DR DRIVE LIMITED PRIVACY POLICY
1. Introduction
DR Drive Limited ("DR Drive", "we", "us" or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly, lawfully and transparently. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect personal information when you interact with DR Drive Limited, including through our website, driving tuition services, instructor training, franchise activities, recruitment and general enquiries. This policy applies to www.drdrive-som.co.uk and to personal information handled by DR Drive Limited in connection with the services described below.
2. Who is responsible for your personal information?
DR Drive Limited is the data controller for the personal information it determines how and why to process.
Company Number: 17157788
Registered Office: Brookfield Court Selby Road, Garforth, Leeds, England, LS25 1NB
Privacy enquiries: hello@drdrive-som.co.uk
Where an individual driving instructor operates independently under the DR Drive brand or franchise network, that instructor may be separately responsible for personal information they process. Where relevant, DR Drive Limited and the instructor may each have responsibilities for different processing activities.
3. Personal information we may collect
3.1 General contact and enquiry information
- Full name
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Home or collection address and postcode
- Preferred contact method
- Content of correspondence and enquiry details
- Social media account or profile information where you contact us through social media
- Any other information you voluntarily provide
3.2 Learner driver information
- Full name and date of birth
- Telephone number, email address, home and collection addresses
- Emergency contact information where appropriate
- Driving licence details and DVLA licence-check information
- Driving licence share-code information
- Theory test and practical driving test information
- Previous driving experience and tuition history
- Lesson bookings, attendance, payments and account information
- Progress records, lesson notes, instructor observations and mock-test results
- Driving faults, development areas and test-readiness assessments
- Correspondence, complaints, feedback and safeguarding information where applicable
- Photographs, testimonials or test-pass information where appropriate permission has been obtained
3.3 Health, disability and additional learning needs
You may choose to tell us about a disability, medical condition, medication, mental-health information, neurodiversity, anxiety, learning difficulty, communication need, mobility requirement or another healthrelated matter relevant to your tuition or safety.
This information may be special category personal data. We only process it where there is an appropriate lawful basis and an additional legal condition permitting the processing.
We generally request or record such information only where it is relevant to safety, reasonable adjustments, training requirements or the way our services should be provided.
4. Instructor, PDI, ADI and franchise information
Where you enquire about instructor training, a PDI trainee licence opportunity, an ADI franchise, employment or another commercial relationship with DR Drive, we may collect contact details, date of birth, driving licence information, ADI/PDI and DVSA registration information, DBS information where appropriate, qualifications, employment and training history, references, insurance information, vehicle details, financial information, bank details, business information, application records, assessment records, contractual documentation, performance information and correspondence.
Where criminal-offence information is processed, we will only do so where permitted by law.
5. Recruitment information
If you apply for employment or another role with DR Drive, we may process your CV, contact details, employment history, education and qualifications, references, interview notes, right-to-work information, identification documents, remuneration information, availability, DBS information where required and information relating to reasonable adjustments. Information relating to unsuccessful applicants will be kept only for as long as reasonably necessary for recruitment, legal and record-keeping purposes.
6. Payment information
Where you purchase services from us, we may process payment, invoice, refund, transaction, outstandingbalance, package and payment-reference information.
Payments may be handled by third-party payment providers. DR Drive does not ordinarily need to retain complete debit or credit card details where payment is processed securely by a third party.
7. Information collected automatically through our website
When you visit our website, certain information may be collected automatically, including IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, approximate location, pages visited, time and date of visits, referring website, interactions with website features, cookie identifiers and analytics information.
We may use this information to operate, secure, maintain and improve the website and to understand how visitors use it.
8. Cookies and similar technologies
Our website may use cookies and similar technologies. Strictly necessary cookies may be used where required for the website to function. Functional cookies may remember preferences. Analytics cookies may help us understand website usage. Marketing or advertising cookies, where used, may measure campaigns or support relevant advertising.
Except where permitted by law, non-essential cookies will not be placed on your device until the required consent has been obtained. You can change or withdraw cookie choices through the cookie controls provided on our website.
9. How we use your personal information
- Respond to enquiries and provide driving tuition
- Arrange assessments and allocate learners to instructors
- Manage lesson bookings, attendance, progress records and driving-test preparation
- Verify driving licence information
- Manage payments, block bookings, invoices and refunds
- Communicate with learners and, where appropriate, parents or guardians
- Manage cancellations, complaints, safety matters and service quality
- Provide instructor training and manage PDI, ADI and franchise relationships
- Recruit and administer employees, contractors and instructors
- Maintain accounting, taxation, insurance and other business records
- Protect our business, prevent fraud, maintain IT security and handle legal claims
- Analyse website performance and improve services
- Send marketing where permitted by law
10. Our lawful bases for processing
10.1 Contract
We may process personal information where necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract or to perform a contract with you. This can include responding to lesson requests, arranging tuition, processing payment, providing instructor training or administering a franchise arrangement.
10.2 Legal obligation
We may process information where necessary to comply with legal or regulatory obligations, including taxation, accounting, employment, safeguarding, insurance and other statutory requirements.
10.3 Legitimate interests
We may process information where necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. These interests can include operating and developing DR Drive, managing customer relationships, protecting our business, preventing fraud, maintaining records, managing disputes, protecting legal rights, ensuring service standards and maintaining website security.
10.4 Consent
We may rely on consent where appropriate, including for certain marketing activities, photographs, testimonials and non-essential cookies. Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect processing carried out lawfully before withdrawal.
10.5 Vital interests
In exceptional circumstances, we may process information where necessary to protect somebody's life.
11. Special category information
Some information, particularly health, disability or medical information, receives additional protection under UK data protection law. Where we process special category information, we identify both an appropriate lawful basis and an additional condition that permits the processing.
Depending on the circumstances, this may include explicit consent, employment or social-protection obligations, protection of vital interests, legal claims or another condition permitted by law.
12. Driving licence information
Learners may be required to provide information enabling DR Drive or their instructor to verify that they are legally entitled to drive. This may include driving licence details, DVLA share codes, information displayed through the DVLA licence-checking service and photographic identification.
Driving licence information will only be accessed or used where reasonably necessary for driving tuition, safety, insurance, regulatory or related purposes.
13. Parents, guardians and young learners
Driving tuition may be arranged or paid for by a parent, guardian or another individual. Where appropriate, we may communicate with that person about bookings, payments, attendance, general administration and matters relating to safety or welfare.
Where a learner is legally capable of exercising their own data-protection rights, their personal information remains subject to those rights. We will not automatically disclose detailed lesson information merely because another person pays for lessons.
14. Driving performance and safety records
Driving instruction involves assessing a learner's driving ability. Instructors may create records relating to driving faults, development areas, instructor intervention, potentially dangerous incidents, lesson objectives, mock tests, test readiness and decisions concerning use of an instructor vehicle for a practical test.
These records may be necessary to provide tuition effectively, protect road safety, maintain professional standards and establish an appropriate record of the instruction provided.
15. Photographs, testimonials and marketing content
We may ask whether you are happy for us to use photographs, first names, test-pass information, driving-fault totals, testimonials, reviews, videos or other success stories for promotional purposes.
Where consent is required, participation is optional and refusing permission will not affect access to our services. Where we rely on consent, it can be withdrawn by contacting us.
16. Direct marketing
We may send information about DR Drive services where permitted by data-protection law and PECR. Depending on the circumstances, communications may be sent by email, SMS, telephone, WhatsApp or another messaging service, or social media.
Where consent is legally required, we will obtain it before sending marketing. In some circumstances, the law permits marketing of similar products or services to existing customers where the relevant soft-opt-in requirements are satisfied. You may ask us to stop direct marketing at any time. Marketing preferences do not prevent legitimate service communications about an existing booking, payment, contract or important operational matter.
17. Who we may share your information with
We do not sell your personal information.
Where necessary, information may be shared with DR Drive instructors, PDIs and ADIs working with or under the DR Drive brand, employees, authorised contractors, training providers, professional advisers, accountants, legal advisers, insurers, insurance brokers, payment processors, banks, IT providers, website hosts, customer-management systems, booking or diary platforms, driving-instructor software providers, email providers, cloud-storage providers, analytics providers, marketing providers, DVSA or DVLA where appropriate, HM Revenue & Customs, law-enforcement agencies, courts, regulators, government departments and other organisations where disclosure is required or permitted by law. Service providers processing information on our behalf are expected to handle it appropriately and securely.
18. Franchisees and independent instructors
DR Drive may operate through instructors, franchisees or other driving professionals. Depending on the relationship, an instructor may act on behalf of DR Drive Limited, as an independent data controller, or alongside DR Drive Limited with responsibility for different aspects of the processing.
For example, an independently operating instructor may maintain their own lesson records, diary, accounts or customer communications. Where an instructor is an independent controller, they are responsible for complying with their own data-protection obligations.
19. Third-party platforms
We may use third-party services such as social-media platforms, WhatsApp or other messaging services, online booking systems, driving-instructor management applications, payment providers, email platforms, cloud-storage services and website analytics services.
When you use a third-party service, that provider may also process information under its own privacy policy.
20. International transfers
Some service providers may process or store information outside the United Kingdom. Where personal information is transferred internationally, we will take appropriate steps to ensure that the transfer complies with applicable UK data-protection requirements.
Safeguards may include UK adequacy regulations, the UK International Data Transfer Agreement, the UK Addendum to approved contractual clauses or another legally recognised transfer mechanism.
21. How long we keep your information
We do not keep personal information indefinitely. Retention periods depend on why the information was collected, whether you remain a customer, instructor, employee or franchisee, contractual and regulatory requirements, accounting and taxation rules, insurance requirements, safeguarding considerations, limitation periods for legal claims and whether the information remains necessary for the original purpose.
21.1 Typical retention considerations
General enquiries that do not result in a booking or contractual relationship may be deleted once no longer reasonably required.
Learner records may be retained after lessons end where reasonably necessary for accounting, insurance, complaints, professional standards or potential legal claims.
Financial records are retained for periods required by applicable law.
Recruitment information for unsuccessful applicants is normally retained only for an appropriate period after recruitment unless there is a legitimate reason or consent to retain it for longer.
Marketing suppression records may be retained to ensure that requests not to receive marketing continue to be respected.
22. How we protect your information
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information. These may include access controls, password protection, secure systems, device security, restricted access to customer records, confidentiality requirements, secure cloud services, backups, software updates, contractual controls with service providers and internal data-protection procedures.
No internet-based system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
23. Your data protection rights
23.1 Right of access
You may ask whether we hold personal information about you and request a copy.
23.2 Right to rectification
You may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
23.3 Right to erasure
In certain circumstances, you may ask us to delete your information. This right does not apply where we have a lawful reason or legal obligation to retain it.
23.4 Right to restriction
You may ask us to restrict how your information is processed in certain circumstances.
23.5 Right to data portability
In certain circumstances, you may request personal information you provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format.
23.6 Right to object
You may object to certain processing based on legitimate interests. You have an absolute right to object to the use of your personal information for direct marketing.
23.7 Rights relating to consent
Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw that consent at any time.
23.8 Rights relating to automated decision-making
You may have rights relating to decisions made solely by automated means where those decisions produce legal or similarly significant effects. DR Drive does not ordinarily make significant decisions about individuals solely through automated processing.
24. Exercising your rights
To exercise a data-protection right, contact hello@drdrive-som.co.uk. We may need to verify your identity before releasing information or acting on a request.
Data-protection law generally requires us to respond to valid requests within the applicable statutory period. There is usually no charge, although the law permits charges or refusal in limited circumstances involving manifestly unfounded or excessive requests.
25. Complaints
If you are concerned about how DR Drive Limited has handled your personal information, please contact us first so that we have an opportunity to investigate.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK data-protection regulator. Further information is available at www.ico.org.uk.
26. Links to other websites
Our website may contain links to websites operated by third parties. DR Drive Limited does not control those websites and is not responsible for their privacy practices. You should read the privacy information provided by any third-party website you visit.
27. Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our services, technology, processing activities, business structure, legislation or regulatory guidance.
The latest version will be published at www.drdrive-som.co.uk together with the date it was last updated.
Where a change significantly affects how we process existing personal information, we will take reasonable steps to bring the change to the attention of affected individuals where required.
Name of company
DR Drive Limited
Registered office
Brookfield Court Selby Road, Garforth, Leeds, England, LS25 1NB
Contact details
0330 043 2809
hello@drdrive-som.co.uk
Company number
17157788
DR Drive Limited - Privacy Policy - Last updated 27 August 2026