ELIZABETHTOWN — The Elizabethtown Town Council unanimously voted to adopted a driving record policy last week.

The policy was an incentive, according to Mayor Sylvia Campbell.

“It is one of those policies that, if you adopt it, it would help with the insurance rate,” said Campbell. “There was no issue with anybody’s driving.”

The policy is recommended by the League of Municipalities, whose risk management office handles the worker’s compensation insurance coverage for the town.

The policy establishes a minimum standard driving record for both applicants as well as current town employees and will be added to the latest edition of the employee handbook according to the resolution adopted by the council.

“If they get DUIs or speeding tickets, it’s points on the insurance,” said Campbell.

The policy states applicants with convictions of driving while intoxicated, impaired or under the influence of drugs or alcohol within the three years prior to the job closing date; been convicted for DWI on three or more occasions over the past seven years; a conviction of manslaughter by motor vehicle or death by vehicle within three years preceding the closing date of the job; conviction for traffic violations totaling eight points or more within three years preceding the closing date of the job; suspension or revocation of driving license with the last three years preceding the closing date of the job; when an applicants driving record reveals a pattern of convictions for traffic offenses and an applicants capacity to safely operate a town vehicle or heavy equipment is questionable, the human resources officer after consultation with the hiring manager shall reserve the right to approve or disapprove the applicant based on their overall driving record.

The policy for current employees states a conviction for driving while impaired or under the influence of drugs and alcohol; a suspension or revocation of North Carolina driver’s license; when an applicants driving record reveals a pattern of convictions for traffic offenses and an applicants capacity to safely operate a town vehicle or heavy equipment is questionable the human resources officers shall reserve the right to suspend an employees driving privileges. 

The policy does provide provisions by which an employee can have his or her driving privileges reinstated with the approval of the department head, town manager and human resources officer.

The policy also requires employees to report any conviction or moving violations and charge or convictions of DWI to their supervisor on the first work day following the charge or conviction. The supervisor is to report the charge or conviction to the human resource officer within three work days of his learning of the charge or conviction.