Vehicle Rules & Regulations

General

• All student vehicles, on or off campus, must be registered with Campus Safety Services (see Registering a vehicle on campus).
  

  

• Appropriate registration decals and/or hangtags must be displayed in the proper location at all times (A Williams parking decal must be displayed in the right lower corner on the exterior of the rear window. Hangtags must be suspended from the rear view mirror).
• Any student who exchanges parking decals with another student, alters, sells or gives away their parking decal to another student will permanently lose their ability to register a vehicle while a student at Williams College and may also be subject to disciplinary action. In addition, any upper-class student who attempts to register a vehicle for a first year student, or has been identified as having done so, will lose their parking privileges for the current and following academic year. No exceptions.
• Parking regulations are in effect 365 days a year and must be strictly observed (see Student parking on campus).
• The maximum vehicle speed on campus is 20 miles per hour and in many locations the speed should be much lower.
• State law requires that seat belts must be worn while operating a motor vehicle and approved helmets must be worn when riding motorcycles.
• The owner or person in charge of a motor vehicle is responsible for all violations involving their vehicle.

Accidents

Drivers involved in an accident should:

• Immediately secure care for injuries
• Notify the police
• Remain at the scene of the accident
• Notify the Dean’s Office and the Campus Safety Services Office if the accident is major or personal injury is serious.

First-Year students’ use of personal motor vehicles

Williams College does not allow first-year students to park or operate a motor vehicle of any sort on any college owned property, at any time during the academic year.  A member of the first year class is not permitted to authorize an upper-class student to register their vehicle under any circumstances. Attempts to do so will result in suspension of vehicle privileges for the remainder of the year and the following academic year. These prohibitions are necessary due to of a lack of parking facilities. First-year students are allowed to operate college-owned vehicles when authorized to do so by a student organization or a college department. Arrangements must be made through Student Life or the authorizing College department and Facilities.

First-year violations are a minimum of $100.00, no warnings, and are unappealable. If a first-year student receives five or more citations they lose the privilege of registering a vehicle on-campus during their sophomore year. Each ticket issued after five violations will be $201.00. (see Vehicle Violations & Fines)

Use of College vehicles