State Auto Liability Program Description

The New Jersey State Colleges and Universities each maintain their own vehicle fleets which are owned and registered to each college/university.  These vehicles most often have SG (State Government) tags, though there are different license plates that may be provided for certain other fleet vehicles, such as ambulances, low speed vehicles, or buses.  These vehicles are not insured, but are covered for tort liability by the State of New Jersey under a user-funded program administered by the State of New Jersey’s Division of Risk Management.  A typical auto policy insures the auto.  Consequently, any permissive user of the auto is covered by the auto policy.  The state program, however, does not concern itself with the auto, but with the employment status of the driver. The vehicle is not covered, but the employee/driver is by the provisions of the New Jersey Tort Claims Act (NJSA 59:1-1 et seq.).  The Act provides that the State will indemnify and defend employees of the State against claims arising out of their negligent acts, errors or omissions, provided that the employee is within the scope of his employment, and the act or failure to act was not because of actual fraud, actual malice or willful misconduct.  The State’s auto liability user-funded program is not auto insurance and for legal reasons should never be referred to as auto insurance.

The New Jersey State Colleges and Universities fleet vehicles are all assigned vehicle registration cards specific to each vehicle and license plate, while each vehicle is provided with auto identification cards in lieu of auto insurance identification cards that provides contact information for filing claims with the State of New Jersey’s Division of Risk Management.

When operating a college/university fleet vehicle, employees should always check to make sure that a valid registration and current auto identification card are available within the vehicle they are operating.  Failure to do so could result in ticket(s) being issued to the individual operating the vehicle.

All business travel is to be approved by the area responsible at each college/university.

College/University fleet vehicles are not to be used for personal travel.

Reporting State Fleet Vehicle Auto Accidents and Incidents

College/University Employees who are in vehicle accidents involving college/university-owned fleet vehicles are to:

1. 1. Report the accident to the local authority having jurisdiction.  This may be the municipal police, state police, sheriff, or other law enforcement agency.  Obtain a copy of the report number. Once available, obtain a copy of the report.
   2. Report the accident to their supervisor.
   3. Report the accident to their institution’s public safety or campus police department.
   4. Follow any local instructions for reporting to their respective college/university.
   5. Within 24 hours or 1 business day of the accident, notify the state by completing an online RM1 form submission.  The online form and instructions for completing the form can be found at: https://www.nj.gov/treasury/riskmgt/rm1-instructions.shtml
   6. The employee involved in the accident, their supervisor, and the college/university fleet coordinator each need to access and complete the RM1 online submission. If the employee is unavailable, then the system also allows the supervisor to initiate the reporting. The system will ask the employee to identify their supervisor and email, and then the state’s system will send the supervisor an email link to complete their section. The supervisor then completes their information and identifies the university fleet coordinator, who is then emailed by the system to complete their section.

State Forms/Instructions:

RM1-Vehicle Accident and Incident Report

Coding sheet for NJ Police Crash Investigation Reports

Insurance company codes

Additional Information:

NJSCU Risk Management Contacts can securely access additional information regarding this program here.