Small Vehicle Permit Procedures

General

Effective August 1, 1995 anyone operating a small vehicle who transports children to and from school, school to school, or to school related events in vehicles, either owned, leased or rented by the district or under contract to the district fall under the regulations from 1 CCR 301-26. Small Vehicle Operators are teachers, coaches, and other district employees or representatives transporting children in small vehicles (vehicles designed to transport 15 or fewer including the driver).
 
Minimum Requirements for a Small Vehicle Operator

1. Must possess a valid Colorado operators license.
2. Must be at least 21 years of age.
3. Have a motor vehicle check (annual).
4. Receive pre-service training on small vehicle from the Transportation Department.
5. Pass the Colorado Department of Education Small Vehicle Written Test (every three years).
6. Shall meet qualification standards and insurance coverage as adopted by the local board of education and /or employing agency.
7. Documentation of small vehicle operator requirements shall be maintained by the Transportation Department.
 
Obtaining a Small Vehicle Permit

Individuals desiring to drive a small vehicle must have the approval of the principal or designated representative of the school for which they will drive.
Training can be scheduled with the D-11 Department of Transportation, Training, Certification and Safety Office at 520-2948.
Applicants will also be required to provide The D-11 Transportation Department with a current copy (within the last 2 months) of their motor vehicle driving record (MVR) obtained from the department of motor vehicles.
The Director of Transportation or his designated representative will review all moving violations appearing on the driving record to determine eligibility. Applicants with a total of 6 or more points will not be eligible.
Applicants will be scheduled for 2 hour training class and administration of the CDE test. Permits will be issued upon successful completion of the class and test.
The D-11 Transportation Department will send for and review all small vehicle operators’ driving records annually for continued eligibility.
Permits will be renewed by the holder within three years of the issue date.
 
Vehicle and Insurance Requirements

Any small vehicle, car, van or mini-van (designed to carry 15 or fewer passengers including the driver) that is rented/leased for the purpose of transporting student passengers shall be equipped with restraints for each passenger and shall have been constructed after September 1, 1996, to insure that it is constructed with side impact protection. The insurance that is offered by the company or agency should be taken to cover any damage that might occur to the vehicle. The district carries only liability coverage on our vehicles so any damage to rented/leased vehicles without the rental agency insurance will be borne by the driver/renters insurance.
 
The district has no small vehicles specifically designated for use in transporting student passengers. Therefore, any vehicle used for this purpose will be rented.
 
The carrier for the liability insurance for the district, under our current policy only covers district employees and those volunteers that are registered with the office of school/community relations, volunteer services coordinator. There will be no liability coverage to other individuals.
 
Notification of Trip

If a trip, using a small vehicle is going out of the Pikes Peak region, out of state, or if it will be overnight the sponsor will notify Risk Management, Claims Adjuster- Property at 520-2262 prior to the trip.

Accident Reporting

If an accident occurs on a trip in a small vehicle, the accident should be reported as soon as possible to an administrator at the school that sponsored the trip. The school administrator is responsible to insure that the parents of the students are notified of the status of their student. Notification will be made no matter of how minor the accident seems.

The operator of any a small vehicle involved in an accident;

1. In which any person is killed or injured or in which damage equals or exceeds the limits set forth in C.R.S. 42-7-202 as amended, shall within (10) days report the matter in writing on prescribed forms to the Colorado Department of Revenue. Forms and assistance are available at transportation.
2. In which the accident results in injury or death, or the total property damage for the accident equals or exceeds $1,000, shall complete and send the CDE-309 form to the Department of Education. Forms and assistance are available at transportation.