The Association for Driving Licence Verification (ADLV) is to launch a new package of measures aimed at reinforcing the quality and security of driving licence data for corporate fleet users.

The measures will form the first steps towards a new industry standard aimed at ensuring risk-free access to licence data once the paper counterpart disappears early in 2015.

The new measures, according to the ADLV, are a response to fleet concerns over non-commercial licence checking services, which it claims are open to potential misuse and abuse by staff, leaving employers at risk under current data protection legislation.

ADLV director Richard Payne-Gill said: “Data security and avoidance of data fraud are issues requiring sound governance.  

“Corporate HR Directors, Risk Specialists and Fleet Managers must adhere to only the highest standards of Information Security when it comes to their employee’s data. 

“Any serious breach leaves them exposed to the law and potentially affects their reputation as an employer. 

“DVLA is soon to introduce the Share My Driving Licence facility (SMDL) which will allow motorists to share up-to-date information electronically about their driving entitlement.  

“The ADLV has shared its concerns with the DVLA about allowing the driver to produce a PDF version of their record which could easily be manipulated.

“Further, without training companies may inadvertently accept the document as proof of entitlement to drive not understanding they still need to check further online.

“Corporate users can avoid this issue by using the services which are already commercially available, these are equipped to deal with employers that need batch services for reasons of organisational efficiency rather than a transactional service, ensuring that their driving licence entitlement is correct and sufficient for their purposes.”

The ADLV is currently working on a range of other new standards aimed at effective corporate fleet governance, which are likely to be announced in the first quarter of 2015.