By Ed Dubens (pictured), CEO/Founder of eDriving

Today, data security and privacy compliance are among the most important considerations for practically every business. For that reason, when reviewing digital driver risk management solutions, data security and privacy compliance are critical components of the assessment and planning phase, and can even be the deciding factor in whether a programme is adopted or not.

In many countries across Europe, in Canada and parts of Australasia and Latin America, organisations must seek input and/or approval from employee representatives such as Workers’ Councils or Unions for the introduction and application of new operational processes, technical equipment and software. The purpose of Workers’ Councils and Unions is to protect employees’ rights. German Workers’ Councils, in particular, are well-known for their rigorous standards in relation to employee data.

How does this affect organisations looking to protect the safety of those driving for work purposes? It means that any company obliged to seek such approval for a new driver safety programme, will need to justify the implementation of the programme, and prove it complies with relevant data protection and privacy laws.

Considerations may include compliance with the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR); the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA); Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA); the Brazil General Data Protection Law (LGPD); or the New Zealand Privacy Act. Privacy notices, HR agreements, data storage, how location data is used, and so on, will be important discussion points.

As many eDriving clients have rolled out our digital driver risk management programme, Mentor, in multiple geographical locations since Q1 2018, we’ve identified the most prevalent concerns in many different countries, and how to best help organisations address such concerns, not only with leadership and Workers’ Councils, but also with drivers. We’ve also discovered that the word “telematics” in particular, can sometimes trigger privacy alarm bells, and we’ve learned that addressing concerns about such programmes from the outset is usually the most effective way to allay any fears. Common privacy concerns include “is this a surveillance or tracking tool?”, “is location/GPS data visible to anyone other than the driver?”, and “how is driver information shared and with who, both inside and outside the organisation?”

Any organisation looking to introduce a driver risk management and safety programme should not let privacy and data protection concerns stop them in their tracks; after all, an effective driver safety programme is there for the benefit of employees, their families and the communities in which they live and work, and is a means of managing road safety proactively. Similarly, no programme should ever be intended as a surveillance tool, or as a means of introducing negative consequences for being part of the programme.

Questions for organisations seeking approval for a driver safety programme may include:

How will the programme reduce incidents, collisions, licence endorsements and injuries to employees driving for work purposes?

• Is it GDPR/CCPA/PIPEDA/LGDP/Privacy Best Practice compliant?
• How and where is driver PII (Personally Identifiable Information) data stored and processed?
• What information is shared with line manager/HR/safety/peers?
• What information is sent to leadership and/or corporate teams?
• What information, if any, is shared with other 3rd parties?
• Who is the data controller and owner of the programme data?
• What are the privacy rights of the driver?
• Is location/GPS information shared?
• Is the programme tailored to meet the needs and privacy laws of different regions/countries?
• How does the programme support High Risk Vs Medium Risk Vs Low Risk Drivers and is the approach sensitive to privacy strategies?

Of course, it is also important to remember the reason for looking to implementing such a programme. Every day around the world, almost 3,700 people are killed globally in crashes involving cars, pick-up, motorcycles, bicycles, trucks, buses or pedestrians, according to the World Health Organization. As anyone involved in at-work road safety and risk management knows, driving for work purposes is the most dangerous work activity that many people do. Around the world, governments, councils and other organisations are striving towards a long-term vision of zero fatalities and serious injuries on the roads. The implementation of a comprehensive digital driver risk management programme can help organisations align with this vision, helping them to provide and support a safe and healthy workplace, educate employees on potential hazards in the workplace, implement and enforce appropriate workplace health and safety policies, and do everything reasonable to protect work-related injuries and illness, and correct unsafe actions and conditions.

Discussing privacy concerns at the outset helps allay fears sooner and enables organisations to focus on their business objectives, safe in the knowledge that they are proactively managing a successful safe driving programme that supports a much wider mission of safer roads for all.

About eDriving
eDriving, a Solera company, revolutionised driver risk management with the introduction of the world’s first defensive driving CD-ROM in the 1990s. Today, eDriving helps organisations around the world to reduce incidents, collisions, injuries, licence endorsements, carbon emissions, and total cost of fleet ownership.

At its heart is the Mentor by eDriving^SM smartphone app that identifies risky driving behaviours for intervention and safe driving habits for recognition. In-app features include micro-training and coaching, gamification, collision reporting, vehicle inspections, and a FICO® Safe Driving Score validated to predict the likelihood of future collision involvement. Through our five-stage, patented Crash-Free Culture® risk reduction methodology, eDriving helps organisations embrace safety and reduce risk for Sales, Service, Delivery and Warehouse drivers, all within a privacy-first, data-secure environment.

eDriving is the digital driver risk management partner of choice for many of the world’s largest organisations, supporting over 1.2 million drivers in 125 countries. 

Visit www.edriving.com.