headlights can reduce pedestrian accidents by 25% according to AAA.

7.  Avoid using cell phones while driving! They are a known distraction. Avoid all distractions, especially throughout school zones. 

8.  Avoid reversing! Try to avoid reversing in these areas as it is difficult to see children.

9. Don't speed! Follow common sense and slow down. Most school zones are 25mph.

10. Don't honk at bicyclists or pedestrians! You do not want to unnecessarily startle anyone and put them in a dangerous position for other approaching traffic. 

SCHOOL BUSES AND LAWS

While laws do vary by state, you MUST stop for a bus if it is loading or unloading, regardless of what side of the street it is on! 

• Passing a school bus with red flashing lights is illegal in all states! 
• Familiarize yourself with local laws regarding school buses
• Resource: https://www.nhtsa.gov/school-bus-safety/reducing-illegal-passing-school-buses

DO YOU ALLOW YOUR DRIVERS TO TAKE A PASSENGER WITH THEM WHILE THEY DRIVE?

While it is a common practice, especially for driver retention, you must provide written authorization to have a passenger with your driver! 

FMCSA regulation & guidance - §392.60   Unauthorized persons not to be transported.

(a) Unless specifically authorized in writing to do so by the motor carrier under whose authority the commercial motor vehicle is being operated, no driver shall transport any person or permit any person to be transported on any commercial motor vehicle other than a bus. When such authorization is issued, it shall state the name of the person to be transported, the points where the transportation is to begin and end, and the date upon which such authority expires.
(b) No written authorization, however, shall be necessary for the transportation of:
     (1) Employees or other persons assigned to a commercial motor vehicle by a motor carrier;
     (2) Any person transported when aid is being rendered in case of an accident or other emergency;
     (3) An attendant delegated to care for livestock.
     (b) This section shall not apply to the operation of commercial motor vehicles controlled and operated by any farmer and used in the transportation of agricultural commodities or products thereof from his/her farm or in the transportation of supplies to his/her farm.

Question 1: Does §392.60 require a driver to carry a copy of the written authorization (required to transport passengers) on board a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV)?

Guidance: No, the authorization must be maintained at the carrier’s principal place of business. At the discretion of the motor carrier, a driver may also carry a copy of the authorization.

DEADLINE FOR UPDATED DRUG TESTING CUSTODY AND CONTROL FORM (CCF) IS 8/31/21! 

Employers and their service agents must use the revised Federal Drug Testing CCF no later than August 31, 2021. The previous version of the drug-testing form is only permitted through August 30, 2021.

Part 40 procedures are required of tests performed by agencies within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), including the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The CCF, a Health and Human Services document, is referenced in §40.45 as the sole means of recording DOT drug collections.

How to identify the new CCF

Notable changes:

1. Additional spaces to allow collectors to record a driver's CDL number and state. FMCSA testing rules require the entry of the driver's license as the employee ID number in Step 1 of the CCF. The CDL information is needed to report results to the CDL Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse.
2. New fields to allow for saliva testing in addition to urine. (Note: Saliva-based drug testing is not allowed for DOT testing until the department updates its testing procedures in Part 40.)
3. Removal of the instructions from the back of the form. The instructions will be made available on a government website instead.

As the deadline approaches, employers should be prepared to purge the obsolete version of the form and contact collection sites to ensure they are ready for the deadline of August 31, 2021.

ELEVATE YOUR DRIVER'S PERFORMANCE! 

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*The Idealease Safety Bulletin is provided for Idealease locations and their customers and is not to be construed as a complete or exhaustive source of compliance or safety information. The Idealease Safety Bulletin is advisory in nature and does not warrant, guarantee, or otherwise certify compliance with laws, regulations, requirements, or guidelines of any local, state, or Federal agency and/or governing body, or industry standards.