Licence Check’s latest software can reduce vehicle and drivers’ risks: Welcome DAVIS
When it comes down to it, how well do you know your drivers’ history on the roads?
There are many aspects operators need to take into consideration when it comes to putting a driver behind the wheel of a vehicle branding their name, logo and ultimately, their reputation.
If a driver breaks the law and causes an accident, or even worse, a fatality, an operator’s reputation can be tarnished by the negative publicity.
That’s where Licence Check, and more specifically, its Driver And Vehicle Information Solutions (DAVIS), comes in.
Although Licence Check can’t guarantee a driver won’t have an accident, it can reassure you that a driver is properly qualified to be carrying your passengers by providing the tools to carry out effective checks – giving operators peace of mind and reassurance.
The DAVIS solution
DAVIS addresses a primary operator obligation: Driving licence checking. The software has a direct link to Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) database with the check results being returned in real-time. It flags up ‘at risk’ drivers based on their record, and facilitates automatic scheduled checks thereafter based on this risk profile, ensuring a check is never missed. It also checks CPC and tacho card currency and expiration dates.
For added peace of mind, operators have the option of using DAVIS’ Card Data Reader (CDR) – a desktop device which instantly checks and authenticates the layout and security features in driving licences, CPC and tacho cards. CDR reads and captures data and initiates the driver approvals process. It provides a consistent, repeatable security checking process perfect for bulk submissions.
Richard Brown, MD of Licence Check, recognised that CDR could be utilised to complete the entire driving licence check in a single seamless process by integrating the driver permission requirement into the workflow. That’s where the digital signature pad comes in, allowing drivers to provide their assent to having their DVLA driver record checked there and then (permission remains in place thereafter for three years). The process is fully GDPR compliant.
More than licence checking
Says Richard: “We established that very few organisations were really examining photocards in detail to confirm they were genuine.”
“When it came down to it, employers would simply ask ‘have you got driving licence?’ and when this was handed over would give it a cursory inspection and possibly take a copy for the file. But how does anyone know the licence isn’t a fake or fraudulently altered?”
Licence Check was established in 2008 shortly before DVLA launched its Electronic Driver Entitlement Checking Service (EDECS) overnight service.
Prior to this it had provided manual licence checks as part and parcel of a vehicle leasing and fleet management package under a different trading name.
Richard adds: “What happens when a customer says ‘well you do licence checking, but I’ve got a whole host of other driver training and vehicle management issues to tackle.’
“We then embarked on a new development of our business model in 2013/14 to try and understand what it was that customers really wanted, and where their compliance challenges lay. So, we came up with a plan, and the outcome of that plan is our DAVIS platform.”
Richard explains that it’s a modular platform that allows customers to buy into different services that can be mixed-and-matched to meet their specific requirements. “It wouldn’t matter if they’re a coach and bus operator or a blue-chip company; it’s got all the angles covered,” he says.
How does it work?
Using the CDR, routeone decided to put the ‘real-time results’ claim to the test by having one of their own driving licences checked. Within a few seconds Licence Check had received the results from the DVLA.
It’s simple but evidently effective; the driver just drops the card into the slot and in a few seconds, when it has been read, it pops back up for removal.
The check provides a complete breakdown of the driver’s history, convictions, points and whether or not they have the correct licence to drive the selected vehicle – in our case it was a minibus, and we did not hold a suitable licence.
The CDR also scans the licence to check its authenticity by revealing the licence’s hidden holograms.
It’s one of the fastest and most reliable ways to ensure a driver is safe and legal to be transporting passengers.
How can DAVIS help?
DAVIS is the perfect system for identifying specific drivers who may need further support and training, while also identifying who the safest drivers are – therefore offering savings on un-necessary training.
To help uncomplicate risk management, DAVIS also has a Driver Risk Score feature which can incorporate many different data sets into one overall Driver Risk Score and one average Fleet Score for simple and effective reporting.
Scoring individual drivers out of 10 and classifying them as high, medium and low risk presents fleet and transport managers with a clear picture of driver risk and significantly, the ability to measure it.
DAVIS Driver Risk Score can factor in results for the following:
- Number of penalty points (DAVIS Licence Check service)
- Type of endorsement (DAVIS Licence Check service)
- Driver behaviour (connected to telematics driver behaviour data)
- Attitude and aptitude (connected to results from assessments)
- Incident and accident management
- Tacho infringement (vocational drivers).
Each individual Driver Risk Score contributes to an average Fleet Score giving fleet and transport managers the ability to measure driver risk as a KPI providing clarity and transparency.
Designed with the user in mind, DAVIS offers more than just licence checking; it helps to give your operation peace of mind that your driver and vehicle compliance is taken care of.
