Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Drive Smart Driving School (“we”, “us”, or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and your rights under New Zealand law.

This policy applies to all users of the DriveSmart Portal and our website at drivesmart.co.nz, and has been prepared in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 (New Zealand).

2. Who We Are

Drive Smart Driving School is the agency responsible for your personal information, as defined under the Privacy Act 2020. We are based in Papakura, South Auckland, New Zealand and operate the DriveSmart Portal, a private, invitation-only platform for enrolled students and their instructors.

3. Acceptance of This Policy

Access to the DriveSmart Portal is by invitation only. When you are enrolled and provided with access to the portal by Drive Smart Driving School, you are deemed to have read and accepted this Privacy Policy as a condition of that access.

If you do not agree with any part of this policy, please contact us before using the portal so we can address your concerns.

4. Information We Collect

We only collect personal information that is necessary to provide our driving instruction services. This includes:

4.1 Information you provide

4.2 Information created through your use of the portal

4.3 Information collected automatically

5. Why We Collect Your Information

In accordance with Information Privacy Principles 2 and 3 of the Privacy Act 2020, we will always tell you why we are collecting your information. We use your personal information for the following purposes:

We will not use your personal information for any other purpose without your consent.

6. How We Protect Your Information

We take all reasonable steps to protect your personal information from loss, unauthorised access, use, modification, or disclosure, as required by Information Privacy Principle 5 of the Privacy Act 2020.

While we take robust steps to protect your information, no online system can guarantee absolute security. If you suspect any unauthorised access to your account, please contact us immediately.

7. How Long We Keep Your Information

We keep your personal information only for as long as it is needed for the purpose it was collected, or as required by law (Information Privacy Principle 9).

8. Who We Share Your Information With

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We only share it where necessary to operate our service, or where required by law (Information Privacy Principles 10 and 11).

8.1 Service providers

We use a small number of trusted third-party providers to help run the portal:

8.2 Legal disclosures

We may disclose your personal information if required to do so by law, a court order, or to prevent serious harm to you or others.

9. Overseas Storage and Disclosure

Some of our service providers store and process data in countries outside New Zealand. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure those providers maintain privacy protections comparable to the Privacy Act 2020, in line with Information Privacy Principle 12.

By using our portal, you acknowledge that your information may be stored or processed outside New Zealand.

10. Cookies

We use only essential cookies, which are small files stored on your device, to keep you securely logged in during your portal session and to remember your display preferences (e.g., light or dark mode).

We do not use advertising cookies, tracking cookies, or any third-party analytics. Essential session cookies are required for the portal to function and cannot be disabled while you are logged in.

11. Your Rights

Under the Privacy Act 2020, you have the right to:

11.1 Access your information

You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you. We will respond within 20 working days, as required by the Privacy Act 2020. In some cases a reasonable fee may apply if the request requires significant effort to fulfil.

11.2 Correct your information

If you believe any information we hold about you is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date, you may ask us to correct it. We will take reasonable steps to do so, or attach a note of your correction request if we disagree.

11.3 How to exercise your rights

To request access or correction, please contact us. We may need to verify your identity before we can respond.

12. Privacy Breaches

If a privacy breach occurs that poses a risk of serious harm, we are required under Part 6 of the Privacy Act 2020 to notify both the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and the affected individuals as soon as practicable.

We monitor for and investigate potential breaches and have procedures in place to contain, assess, and respond to any incidents promptly.

13. Privacy of Young People

Some of our students may be aged 16 or 17 (the minimum age for a New Zealand learner licence). We handle the personal information of young people with additional care. We recommend that parents or guardians of students under 18 review this Privacy Policy.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16 without the consent of a parent or guardian.

14. Privacy Complaints

If you believe we have not handled your personal information appropriately, you have the right to make a complaint.

14.1 Complain to us first

Please contact us in the first instance. We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days and aim to resolve it within 20 working days.

14.2 Office of the Privacy Commissioner

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may refer your complaint to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC):

15. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Where changes are significant, we will notify you by email or through a notice on the portal.

Continued use of the portal after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

16. Contact Us

For any questions or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please get in touch: