Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Smart Driving School ("we", "us", "our") is a driving school operating across South London, including Wimbledon, Sutton, Morden, Mitcham, Merton, Raynes Park, Cheam, Worcester Park, Epsom, Putney and surrounding areas.

Business name: Smart Driving School
Website: smart-drivingschool.co.uk
Email: info@smart-drivingschool.co.uk
Phone: 07529 208063
Address: 31 Abbotsbury Rd, Morden SM4 5LJ

We are the data controller for the personal information collected through this website and our services. This policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect your personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. What Information We Collect

We may collect the following personal information when you contact us, book a lesson, or use our website:

• Your full name
• Phone number (including WhatsApp)
• Email address
• Home or pickup address
• Date of birth (where relevant for lesson eligibility)
• Driving licence details (if provided)
• Information about your driving experience and learning goals
• Payment information (processed securely — we do not store full card details)
• Communication records (calls, WhatsApp messages, emails, contact form submissions)

We also collect limited technical data automatically when you visit our website, including your IP address, browser type, pages visited and time spent on the site, via cookies and analytics tools.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• To respond to your enquiries and booking requests
• To arrange and manage your driving lessons
• To send lesson confirmations, reminders and updates
• To process payments for lessons and courses
• To match you with an appropriate DVSA-approved instructor
• To process refund requests (including our £10 tester lesson money-back guarantee)
• To send relevant offers, promotions or updates about our services (only where you have consented or have an existing relationship with us)
• To improve our website and services based on how visitors use them
• To comply with legal and regulatory obligations

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under the following lawful bases:

• Contract performance — to fulfil the lesson booking or service you have requested
• Legitimate interests — to respond to enquiries, improve our services, and communicate with existing customers
• Consent — for any marketing communications where you have opted in
• Legal obligation — where we are required to retain or share data by law

5. Who We Share Your Data With

We do not sell, rent or trade your personal data to third parties. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

• Driving instructors — we share relevant booking and contact details with the DVSA-approved instructor assigned to your lessons
• Payment processors — to securely process payments for lessons and courses
• IT and website service providers — including our website host and analytics tools (such as Google Analytics), who process data on our behalf under data processing agreements
• Legal authorities — where we are required to disclose information by law, court order or regulatory requirement

All third parties we work with are required to handle your data securely and in compliance with UK GDPR.

6. WhatsApp and Phone Communications

When you contact us via WhatsApp or phone, your number and message content are stored within those platforms and may be retained in our records to manage your booking and communicate with you. WhatsApp is operated by Meta Platforms Inc. and their own privacy policy applies to data processed within the WhatsApp platform.

By contacting us via WhatsApp, you acknowledge that communication will take place on that platform and that Meta may process related metadata in accordance with their terms.

7. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — to help the site function correctly and to understand how visitors use it. We use:

• Essential cookies — required for the website to operate
• Analytics cookies — such as Google Analytics, to understand visitor behaviour and improve the site. This data is anonymised and aggregated

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect how some parts of the website function.

8. How Long We Keep Your Data

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected:

• Active customer records are kept for the duration of your lessons and for up to 3 years afterwards for business and accounting purposes
• Enquiry records where no booking was made are deleted within 12 months
• Payment records may be retained for up to 7 years in line with HMRC requirements

After these periods your data will be securely deleted or anonymised.

9. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

You have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

• Right to access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification — ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information
• Right to erasure — request that we delete your personal data, subject to legal obligations
• Right to restrict processing — ask us to limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability — request your data in a commonly used, machine-readable format
• Right to object — object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes
• Right to withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@smart-drivingschool.co.uk. We will respond within 30 days.

10. Data Security

We take the security of your personal data seriously. We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your information from unauthorised access, loss, disclosure or destruction. Access to personal data is restricted to those who need it to carry out their responsibilities.

While we take all reasonable precautions, no data transmission over the internet can be guaranteed as completely secure. If you have concerns about a specific communication, please contact us directly.

11. Children's Privacy

Our driving lesson services are available to learners aged 17 and above in line with UK legal requirements. We do not knowingly collect personal data from individuals under the age of 17 without parental or guardian consent. If a parent or guardian is making an enquiry on behalf of a young learner, we will handle their data with appropriate care.

12. Links to Other Websites

Our website may contain links to external websites including social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, WhatsApp). This privacy policy applies only to our website. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of any third-party websites and encourage you to read their privacy policies before submitting personal data.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services or legal requirements. The date at the top of this page will be updated accordingly. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our website or services following any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

14. How to Complain

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, please contact us in the first instance at info@smart-drivingschool.co.uk and we will do our best to resolve your concern.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK's data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):

• Website: ico.org.uk
• Helpline: 0303 123 1113