Drivers

Employees, authorized University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee students and other authorized agents of the state may be allowed to drive on University business if the following minimum standards are met:

• Must have a valid operator’s license
• Must have minimum of two years licensed driving experience. (Driving while using a temporary license or learner permit does not count toward fulfillment of the two years of licensed driving requirement), and
• Must be eighteen (18) years of age.
• Cannot have 3 or more moving violations or “at fault” accidents
• Cannot have an OWI or DUI violation within the past year.
• Drivers license must have been reinstated for one year or more after revocation.

1. Review the Vehicle Use and Driver Authorization Policy
2. Complete Vehicle Use Agreement at the VUA Sign-up Portal
   • Select UW and then UW Milwaukee from the drop down menu
   • Enter ePantherID and password to login
   • Select Vehicle Use Agreement from the menu
   • Out of state drivers must upload a copy of their current driving record
   • Fill in your date of birth, license state and driver’s license number
   • Campus – select UW Milwaukee
   • UDDS Code – enter UB followed by 6 digit Org Code
   • Supervisor’s name and email address
   • Complete employee agreement, e-sign, date and submit form. Please note, by signing the form you are agreeing to inform your supervisor and the UW Milwaukee Risk Manager of any negative changes in your driving record. Negative changes in your driving record may result in revocation of the privilege of driving on University business.
3. Your supervisor will receive notification that your VUA has been submitted
4. Your record will be reviewed against the minimum requirements to drive. Applicants will be notified of approval/denial within 10 business days.

Approved drivers are added to the Authorized Driver Database as follows:

• Faculty and Staff with Wisconsin license for 5 years; will renew indefinitely unless driver fails to meet minimum driving requirements or terminates employment
• Faculty and Staff with out-of-state license for 1 year; must submit copy of driving record annually to maintain driver authorization
• LTEs, Students and volunteers expire annually on July 1; must reapply for driver authorization

Note – all Wisconsin driver records are checked monthly. Authorization ends when you fail to meet the minimum requirements to drive.

Due to the State’s increasing scrutiny of driver qualifications, driver licenses from other countries, Canada excepted, will no longer be accepted. Individuals will need to contact the Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles to obtain a Wisconsin driver’s license. We can only accept licenses from the US, it’s territories, and Canada.

Holders of licenses issued by a state other than Wisconsin and individuals holding a Wisconsin Driver’s License less than three years due to previously being licensed in another state must request a copy of their driving record from the previous state of residence and submit it to Risk Management.

You can check the Approved Driver Database (real-time data) for your driver status.

Login using your UWM credentials, then select Reports and Driver Summary from the top menu.

To search by UDDS, enter your Division’s UDDS (i.e., UB020000 for Finance and Administrative Affairs).

Recent court decisions have questioned under what circumstances state employees are acting within their “scope of employment” when they are driving state-owned vehicles. The UWM Department of University Safety & Assurances would like to alert all UWM employees who use state-owned vehicles while traveling on university business, that they may not have liability protection if they are in an accident.

Without getting bogged down in too many facts, the issue in these recent decisions was whether employees were acting within the “scope of their employment” when they, for example, leave a conference site to drive to a restaurant to eat a meal, or arrive home from a business trip too late to return a fleet vehicle to the garage and return it the next day, or are traveling from home to work to pick up new work assignments. In the last case, a circuit court determined that the employee, who was involved in an accident on her way to work in a state vehicle, was not acting within the scope of her employment. The employee was caught in a classic “Catch-22,” when her own auto insurance company invoked its “business use” exclusion because they believed her activities were work-related. In short, she had no liability protection through either her own insurance or the state when the other party in the accident sued her.

Acknowledging that the above scenario is poor public policy, the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) has recommended that the language of section 895.46(3), Wis. Stat., be amended to afford liability protection to any state officer, employee or agent whenever s/he is authorized to drive a state vehicle, unless criminal action is involved. However, this change has not been approved by the state legislature as of yet.

In the meantime, DOJ has recommended that while not a 100% guarantee, generic language defining an agency’s expectations with respect to “scope of employment” would go a long way toward protecting UW System personnel. To that end, a statement from David Olien, Interim Senior Vice President for the UW System, has this to offer as the UW System’s explanation and expectation in determining the boundaries of “scope of employment” for UW System employees:

At any point in time, University of Wisconsin System employees may be required to drive State-owned vehicles while conducting University business.

It is expected that upon occasion, for reasons of efficiency and security, public officers, employees or agents, will begin and or conclude their official business from locations other than their designated headquarters and/or permanent work site. Furthermore, while carrying out their official duties, it is expected that public officers, employees or agents will engage in acts reasonably necessary for or incidental to living. Such acts will typically involve travel not to exceed a 50 mile radius of the temporary work site where the official business is being conducted.

All University personnel are directed to comply with these expectations. Any deviations from the above mentioned expectations shall be discussed and approved in advance by appropriate management staff.

We encourage all deans, department heads, directors and unit business representatives to share this information with their employees. It is not necessary that UWM employees themselves take any further action on this issue at this moment in time.

As a side note, employees should know that an attempt to circumvent the current court ruling by driving their own vehicle on University business may also prove problematic. Whenever employees drive their own vehicles on business, their own personal auto insurance is considered primary coverage. In many cases, auto insurance policies contain “business use” exclusion clauses and do not provide coverage if you are driving your own personal vehicle on work related business. Employees may wish to check their policy language or consult their insurance agent before driving their own vehicles for business purposes.

University Safety & Assurances will continue to monitor this situation, and if departments or employees have any additional questions, they are encouraged to contact the Risk Management Office at riskmgt@uwm.edu or call 414-229-6339.

Denial of Driver Authorization Applications or Loss of Existing Driver Authorization may occur if:

• The applicant has 3 or more moving violations or “at fault” accidents within a 2-year period; no matter what state the accident happened in.
• The applicant has had one or more of the following violations within the past 12 months:
  • An OWI or DUI violation within the past year
  • License has been reinstated for less than one year after revocation
  • Three or more moving violations and/or at-fault accidents in the past two years
• The applicant only possesses an occupational license
• The applicant has less than two years of driving experience
• The applicant has had their license reinstated for less than one year

Please note, drivers may lose their authorization to drive for the university if their license is not renewed. If you would like to be authorized to drive, renew your license and then request reinstatement by sending an email message to the Risk Management Office at riskmgt@uwm.edu or call 414-229-6339.

Additional Resources

• Risk Management Policy and Procedure Manual, Part 7 Vehicle Programs

When using rental vehicles it is important that university drivers be familiar with the rules involved in renting a vehicle. Refer to UW System Vehicle Rental Contract Vendors and Applicable Rates webpage for information on the use of rental vehicles. When renting a vehicle, the insurance is included in the rate – as long as you rent under the UW’s contract providers. It is important to remember when renting a vehicle that other rates may seem cheaper, but they do not automatically include insurance, so that must be factored into your evaluation. If a contract vendor is not available you must purchase physical damage insurance at the time of the rental.

Liability protection is automatic for local and domestic rentals, as long as the driver is listed on our Approved Driver Database and the vehicle is being used exclusively on University business.

Common mistakes rental drivers make include:

• Allowing someone not listed on the contract to drive.
• Failure to purchase insurance when using a non-contract vendor. (NOTE: A non-contract vendor can be used when a contract vendor is not available.)
• Failure to check if insurance coverage is available when using the P-Card.
• Failure to notify the P-Card provider within 20 days of an accident.

UW Milwaukee Administration discourages the use of 12/15 passenger vans. However, if it is necessary for an employee or student to use a 12/15 passenger van when all other options have been exhausted, it is imperative that the 12/15 passenger van requirements are followed.

Driver Authorization is required for any individual requesting to drive a 12/15 passenger van. Additionally, individuals must adhere to the following requirements: 

• Twenty-five (25) years of age or older
• Completion of a van training program which meets the standards established by the Department of Administration/Bureau of State Risk Management (PDF). Authorization and proof of certification as a van driver must be received by the Campus Risk Manager prior to using the van
• Abstinence from the use of drugs or alcohol 
• Absolutely nothing is to be towed by or attached to 12/15 passenger vans
• Rental of a 12/15 passenger van will require individuals to demonstrate proof of van driver certification at the time of rental. A university issued wallet card certification will be the only acceptable proof of certification.

12/15 Passenger Van Training

A few 12/15 passenger van training options are listed below. Please note that these are subject to change at anytime.

1. Madison College (Madison Area Technical College) Create a Madison College Student account and then register for the class via their student portal. Here are the direct links to view the available classes: https://cs.madisoncollege.edu/ 
2. On campus trainers There are a couple 12/15 passenger van trainers on campus. Please contact the Risk Management Office at riskmgt@uwm.edu or 414-229-6339 for additional information.

Additional Resources

• State of Wisconsin Department of Administration 12/15 Passenger Training & Usage Guidelines (PDF)

Any employee driving on University business needs to be “authorized to drive.” (i.e. an approved Driver’s Authorization form needs to be on file in the Risk Management office). VUA Sign-up Portal

Damages to an employee’s personal vehicle are covered by his/her own auto insurance. Under no circumstances will the State’s property program pay for an employee’s vehicle repairs. It is the employee’s responsibility to carry personal auto insurance with recommended limits of at least $100,000/$300,000/$50,000.

The employee’s personal auto liability insurance also provides primary coverage for medical expenses incurred by other parties involved in an employee’s at-fault accident, and primary coverage for repairs to other vehicles or property involved in an accident caused by the employee. The State liability program only provides coverage for amounts in excess of the employee’s auto liability insurance if the state employee was negligent and was within the scope of employment when the accident occurred.

In many cases, auto insurance policies contain “business use” exclusion clauses and do not provide coverage if you are driving your personal vehicle on work-related business. It is the responsibility of each employee to contact his or her insurance agent to determine if “business use” coverage is necessary before driving their own vehicles for business purposes.

To be reimbursed for mileage while driving your personal vehicle on official business, you are required to have an approved driver’s authorization form on file. VUA Sign-up Portal

Unauthorized cars, trucks and delivery vehicles driving on UWM sidewalks and pedestrian walkways present an unacceptably dangerous situation for our approximately 25,000 student and 3,500 faculty and staff pedestrians on campus.

Each building on campus has a designated loading dock. All deliveries must be made to these locations. Contractors working on campus must purchase parking permits and park in designated locations. There are very few situations where a vendor or a University department cannot complete a delivery via a loading dock.

UWS 18.04 and 18.05 give authority to the University Police to ticket any unauthorized vehicles seen driving or parking on UWM sidewalks and walkways. If necessary the vehicle will be towed away. Authorized vehicles include only those which have been properly registered with the UWM Parking Office or the University Police.

Please note that delivery trucks, mail trucks, and state-owned vehicles are not considered authorized vehicles unless they are authorized by the UWM Parking Office or the University Police.

Please feel free to contact the UWM Transportation Services Office at 414-229-4000 or the University Police Department at 414-229-4627 for authorization or if you should have any questions about the dangers of vehicles on UWM sidewalks and walkways.

• Policy 615 Vehicle use and Driver Authorization (PDF)
• Policy 615A Driver Authorization Process and Requirements (PDF)
• State of Wisconsin Fleet Driver and Management Policies and Procedures Manual (PDF)
• UW System Vehicle Use and Driver Authorization Policy