If you drive a car, you have car insurance. It's a government mandated policy for all drivers on the road to have car insurance… but what about government vehicles? How are government vehicles covered by car insurance? The government is self-insured and its employees are covered via workers compensation. There are several rules that apply when driving a government vehicle.

Government vehicles are for official use only. Since the government is responsible for the actions of anyone driving a government vehicle they outline the strict rules under which a governmental employee can operate a vehicle. The government manual outlines who can operate a vehicle, what they can and can't do, how to sign in a car, how to repair a government vehicle, and even how to get gas! And like all of us, Governmental employees must wear a seat belt at all times. The Governmental employees are issued a Voyage Fleet card to purchase fuel, oil and maintenance on the vehicle and are responsible to make sure that the vehicle stays in top shape. There are also strict policies in using a governmental vehicle for unofficial errands such as going to the bank, stores, and even to pick up lunch on a break. Governmental agents aren't allowed to drive their vehicles while talking on the phone either. They must park their car first and then make a call.

There are strict rules for emergencies and instructions on what to do if the government vehicle is damaged. Everything about the government vehicle is monitored. The way they monitor a car usage is they have the government employee fill out what is called a vehicle trip ticket. Included on a vehicle trip ticket are the date, time in, time out, mileage out, mileage in, and name of the vehicle operator. Unlike the rest of us, when an accident does occur, it is the governmental agency that the agent is from that is found at fault. If a civilian is found at fault then the government will go after the civilian's insurance company.

In regards to Governmental agencies on the boarder of other countries there are several extra rules that apply. The Governmental Vehicles that are use to enter Mexico are assigned through the U.S. Department of Transportation and the vehicle's value is around $18,000. The driving radius from the U.S. border into Mexico is 300 miles. The license plates of Government Vehicles issued in the states of California, Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico all have state license plates instead of Government license plates and are not marked as governmental vehicles. It is good to know that average citizens aren't the only ones that are governed by the law.