As an employer it is your duty to ensure that everyone driving for work is qualified to do so. Since the discontinuation of the counterpart paper driver licence, all employee driver licence checks will now be carried out electronically.
The DVLA has set up a free online service which allows employers to manually carry out employee driver licence checks. However, although this service is free, it is not without its limitations.
Firstly, the check has to be entered manually and on an individual basis, this dramatically increases the work load for managers and HR departments. Secondly, the DVLA driver licence checking service can only be used for licences issued in England, Wales or Scotland, which again adds a great amount of additional work for managers as anyone with an overseas driving licence will have to be checked via a different route.
Furthermore, these checks only give a snapshot of the employee’s record at the time of the check. Should the individual obtain any points following this check, the employer would be none the wiser without manually going online and checking again. By then it could be too late.
How often is enough?
The Association for Driving Licence Verification (ADLV) suggest that you should carry out driver licence checks quarterly. This is to closer monitor high-risk drivers, such as those with mobile phone convictions or those who travel over 13,000 business miles per annum.
In order to use the free service you will need three things; the last eight digits of the employees’ driving licence number, a ‘Check Code’ which the employee has to generate themselves, and is only valid for 21 days, and finally consent from each employee. Without this you will not be able to check their driving licence and therefore they will not be about to drive for work purposes.
A fit for purpose solution
Although the online service provided by the DVLA works well for one-off checks, it isn’t suited to support large fleets and ongoing validations. At Sandicliffe Motor Contracts, we offer a complete Driver Licence Checking service that is tailored to meet the modern day fleet manager’s needs.
Through our interactive online portal, managers can access their employees’ driving licence information at a click of a button. This service is completely secure via our partnership with the UK’s largest licence check provider, Intelligent Data Systems (IDS) to ensure all data is treated with care. In addition, all applicants are required to sign a data protection mandate that is valid for three years.
Managers will have access to detailed reports through our online portal with the option to receive automated notifications to bring any issues to your immediate attention via telephone or email. Our service is ‘pay per check’ ensuring you the best value for money.
For more information about our Driver Licence Checks click here or speak to one of our advisors on 01159 466 466
Alternatively, visit gov.uk
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