This article is general information, not legal advice. If you are unsure about your own situation, take legal advice and read the Data Protection Commission’s guidance in full.
Is it lawful to track company vehicles in Ireland?
Employers can track company vehicles, but only within data protection law. The Data Protection Commission (DPC) explains in its guidance on employer vehicle tracking that employees are entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy at work, and that in-vehicle tracking carries a high risk of interfering with the privacy and data protection rights of employees.
The GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 regulate how personal data may be processed. The DPC points out that location data counts as personal data whenever it relates to an identifiable individual. So an employer who tracks a vehicle is not only collecting data about the vehicle: they are also collecting personal data about the person driving it.
Tracking vehicles is not the same as monitoring staff
The DPC says vehicle tracking should not be used for the general monitoring of staff. The legitimate aim may be to track or monitor the location of vehicles used in an employment context, but employers should not treat vehicle tracking as a way to track or monitor the behaviour or whereabouts of drivers or other staff.
Practical steps that follow from this
- Define a clear purpose. Write down why you are tracking, for example dispatching jobs, protecting vehicles from theft or managing fuel and mileage.
- Be transparent. Tell drivers that tracking is in place, what is collected, why, who can see it and how long it is kept.
- Limit access and retention. Only people who need the data should see it, and it should not be kept for longer than needed.
- Be careful with private use. If a vehicle may be used outside working hours, consider how tracking behaves then and whether it should be switched off or restricted.
- Consider a data protection impact assessment. Given the DPC’s view that tracking is high risk, think about whether one is needed before you start.
Where Trackmatic fits
Trackmatic supplies vehicle and fleet tracking technology in Ireland. Your business remains responsible for deciding the lawful basis and how tracking data is used. If you are setting tracking up for the first time, see our guide to choosing fleet management software, check the pricing page or talk to us about what you operate.
Want a price for your vehicles? Request pricing, get a quick quote or call 01 254 8367.
