I. INTRODUCTION

The purpose of the Traffic Control Program at SLAC is to provide safe streets for our staff, visitors, and contractors. The program targets both parking and moving violations in vehicles (below) on the SLAC site and specifies SLAC's corrective action process as a way to correct improper driving or parking, in violation of California rules of the road or SLAC/DOE policies. This document explains the procedures to be used to implement the program.

Note 1: For the purpose of this document, a vehicle is defined as a device by which any person or property may be propelled, moved or drawn by human power, electrical or wind power, propane, diesel or gasoline power. A vehicle may have one or more wheels and may have one or more axles. This definition includes bicycles and rollerblades.

II. LICENSING REQUIREMENTS

SLAC requires operators of motorized vehicles, including government cars, trucks, and scooters, to have a valid California driver's license or a California-recognized license issued by another state or by a foreign jurisdiction of which the operator is a resident. Operators of government vehicles must follow SLAC policy on the Standards for the Operation of Government Vehicles and must fill out a Vehicle Driving Privilege form at the time the employee's badge is issued or renewed.

III. VEHICLE REGISTRATION

Registration is strongly recommended for vehicle operation on SLAC premises by all SLAC employees, long-term users contractors, and temporary workers. Although registration is used for parking control, its main purpose is to provide Safeguards and Security personnel the ability to identify and notify an owner/driver in the event of an incident involving his/her vehicle in a parking lot; assist in identifying the possible location of people for rescue personnel in an emergency; and, provides more rapid access to the site for SLAC employees and other authorized persons during non-business hours, weekends, and holidays. Ownership information regarding any registered vehicle will not be released outside Safeguards and Security or SLAC Human Resources Department, except as required by this program and State and Federal regulations.

Registration may be accomplished by visiting the Safeguards and Security Office located in Building 207, at the intersection of the Campus Loop Road and Sector #30 Road near the large cooling tower. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. including the lunch hour. The office is closed on weekends and holidays.

Vehicle Identification Decals should be displayed in one of the two locations during the time the vehicle is on SLAC premises: (1) in the lower left-hand corner of the front windshield on the driver’s side, or (2) suspended from the rear view mirror, using a special plastic card provided on request. For other vehicle (e.g., motorcycles, mopeds, bicycles), decals must also be displayed for easy viewing. For long-term rental vehicles, a special decal is provided for suspension from the rear view mirror. Rental vehicle registration decals must be returned to the Safeguards and Security Office upon final departure from the site.

Vehicle Registration Decals are issued to a unique vehicle and owner and are not transferable to other vehicles. It is the vehicle owner’s responsibility to notify Safeguards and Security when their employment, contract, or research term at SLAC ends, or if ownership of the vehicle changes and to remove the decal and return it to the Safeguards and Security Office.

IV. CITATION PROGRAM

Citations will be issued by the Safeguards and Security Department to all persons violating the normal State of California “rules of the road” (e.g., speed limits, stop signs, etc), parking rules, and government policies and regulations. All persons operating a vehicle at SLAC are required to stop when directed to do so by a Security Patrol or Gate Officer and to abide by the Officer's request for driver identification. A refusal of either of these requirements will be immediately reported to the appropriate Associate Director and Human Resources for disciplinary action. Abusive language or actions directed towards any Security Officer are not in keeping with SLAC’s Respectful Workplace Policy, are not acceptable, and will be reported.

Citations will be given directly to the driver or left on a parked vehicle. A copy of the citation will be provided to the person’s supervisor or Sponsor, to the Purchasing Office for contractor personnel, and to the SLAC Human Resources Department. Notice of repeated violations or gross disregard for the Traffic Control Program also will be provided to the appropriate Division Associate Director.

For SLAC employees, a corrective action process will take place under the Traffic Control Program for parking and moving violations. For contractor personnel, Purchasing will notify the implementing agency when a violation occurs. Sanctions for non-employees will be determined on a case-by-case basis by SLAC management, but could include restricted parking permission, limited access to the site, or banishment from the site, including cancellation of contracts for subcontractors or termination of an assignment for temporary staff.

Although the corrective action process will normally be applied to violations of the Traffic Control Program requirements, SLAC Management reserves the right to discipline employees for violations of its Traffic Control Program and/or to restrict, suspend, or terminate driving privileges. Based on the severity of the violation, SLAC reserves the right to forego any or all of the below listed steps in the correction action process and initiate immediate action up to and including termination for gross misconduct.

A. Parking Violations:

In all parking violations, a printed citation will be issued by a SLAC Security Officer regarding the offense. The citation will include the location, time, date, and type of offense. A copy of the citation will be provided to the employee’s supervisor and Employee Relations. For repeated violations, a copy of the citation also will be given to, the Associate Director of the employee's Division.

1. One offense in any 90-day period: The supervisor will counsel the employee.
2. Two offenses within any 90-day period: The supervisor will meet with the employee and issue a formal verbal warning to the employee.
3. Three offenses within any 90-day period: The supervisor will meet with the employee. A written warning will be given to the employee and placed in the employee’s personnel file. In addition, the employee's permission to park on site will be restricted to the Main Gate parking lot only for 30 days. Copies of the restriction will be provided to the employee, the employee's supervisor, Employee Relations, and the Division Associate Director and will be placed in the employee's personnel file.
4. Four offenses within any 90-day period: The employee will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination for failure to follow SLAC rules and regulations.

B. Moving Violations:

Notice:

All moving violations occurring on the SLAC site are potentially life-threatening situations and, therefore, subject the violator to discipline. Based on the severity and/or frequency of the violation(s), SLAC reserves the right to forego all the steps in the corrective action process and initiate immediate action, up to and including termination for gross misconduct.

Speed control devices (aka radar guns) are used by SLAC Security Officers to determine the speed of a moving vehicle. These devices are accurate to within +-l mph. The instruments are calibrated at least daily and are fully serviced annually. A log of the calibrations is maintained on file. The instruments do not pose any type of radiation or other hazard to the operator of the instrument or the approaching vehicle’s occupants.

Examples of Moving Violations: The following are examples of common moving violations issued to vehicles. This list is not intended to be inclusive of all moving violations for which citations may be issued.

• Operating any vehicle in an inherently unsafe manner that is involved in, causes, and or could cause an accident that endangers the life, health or the property of any person, or of SLAC, Stanford University, the Department of Energy or any other organization, company, or university.
• Engaging in a pattern of unsafe driving
• Being involved in repeated accidents causing injury or property damage.
• Operating a motor vehicle without an appropriate and valid driver's license.
• Operating government vehicles for personal or unauthorized purposes.
• Operating any vehicle off the existing road network (including fence line roads) on the SLAC site without specific permission of the SLAC Site Engineering & Maintenance Department (SEM).
• Exceeding the posted speed limit on SLAC roadways or in parking lots.
• Not coming to a complete stop at posted stop signs.
• Failing to yield right-of-way to pedestrians in or approaching a marked crosswalk.
• Failing to yield right-of-way to vehicles involved in the movement of heavy equipment or materials.
• Crossing a double yellow line to pass any vehicle except slow moving equipment and vehicles after being signaled by the driver or operator that it is safe to pass.
• Operating any vehicle during the hours of darkness without lights, or without lighted escort vehicles or persons.
• Failing to wear protective head gear when operating motorcycles, mopeds, and scooters.(Note 2)
• Failing to wear seat belts.

Note 2: It is recommended that persons using rollerblades wear protective headgear, knee and elbow pads, and gloves to protect themselves from injury in the event of an accident. Bicyclists are also encouraged to wear helmets.

Consequences:

Citations for moving violations will be issued by SLAC Security Officers. The citation will include the location, time, date and type of offense. Copies of the citation will be given to the employee's supervisor and Employee Relations. For repeated offenses, a copy will also be given to the Associate Director of the employee's Division.

1. One offense within any 180-day period: The supervisor will meet with the employee and give the employee a formal verbal warning.
2. Two offenses within any 180-day period: The supervisor will meet with the employee. A written warning will be given to the employee and placed in the employee’s personnel file. A copy of the citation and written warning also will be given to the Associate Director of the employee's Division.
3. Three offenses within any 180-day period: The supervisor will meet with the employee. A final written warning, including a statement of the circumstances, will be issued and placed in the employee's personnel file. The employee will be suspended from work without pay for a period of one to five days, to be determined on a case-by-case basis depending upon the severity of the violation.
   The employee's on-site driving privileges may be limited to electric carts only for up to one year or, depending upon the severity of the violation, permanently.
4. Four offenses within a 12 month period: The employee's on-site driving privileges will be revoked for one year or permanently. Depending upon the severity of the violations, the employee may be subject to termination for repeated failure to follow SLAC rules and regulations.

V. APPEALS PROCESS

Bargaining unit members may be represented by their stewards in any disciplinary meeting for violations of these Traffic Control rules and regulations. If a bargaining unit member is disciplined as a result of receiving a citation, he/she may file a grievance under the appropriate grievance procedures within the Labor Agreement. All other regular staff may appeal their discipline under Administrative Guide Memo 22.10 (PDF). A non-employee will abide by the sanction imposed without appeal.