Frequently Asked Questions
Q. I'm having problems registering, what should I do?
A. First check you are on the registration page, then check you are entering the registration key exactly as it has been supplied (it is case sensitive). Next ensure you are entering a valid email address and finally create yourself a new password which must be a minimum of 6 characters in length and include at least contain one upper case letter, one lower case letter, one number and one special character.
Q. What are the minimum system requirements?
A. We recommend the following:
- Internet Browsers:
- IE 11
- We require at least Windows 7 due to cryptography requirements, or Windows XP and Vista via a proxy server.
- Edge 14
- Firefox 52
- Chrome 49
- Safari 10.1
- IOS 9.2
- Android 4.4
- Note: All browsers must support h264 video encoding
- Adobe Flash version 10 or higher (check what version you have by visiting http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player.html)
- Internet connection: 2Mbps internet connection or faster, 8Mbps recommended (video buffering will occur with slower connections)
- Screen resolution: 1024x768 screen resolution or higher for best experience (scrolling may be required at lower resolutions)
Q. Why has London 2012 asked me to complete a data protection mandate?
A. Under health and safety requirements, London 2012 is obliged to ensure that all Games Makers who will have a driving role are correctly licensed to drive. London 2012 has outsourced the process to Drivetech to minimise inconvenience and ensure consistency.
Q. Why doesn’t London 2012 just look at each driver's driving licence?
A. A visual check of a person’s driving licence relies on the information provided being up to date. London 2012 needs to be confident of holding the most up to date licence information at the time of checking, which is only available from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). Drivetech
Q. What sections of the data protection mandate must be completed?
A. You must complete all sections of the data protection mandate in BLACK INK and in BLOCK CAPITAL LETTERS. You must sign and date the data protection mandate before returning it to Drivetech.
Q. Where can find my driver number?
A. If you are a UK licence holder, your driver number is in the same format regardless of the type of licence that you hold. In the case of a photocard licence, it can be found on the fifth line of the photocard.
Q. How far back will the DVLA check go?
A. The information provided by DVLA will be current information only. It will only refer to endorsements that have occurred in the past if they are still current. For example, all endorsements remain on a driver’s record for four years, with the exception of certain careless driving or drink or drugs related endorsements or a previous ban – in which case, they remain on record for 11 years.
Q. What information does Drivetech collect from the DVLA?
A. Once you have completed your data protection mandate and sent it to Drivetech, Drivetech will request that the DVLA releases your record to verify:
- Your first and last name
- Your driving licence number and issue number
- That you hold a full driving licence which is current and valid
- Whether your driving licence has expired and/or has been revoked
- The expiry date of your driving licence
- The category(ies) of vehicles that you are entitled to drive
- The expiry date(s) of the vehicle categories
- Live endorsements on your DVLA record
- Offence code(s)
- Offence/conviction date(s)
- Number of points on your licence/DVLA record
Q. What happens to the data held by Drivetech?
A. Once your DVLA record has been received, Drivetech will update London 2012’s database with the information which has been provided by the DVLA in relation to your driving licence and record. Drivetech will not use the data collected to inform the DVLA of any incorrect addresses.
Q. I have moved house but not notified the DVLA. Does this matter?
A. Yes. If you do not notify the DVLA of a change of personal circumstances, for example a change in name and/or permanent address, you are committing an offence, which may lead to a £1,000 fine. If your DVLA record is not up to date, your licence is not valid and this may, in turn, make any motor insurance policy associated with you null and void. If you have not done this, please return your driving licence to the DVLA for updating and inform them of any changes in your personal circumstances.
Q. My photocard has expired but I have not renewed it. Does this matter?
A. Yes. If you have not renewed your photocard licence you are committing an offence which may lead to a £1,000 fine.
Q. I hold an international licence. Do I still need to complete a data protection mandate and a driver declaration form?
A. Yes. Please also remember that, depending on the country of issue, you may need to apply for a provisional licence and take the UK driving test within 12 months of becoming a UK resident or exchange your home licence for a UK licence within 12 months of becoming resident. If you do not do this, you will be breaking the law, your company’s insurance may be invalid and you will not be able to drive in the UK until you have passed your driving test. For further information, please view the DRIVING IN GREAT BRITAIN (GB) AS a VISITOR OR a NEW RESIDENT page of the DVLA website: www.dvla.gov.uk
Q. I have a number of endorsements for speeding. Will this affect whether I can be selected for a driving role?
A. London 2012 will assess your suitability for a driving role based on risk. People who fall into a high risk category for driving roles may be offered a non-driving volunteer role.
Q. How will Drivetech store my data protection mandate?
A. Once your data protection mandate has been processed; it will be stored in a locked cupboard within the AA Headquarters at Basingstoke and only accessed again if London 2012 has agreed that Drivetech may periodically recheck your driving record to verify you have entitlement to drive. The floor on which the data protection mandates are housed is only accessible by Drivetech staff via a secure swipe card entry system. The AA building in which the mandates are housed is only accessible by a secure and gated, swipe card entry system. For additional peace of mind, employees in the Drivetech licence checking team have had a basic security clearance check. Additionally, Drivetech is regularly audited by the DVLA, who are entirely satisfied with how data protection mandates are stored by Drivetech. Drivetech takes data security extremely seriously and ensures that access to the information is very tightly controlled, with very strict procedures in place. Rigorous IT audits are carried out to ensure full IT compliance to all parties. The Drivetech database (which holds all driver information) is held electronically on secure servers. Customer access is only available via secure login using user name and password to the named account only, which is issued by Drivetech. Driver information is not held on laptops, desktops or any other external memory such as flash drive, CD or floppy disk.
Q. What will happen to my personal data? Will Drivetech sell it to a third party?
A. In accordance with the Data Protection Act, London 2012 is the controller of any personal data processed as a result of the driving licence checking programme. The data will be treated as confidential and only used in relation to driving licence checks and in compliance with London 2012’s Company Car and Driver Policy. The data may be verified by reference to information held by others and may be disclosed to the DVLA and Drivetech. Drivetech will not pass on or sell your information to any third party and will not use the data for any purpose other than to verify your entitlement to drive. Under the terms of Drivetech’s contract with DVLA, no information will be sold to third parties or marketing organisations or abused in any way. Any such contravention would lead to Drivetech’s Data Protection Licence being revoked.
Q. Why does Drivetech need to hold driver related data?
A. Under Health & Safety requirements, London 2012 must be able to demonstrate an audit trail should any issue relate to a Health & Safety matter concerning a driver / driving related incident. In the event that either the police or HSE asks London 2012 to prove that a driver’s licence had been checked, London 2012 can provide the output from the Drivetech system. If Drivetech were to delete a driver’s details in between licence checks, there would be no record of those details.
Q. What assurance can Drivetech provide for misuse of information?
A. Under the agreement between Drivetech and London 2012, and the contract between Drivetech and DVLA, Drivetech cannot use any information they hold as a result of a driving licence check for any other purpose other than to report on driving licence information. The contract with DVLA also means that no information will be sold to a third party. In effect, the information cannot be misused or abused. Were Drivetech to misuse or abuse the terms of its contracts, it would risk losing its customers and its supplier (DVLA) and would be unable to operate.
Q. What reassurance can Drivetech provide in respect to the data being used for identity theft?
A. Apart from the driving licence number, Drivetech only holds personal information available in the public domain (e.g. electoral roll). Drivetech does not hold critical information which may lead to identify theft. This would need to include information such as place of birth, National Insurance number, financial information, mother’s maiden name etc, none of which requested or is held as part of the licence checking process.
Q. Will you pass on my personal data to London 2012’s insurance company?
A. Drivetech will only release personal data to an interested party, such as an insurance company, if it is required to do so by a Court of Law.
Q. How can you satisfy me that Drivetech operates within DVLA guidelines?
A. Drivetech has a contract with the DVLA and its processes and procedures are subject to regular audit. The DVLA has the power to audit Drivetech’s processes on demand at any time, and without notice.
Q. In signing the mandate, I have agreed that my driving entitlement may be rechecked at any time during its three-year life. Can I complete a new mandate each time a check is made?
A. No. Under the terms and conditions London 2012 agreed to when engaging with Drivetech, Drivetech has authority to make further enquiries with the DVLA at any time during the three-year life of the mandate and without any further referral to yourself.
Q. What will happen to my personal data once the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games are over?
A. Once the Games are over, all records will be archived. In accordance with DVLA requirements, your Data Protection Mandate will be archived for seven years from the date of signature and subsequently destroyed using a confidential waste facility.
Q. Can I have access to my personal data?
A. Yes as under data protection rules you can request Drivetech to make available all information held about you personally. Drivetech may charge for this request.