Driving Instructors Diary is designed to help driving instructors and driving schools manage their work. That can involve personal information belonging to account holders, instructors, pupils and people who contact a driving school. We aim to handle that information fairly, transparently and securely.
Who we are
Driving Instructors Diary is a trading name operated by Jason Hamilton-Ramm, a sole trader.
References in this policy to “Driving Instructors Diary”, “DID”, “we”, “us” or “our” mean the business described above.
Our data protection role
Our role depends on why personal information is being processed.
When we are the controller
We generally act as the data controller for personal information we collect for our own business purposes. This can include account registration information, subscription and billing administration, website enquiries, support communications, security information and information needed to operate and improve our service.
When a driving school uses DID
A driving school or instructor using the platform will generally decide why pupil, customer and lesson information is collected and how it is used for their driving-school activities. In those circumstances, that customer will generally be the controller and Driving Instructors Diary will process the information on its behalf as a processor, subject to the applicable agreement and the customer's instructions.
If you are a pupil and have a question about information entered into DID by your driving school, you may need to contact the driving school directly because it may be the controller responsible for that information. We will assist our customers with appropriate data-protection requests where required.
Information we may collect
The information processed through DID depends on how the website and platform are used. It may include:
- Account and business details such as names, business names, email addresses, telephone numbers, account type, plan information and login/account details.
- Instructor information such as contact details, working hours, availability, service information and information needed to manage an instructor account.
- Pupil and customer information entered by a driving school, including names, contact details, addresses or postcodes, transmission requirements, booking information and notes.
- Lesson and learning information including lesson bookings, progress, lesson reports, objectives, homework, mock-test information and other records created as part of providing driving tuition.
- Payment and account information such as transaction references, payment status, lesson credit, package or wallet information and billing records. Payment card details may be handled directly by a payment provider rather than stored by DID.
- Communications including contact-form enquiries, support requests and messages sent through or in connection with the service.
- AI interactions such as text submitted to supported AI features and information needed to perform the requested task.
- Technical and security information such as IP addresses, browser or device information, timestamps, session data and security or diagnostic information.
We ask customers and users not to enter unnecessary personal information into free-text notes or AI prompts, particularly sensitive information that is not needed for the relevant driving-school purpose.
How we use personal information
Depending on the circumstances, personal information may be used to:
- create, administer and secure user and business accounts;
- provide the features and services requested by our customers;
- manage subscriptions, trials, billing and payments;
- support diary, booking, pupil-management, progress and lesson-reporting functions;
- provide supported AI-assisted functions, including assistant and booking workflows;
- respond to enquiries and provide customer support;
- send service-related communications where necessary;
- protect accounts, investigate errors, prevent misuse and maintain platform security;
- meet legal, accounting, tax and regulatory obligations; and
- maintain, troubleshoot and improve the reliability and usability of the service.
Lawful bases for processing
Where we act as a controller, the lawful basis depends on the purpose for which information is being used. We may rely on:
Where processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as creating and providing a paid or trial DID account.
Where necessary for legitimate business purposes such as service security, support, fraud prevention and improving the operation of DID, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.
Where information must be processed or retained to comply with applicable legal, tax, accounting or regulatory requirements.
Where consent is the appropriate lawful basis, for example for certain optional communications or technologies. You may withdraw consent where processing depends on it.
Where we act only as a processor for a driving school, the driving school is responsible for identifying the appropriate lawful basis for its processing of pupil or customer information.
AI-assisted features
DID includes AI-assisted tools intended to reduce administrative work. Depending on the feature being used, information supplied by a user or held within the relevant business account may be processed to understand a request, produce a response, assist with a workflow or identify suitable options.
Examples can include the Instructor Assistant, website booking assistance, lesson-related assistance and tools that help identify suitable pupils for diary availability.
Where AI assists with a booking workflow, the booking is still subject to the platform's applicable availability and business rules. Customers remain responsible for reviewing information and using professional judgement where appropriate.
We aim to be transparent when AI is involved. We do not describe DID's AI tools as making legal or similarly significant decisions about individuals without human involvement. If our use of automated decision-making materially changes, we will review this policy and the safeguards required by data-protection law.
Payments
Where online payments are available, payment processing may be provided by a specialist payment provider. DID may receive and store information such as payment status, transaction references, amounts and related account records needed to administer the service.
Full payment-card details should be handled by the relevant payment provider where the payment flow is designed for the provider to collect those details directly. The payment provider's own privacy terms will also apply to information it processes for its purposes.
International transfers
Some technology or service providers used by DID may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where personal information is transferred internationally, we will take steps required by applicable UK data-protection law to ensure an appropriate transfer mechanism or safeguard is used where required.
The exact providers and transfer arrangements can change as the platform develops. We will review these arrangements and update our privacy information where a material change affects how personal information is handled.
How long we keep information
We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, to provide the service, to meet legal or accounting requirements, to resolve disputes and to protect our legal interests.
Retention periods may therefore vary according to the type of record. When deciding how long information should be kept, we consider the purpose of the processing, contractual requirements, whether an account remains active, applicable legal requirements, security needs and whether the information is required to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
Where we process information on behalf of a driving school, retention and deletion may also be governed by that customer's instructions and our agreement with them.
Keeping information secure
We use appropriate technical and organisational measures intended to protect personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, loss or misuse.
Measures may include authenticated account access, access controls, secure configuration, software and database security measures, monitoring and other safeguards appropriate to the nature of the service.
No internet-based system can guarantee absolute security. Customers are also responsible for protecting their account credentials and for giving access only to authorised users.
Your data-protection rights
Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis being used, UK data-protection law may give you rights including:
- the right to be informed about how your personal information is used;
- the right to request access to your personal information;
- the right to ask for inaccurate or incomplete information to be corrected;
- the right to request erasure in applicable circumstances;
- the right to request restriction of processing in applicable circumstances;
- the right to data portability where it applies;
- the right to object to certain processing; and
- rights relating to certain automated decision-making where applicable.
Where we rely on legitimate interests for processing, you may have the right to object to that processing. You also have the right to object to direct marketing.
If processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.
To exercise a right relating to information for which DID is the controller, contact us using the details at the end of this policy. If your request concerns information controlled by your driving school, we may direct you to that driving school or assist it in responding.
Pupil and children's information
Driving schools may provide tuition to people under the age of 18 and may therefore store information relating to younger pupils in DID. Where a driving school enters this information, the driving school is generally responsible for determining the appropriate lawful basis, providing required privacy information and ensuring that the information it records is appropriate for its tuition services.
DID should not be used to collect unnecessary information about children. Customers should take particular care when entering information into free-text notes or AI-assisted features.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this policy as DID develops, when service providers or features change, or when legal and regulatory requirements change.
The latest version will be published on this page and the “Last updated” date will be changed. Where a change is significant, we may also provide additional notice where appropriate.
Contact us and make a complaint
If you have a privacy question, want to exercise a data-protection right, or have a concern about how we have handled your information, please contact:
We would appreciate the opportunity to address your concern first. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data-protection regulator. Information about making a complaint is available on the ICO website.
Visit the Information Commissioner's Office