Each semester, a number of students are chosen to be drivers of the two vehicles that the Center owns. They are the only students authorized to drive the vehicles. They are the only ones added to the Center’s insurance.

The following guidelines provide all the information you need for being a student driver. If you have any questions regarding the vehicles or any of the information in these guidelines, please ask one of the Student Affairs Coordinators for assistance.

* Using the Vehicles - To use the vehicles, the driver must sign out the vehicle that will be needed. Cars are not for personal use. Sign out sheets for both vehicles are located in the main administration office on the first floor of Villa Maderni. There will be a specified location for the sign out sheets that will be labeled as automobiles. The keys for both vehicles will also be in that drawer.
When you sign out a vehicle, be sure to include your name and the time that you will be using the vehicle. Double check that you have signed out the vehicle for the correct date.

Note: Although students are authorized to use the vehicles it is important to remember that regardless of how far in advance the vehicle is signed out for, office use always takes priority. Keep this in mind as you sign up for a vehicle. At least one vehicle must stay at the Center in case of emergency unless both vehicles are being used for academic or office use.
* Mileage - Each vehicle has a book in the glove compartment for keeping track of the mileage. It is very important that you write in the information regarding your trip. You will be asked to write down the date, the starting mileage, the ending mileage (as judged from the time you leave the Center to when you return), the total mileage, where you started (almost always Riva) and where you ended up, your name, and your purpose. You will see that under "Purpose" there are three columns: House, Class, Personal. Note: Students are not allowed to use the car for personal use, however there are some cases in educational purposes that the students are requested to pay with their own money, this type of trip is marked under the "Personal" column. If you are going on a Personal trip, please write down where you went. This information is used as a key when it is time to bill you for the use of the vehicle.
If the vehicles are taken over night: write down the ending mileage for that day and then write a new entry for the next day. In such case, the starting point would not be Riva but your point of departure that day.
* Returning the Cars - When returning the cars to the Center, be careful to not block other cars in the driveway. Please park them straight and neatly. If you are returning after midnight, it is your responsibility to lock the gate upon returning. The gate remotes are in the drawer with the car keys.
* Billing - Monthly each driver will be presented with a bill for the mileage accrued for personal use. It is the responsibility of the driver to remember who else was in the vehicle so that the bill can be divided proportionally. The bill you will receive will be itemized. This bill will have to be paid in Swiss Francs.
* Gas - Students are not expected to pay for gas when they use either of the Center’s vehicles. If you know in advance that the car or van is low on gas, then please ask Daniela Doninelli for the gas credit card. If Daniela is not around when you leave, please ask the SAC to get it for you. The card is only good at Shell stations (there is one in Mendrisio near the entrance to the Autostrada). If you return from a trip and the gas tank is empty, please refuel the vehicle as soon as possible. If you should be away and run out of gas and you do not have the credit card, please keep the gas receipt so that you can be reimbursed.
* Tolls - If you are driving into Italy for the House or Class, please take the Via Cards for the tolls. These cards are prepaid and, therefore, you do not have to pay the tolls. These cards are also located with the credit cards. Ask Daniela Doninelli or the SAC to get them. Upon returning from the trip, please write down how much money was left on the card.
* Smoking - SMOKING IS NOT ALLOWED IN EITHER VEHICLE!
* Accidents and Tickets - If you should have an accident while driving one of the vehicles, please be sure to get all the contact and insurance information of the other driver. Do not leave the scene without contact information! As soon as you return to the Center, please report the accident to Daniela Doninelli or to the SAC. It is very important for us to know the details concerning the accident so that we can anticipate hearing from the other driver or can get the vehicle fixed if need be.

If you should get a parking ticket or speeding ticket while driving one of the vehicles, please tell Daniela Doninelli or the SAC so that they can make sure that the bill is paid correctly. They will be able to advise you on how to pay and by when to pay. You will be responsible for paying the ticket.

* Speed Limits: Generally, the following are the speed limits in Switzerland. This is only a guide; continue to keep your eyes open for speed signs posted on the road. Town roads: 50km/h, Highway: 100km/h, Major Streets: 60km/h
* Finding your way: Signs in Switzerland are very easy to read. Green signs, usually with a picture of a car on a road, mean Autostrada. Blue signs mean major streets that lead to another town (usually a city, like Chiasso or Lugano). White signs with a town name means towns that are nearby the place you are in. Brown signs are sightseeing places.
* Traffic Lights: You will notice that there are few traffic lights. Red means stop! Green means go! Yellow definitely means caution! Yellow, after a red light, means without a doubt, STOP! STOP! STOP! You will see that the yellow light comes on after red and after green. It is used as a preparatory signal to stop and to go. Obey this law because when you see a yellow light after a red, the other lane of traffic is also seeing yellow and they are ready to go!

* There are very few free parking areas in Switzerland and Italy. Be on the look out for signs that designate parking fees. In Switzerland it is common that there will be a vertically rectangular machine that will provide a parking fee ticket. You will have to pay anywhere from 1 CHF to 5 CHF. Upon putting in your money, you will probably have to punch in what parking spot you are in (each spot has a number). Then you will be given a receipt.
* In Italy there is usually someone who will put a ticket on the rear or front windshield of your car. It is your responsibility to find the person, who is usually sitting in their own car somewhere in the lot, and pay in Lira.
* Parking garages or those with a gate require that you pay when you leave. Upon entering you will receive a ticket that looks like a punch card. Before you re-enter your vehicle, find the big square ticket machine. You will have to put your ticket into this machine and it will tell you how much money you owe. It will then re-issue your ticket. Upon leaving the lot, you will have to put your ticket in the little machine by the gate. This will make the arm go up so that you can leave.
* If you see a blue parking sign, please put the blue parking sign, which is in the glove compartment, in the vehicles front window. Be sure to turn the dial to the correct time.
* Please do not park the van in a covered parking garage. It is often too big to get around the narrow turns. Do not take the chance of scratching up the vehicle.

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