CUHWC is reliant on its drivers; without members who are willing to drive, trips could not go ahead. This policy is designed to offer a clear and consistent framework for transport on club trips, for the benefit of drivers and all members.
General information on transport for CUHWC trips
CUHWC organises three types of trip:
- Day trips
- Weekend trips
- Vacation trips
A special case of a day trip is the Freshers’ Trip, for which the Club hires a coach with a professional driver. For all other trips, transport consists of cars driven by Club members.
In order to reach upland areas of the UK, trips are usually located 3-5 hours’ drive from Cambridge.
Driver restrictions
All drivers on Club trips must be 21 or over at the time of the trip. You must have a full driving licence (UK, EU or otherwise) which is valid for the type of vehicle you are driving.
Provision of vehicles
If drivers own a vehicle and are willing to drive it on Club trips, the Club is very grateful as this is a significant cost saving. You are required to ensure that:
- Your vehicle is taxed, has a valid MOT and is roadworthy for the full duration of the trip.
- You are adequately insured to drive and transport others to trips in your vehicle.
- We strongly recommend that you have breakdown and recovery cover from a reputable provider such as the AA or RAC.
If there are not enough drivers with their own vehicles, the Club will hire vehicles to be driven by members without their own vehicles. You will be given instructions for collection and return of your vehicle. You are required to ensure that:
- Your vehicle is roadworthy before you sign it out from the rental company.
- You meet all rules and regulations established by the rental company (eg. age restriction, driving licence, insurance, etc).
- You return the car by the drop-off time specified by the rental company.
- You return the car with the amount of fuel specified by the rental company (usually this will be a full tank).
- Please ensure you clarify the arrangements for breakdown cover at the time of collecting the car from the rental company, and have the relevant contact details easily available.
Reimbursements
Fuel costs incurred on the trip should be paid by the driver and will be reimbursed by the Club. The best way to determine your fuel costs is to leave Cambridge with a full fuel tank, and then fill up as needed on the trip, and again on returning to Cambridge. Please keep receipts for all fuel purchased on the trip or on returning to Cambridge.
All drivers are entitled to a £10 food and drink reimbursement. In addition, drivers with their own vehicle are entitled to a further £15 reimbursement for wear and tear to their vehicle. If two or more drivers agree to share the driving of a single vehicle, the total reimbursements will remain the same (£10 total food and drink reimbursement, £15 total own car reimbursement), and the drivers should agree as to how to divide these amounts between them.
After the trip, please contact the Junior Treasurer (treasurer@cuhwc.org.uk) and CC the Transport Secretary (transport@cuhwc.org.uk) with the following information:
- Did you drive your own car?
- Your fuel expenses:
- Preferably: provide pictures of your fuel receipts (if you left Cambridge with a full fuel tank as above).
- Alternatively: estimate your usage by multiplying the fuel rate-per-mile value appropriate for your vehicle from the government here by your mileage for the trip. If you didn't keep track of your mileage, put the journeys you did into google maps and sum up the total. <Rate per mile> x <your mileage> = <fuel reimbursement>.
- Any miscellaneous costs the club should reimburse (parking charges, etc). To guarantee reimbursement these must be agreed by a Committee member in advance of the purchase. Reasonable expenses can usually be agreed retrospectively but this cannot be guaranteed.
- If applicable, you should also include any receipts for goods you were asked to purchase for the Club, eg. the trip milk.
Advice for drivers
Trips usually take place in hilly/mountainous areas of the UK, rural and often remote. Drivers will frequently need to use single-track roads with hairpin bends, steep gradients and no street lighting, and may need to drive on unpaved tracks from a road to the bunkhouse. In winter and at higher altitudes there may be snow and ice on the road, and extreme caution is advised in these conditions; if you do not feel safe, do not proceed.
Petrol stations may not be easily accessible, and you will need to plan where to fill up; you are advised not to allow your petrol tank to become less than ¼ full (or, if your car has a range meter, to ensure you have at least 100 miles’ worth of fuel at all times). The price of fuel can be very variable; supermarket petrol stations are often cheaper than branded petrol stations, and petrol at motorway services is usually very expensive and should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.
Drivers are required to ensure they are fit to drive before driving on a Club trip, and to monitor their fitness to drive throughout the trip. You should take regular breaks during the drive as needed. If you become tired on a long drive, you are advised to stop at the next safe and legal location (eg. motorway services), drink a caffeinated drink and (if necessary) have a short nap. Club trips can be tiring, and you are advised to ensure you get enough sleep before the drive back to Cambridge; the Club is currently piloting an “early dormitory” for trip participants who want to get an early night, and drivers will be prioritised for this if they wish. Drivers must not drink alcohol on the same day as driving for the Club (until the drive is complete). Ultimately it is the individual driver’s responsibility to ensure that they are fit to drive.
Advice for passengers
Passengers are required to ensure that they do not distract the driver, for example with excessive noise or by being inebriated. If you are sitting in the front passenger seat, you are the designated ‘co-pilot’, and your conversation can be very helpful for the driver in staving off fatigue; you may also need to help navigate, for example if there is a problem with sat-nav.
Action in case of accident or vehicle problem
If you are involved in a road traffic accident:
- Stop as soon as it is safe and legal to do so.
- Ensure that everyone in your vehicle is uninjured. If anyone is injured, call 999 and ask for both police and ambulance.
- If you stop in a traffic lane or on the hard shoulder, exit your vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so, by the side furthest away from traffic. If on a motorway/dual carriageway, all occupants should cross over the metal barrier at the side of the road and stand well away from the vehicle.
- If any other vehicles or pedestrians were involved, check whether they are injured (if safe to do so), and if so call 999 as above.
- If your vehicle is in a traffic lane or on the hard shoulder, call 999 and notify the police.
- If there are no injuries, everyone is safe, and the carriageway is not blocked, call 101 to notify the police (non-emergency number).
- Notify your insurer.
- Notify the trip lead, trip safety officer or (if neither of these can be reached) the Cambridge contact.
- Write down the other party’s contact and insurance details, and take photographs.
- Remain calm and courteous at all times.
- Do not admit fault! Even if it was your fault, never admit fault at the scene. This is not dishonest; insurance often explicitly states that admitting fault will render the insurance void. Leave it to the insurance/hire company to sort out.
If your vehicle experiences a mechanical/electrical problem:
- Stop as soon as it is safe and legal to do so.
- If you stop in a traffic lane or on the hard shoulder, exit your vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so, by the side furthest away from traffic. If on a motorway/dual carriageway, all occupants should cross over the metal barrier and stand well away from the vehicle.
- If your vehicle is in a traffic lane or on the hard shoulder, call 999 and notify the police.
- Notify your breakdown cover provider (eg. RAC/AA).
- Notify the trip lead, trip safety officer or (if neither of these can be reached) the Cambridge contact.
Road traffic offences
If you commit a road traffic offence while driving on a Club trip (eg. speeding, dangerous driving, illegal parking), you will be solely liable for any legal penalties, fines and administrative costs arising as a result. You must report any such offence to the Transport Secretary; this will be discussed by the Committee in consultation with the Senior Treasurer, and if it is felt that the offence was of a nature that might have posed danger to Club members or other road users, you will be banned from driving for the Club in future. This will be determined by a majority vote of a quorate Committee meeting.
Liability
Liability for all road traffic accidents rests with the driver, including (but not limited to) any legal penalties, fines, damages, repair costs (both for your vehicle and any other vehicles involved), recovery fees, insurance excesses and administrative costs. If it is subsequently determined by an insurance company or in a court of law that you were not at fault, you should seek to recover any costs from the party at fault; the Club will not reimburse any such costs.
Liability for mechanical/electrical breakdown for those driving their own vehicle rests with the driver, including (but not limited to) any repair costs, recovery fees, insurance excesses and administrative costs. You are advised to have breakdown cover from a reputable provider before driving for the Club.
Liability for mechanical/electrical breakdown for those driving a rental vehicle will be covered within your contract with the vehicle rental company; usually this is in the form of a damage waiver, which means that the rental company will be liable for the cost of recovery and repairs, other than a specified maximum excess. This excess should be paid by the driver and will be reimbursed by the Club.
Liability for any costs associated with a road traffic offence (eg. speeding, dangerous driving, illegal parking) rests with the driver, including (but not limited to) any legal penalties, fines and administrative costs.
In no case will the Club be liable for any costs whatsoever incurred as a result of road traffic accident, mechanical/electrical breakdown or road traffic offence, other than reimbursement of any excess in the case of mechanical/electrical breakdown in a rental vehicle. This is in accordance with the Club’s constitution (section 7, paragraph 9).
Concerns about driving
If any passenger feels unsafe while being driven on a Club trip, or has any other concern about the quality of driving or condition/maintenance of a vehicle, they are encouraged to raise this with the Transport Secretary (transport@cuhwc.org.uk) or the President (president@cuhwc.org.uk). If your concern is regarding the quality/safety of a Committee member’s driving, please raise this with any other Committee member; the matter can be discussed anonymously if preferred. As in any other club environment, you can also contact the Welfare Officer if needed (cuhwcsocial@gmail.com). All concerns will be treated in strict confidence and will not be discussed outside the Committee.
Following discussion among the Committee, if a driver is felt to have acted in a way which might have posed danger to Club members or other road users, they will be banned from driving for the Club in future. This will be determined by a majority vote of a quorate Committee meeting. Prior to any such vote, the driver will be given the opportunity to present their perspective on the incident in question to the Committee, and other passengers may be asked for their recollections and opinions.
Receiving a ban on driving for the Club will not affect your Club membership or eligibility to participate in Club trips as a non-driver.
Role of the Transport Secretary
The Transport Secretary can be contacted on transport@cuhwc.org.uk. They are the first point of contact for any queries or concerns regarding transport on Club trips – this includes any concerns raised by passengers about the quality/safety of a member’s driving.
Other responsibilities include:
- Identifying drivers for club trips.
- Renting vehicles.
- Allocating passengers to vehicles.
- Providing information to drivers, including on destination, suggested routes, parking and any special circumstances (eg. adverse weather conditions).
Last Updated 2024-10-08