Following a successful pilot project with BT, eDriving Fleet is offering a secure e-consent option for driver licence checks as an alternative to the paper-based mandate.

After working with the Driver Vehicle & Licencing Agency (DVLA) for several years in close collaboration with BT, the model for secure e-consent was approved by DVLA in December 2014, based on a clear set of data security and consent principles. The process has since been pilot tested, refined and rolled out with BT and is now available to all clients and partners.

E-consent removes the need for paper-based, wet ink signatures on DVLA’s licence check mandate (known as the D796). This is a major improvement, with many benefits for the industry, organisations and individual drivers.

The process requires a level of authentication to ensure that the right person is providing the consent. Once this is in place, the participant completes a two-minute online module in Virtual Risk Manager.

Without the need for paper or wet ink signatures, the consent is automatically generated, the check undertaken with DVLA and results returned to the system within minutes.

E-consent has many benefits including:

  • It is secure and private
  • It removes potential for fraud and ensures consent is completed by the correct person/signatures not forged
  • It is a robust authentication and consent process
  • Time savings – takes two minutes per participant rather than 10-15 using the paper-based approach
  • No need to print, complete, sign, scan or return a paper consent form
  • It removes the possibility of mistakes with licence numbers, dates and signatures as electronic validation is built into the process, thus minimising administrative errors
  • The process saves two to three sheets of paper per driver
  • The process is seamless and immediate, with less checking and administration required
  • The whole process is electronic and online with immediate check results from DVLA viewable in Virtual Risk Manager

In the pilot project with BT, the e-consent process was successfully trialled and refined with 30 and then 1,000 drivers and is now being rolled out across the organisation. According to Dave Wallington, BT’s Group Safety Advisor, e-consent:

  • Helps BT avoid using 150,000 pieces of paper per year
  • Has replaced a manual process taking 5-10 minutes per driver (saving 573 days of labour time per year as a minimum)
  • Has removed errors and issues with managers interpreting licences
  • Utilises secure single sign-on to ensure complete data security and prevent fraud
  • Provides immediate results for compliance and risk identification
  • Gives BT improved data visibility and builds a further data stream into the existing risk management model

For more information about how e-consent could benefit your organisation or to implement e-consent please speak to your eDriving FLEET account manager, or contact Andy Cuerden, Managing Director, eDriving FLEET Tel: + 44 (0) 1484 551060, email: andy.cuerden@virtualriskmanager.net.