Privacy Policy

Last updated: 14 April 2026

1. What We Collect

VanRoutes collects minimal data to provide the service:

• Vehicle registration plates — used to look up vehicle details from DVLA. Cached locally to reduce repeated API calls.
• Route coordinates — start and end points you set. Processed server-side to check restrictions. Not stored after the request completes.
• GPS location — used only for live driving alerts, processed entirely on your device. Never sent to our servers.
• User reports — if you submit a report about a missing restriction, we store the road name, details, and approximate location you provide.
• Contact messages — if you use the contact form, we store your name, email, and message.

2. What We Don't Collect

• No account registration or passwords
• No personal names or addresses (unless you contact us)
• No payment information
• No tracking cookies or advertising identifiers
• No location data sent to our servers
• No third-party analytics or tracking scripts

3. Local Storage

VanRoutes uses your browser's local storage to save:

• Your saved vehicle ("My Van" profile)
• Recent registration plates and addresses
• Alert and theme preferences

This data stays on your device and is never transmitted to us. You can clear it at any time through your browser settings.

4. DVLA Data

When you enter a registration plate, we query the DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service to retrieve publicly available vehicle information (make, colour, fuel type, year, weight). This is the same data available to anyone via the DVLA's own service. We cache results to reduce API calls but do not share this data with third parties.

5. Third-Party Services

• DVLA VES API — vehicle lookups (UK Government)
• OpenStreetMap / Nominatim — address search and map tiles
• Let's Encrypt — SSL certificate provider

We do not use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or any advertising tracking.

6. Data Security

All data is transmitted over HTTPS (TLS encryption). Our servers are hosted in the EU (Hetzner, Germany) and secured with firewall rules and restricted access.

7. Data Retention

• DVLA cache: 30 days, then refreshed
• User reports: retained indefinitely to improve data quality
• Contact messages: retained until resolved, then deleted

8. Your Rights

Under GDPR, you have the right to access, correct, or delete any personal data we hold. Since we collect minimal data and no accounts exist, most data is either anonymous or on your own device. For any data requests, contact hello@vanroutes.com.

9. Changes

We may update this policy as the service evolves. Material changes will be noted on this page with an updated date.

10. Contact

For privacy questions: hello@vanroutes.com