Who needs to take the Driving Defensively training?
ALL USC employees who are authorized to drive a University-owned vehicle must take the Driving Defensively training course on Trojan Learn prior to the first day of driving, and at least every 2 years thereafter. The course must be completed by anyone driving any USC vehicle regardless of job duty.
Please see The Driving Defensively Course on Trojan Learn section below for the training details.
What training is required for golf carts?
There are two types of carts typically found on campus. To reduce confusion about what type of training is required for each vehicle type, see below for definitions and training required:
- Low-Speed Vehicle (LSV) carts – These may look like golf carts, but are actually considered motor vehicles. They have license plates, headlights, turn signals, etc., and are regulated by DMV. Employees only need to take the Driving Defensively course on Trojan Learn for this type of vehicle. EH&S has also created this downloadable fact sheet for the safe operation of Low-Speed Vehicles.
- Golf/Utility carts – These carts are NOT street legal, have no license plates, cannot leave campus, and are governed by CAL/OSHA. Employees need to take both the Driving Defensively course on Trojan Learn and must also take a 3-hour in-person course regarding the safe operation of these vehicles. EH&S also created this downloadable fact sheet for the safe operation of Golf/Utility carts. NOTE: The fact sheet is NOT a substitute for the required in-person training. See The Golf/Utility Cart Training below for training details.
For more information on these requirements, please visit the Risk Management Vehicle/Driver policy page.
The Driving Defensively Course on Trojan Learn
This 14-minute online course will provide simple defensive driving techniques to reduce your chances of being involved in a motor vehicle accident. The content identifies regulatory requirements, defines defensive driving, recognizes accident prevention methods, and provides vehicle safety measures that can be applicable both on and off the job.
All USC employees (including students) who are authorized to drive a University-owned vehicle must take this course prior to their first day of driving. Temporary employees, volunteers or other university affiliates may request Trojan Learn access through their school or department’s iVIP administrators.
NOTE: you must allow pop-ups, cookies and cross-site tracking on your browser before beginning the training – contact your IT support staff if you need help. For Trojan Learn technical support, please contact uschr@usc.edu or 213-821-8100.
Please CLICK HERE to open the USC employee Gateway page; the “Trojan Learn” icon/link is in the center of the page (shibboleth login required). Once in Trojan Learn, enter “Driving Defensively” in the search box on the top-right corner of the page, and select the first course option that comes up in the search results.
The Golf/Utility Cart Training (carts without license plates)
Anyone who is authorized/may be required to drive a Golf/Utility cart without license plates (that do not leave campus) must also take a 3-hour in-person course which is only offered by EH&S or someone they designated as an authorized “trainer.” Driver training for these service vehicles is governed by CAL-OSHA and has strict requirements that must be met before driving a cart. Drivers are NOT allowed to drive one of these golf/utility carts without having completed this specific 3-hour training.
Interested prospective drivers must contact EH&S directly to arrange for this additional in-person training. Please email them directly at EHS@usc.edu.