Which policy clauses go with the schedule?
Drivers, supervisors and auditors need four answers: what is recorded, why, who sees it and for how long. The policy puts them in one place, so everyone reads the same rules.
- Purpose and scope, with the roles of the company and its providers.
- A register of cameras and what each one sees.
- Who may view, export and approve, and how each access is logged.
- Allowed and not allowed uses, and when the policy is reviewed.
SD loop or server clip: where does each recording live?
An MDVR keeps two kinds of video. The SD card or disk records in a loop and overwrites the oldest file when it is full. Event clips are copied to the server, where they stay until someone deletes them. Your schedule needs a period for each.
- Days before overwrite = card size divided by the data written a day. Use your channels, bitrates and hours.
- A locked clip on the card is not overwritten. Too many locked clips shorten the loop for the rest.
- Server clips follow the period you write, not the card size.
- Bitrates and card sizes are typical values. Replace them with your device datasheet values.
How do you fill in the retention schedule?
- List what you really record. Leave unused types blank.
- Write a period for each type. Choose the shortest period that serves the purpose.
- Say when the clock starts. Event date, review date or case closure give different results.
- Name who deletes. A role, not a person, so the rule survives staff changes.
- Check the device and platform. Confirm that they can delete on schedule, and write the same periods in the driver notice.
A longer period needs more storage. Check card life with the MDVR SD card endurance estimator.
Which defaults limit what is recorded?
The template starts from conservative choices. You can change each one, and you should record why.
- The road-facing camera records the road ahead.
- Audio is off.
- Event clips, not continuous recording.
- No identification of the driver by face.
- Named roles only, and every access logged.
Which outside rules apply?
Regulators and clients may set minimum or maximum periods for certain services, for example passenger transport or tracking data. Rules differ by country and activity and they change. Check the current official text for your activity and your client contracts. The template names no period, and its examples are not references.
Limits of this template
It is a draft for your legal adviser, not a finished policy. It cannot choose your legal basis or your periods. It does not say that any law is met, and it does not replace advice.