In modern times, society and regulators are increasingly concerned about child protection issues. One of these concerns is in regard to the taking of photographs of children in sport. Although there is no specific law to prevent the taking of photographs of people under 18 years old, there are guidelines that suggest that it is a good idea to obtain consent from parents or guardians.

RALLY-PHOTO.COM takes the various issues of child protection very seriously and undertakes to take any reasnoable measure to ensure that the welfare of no child is detrimentally affected by any of our activities.

Before we attend an event, therefore, we endeavour to gain consent to our taking and publishing of photographs of juveniles when they are not inside their car.

RALLY-PHOTO.COM were the official photographers for the County SAAB Scottish Rally Championship until we stood down at the end of the 2008 season. We have been the official photographers for the Brick & Steel 205 Ecosse Challenge since 2005, and our staff are accredited by the the UK's governing body (ASA) - the Motor Sports Association. We cover all rounds of the Scottish, some of the British Rally Championship, European rounds of the World Rally Championship and miscellaneous other events.

We publish our photographs on this web site and our photos are available for use by newspapers, magazines, etc. Prints are also purchased by a range of individuals and companies.

We try to exceed the requirements of the Motor Sports Association in respect of child protection by adhering to the stronger guidelines issued by the Child Protection in Sport Unit. The CPSU is a partnership between the NSPCC and the Sports Councils of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. We therefore take all steps to ensure that our images are appropriate, in context and used solely for the purposes for which they are intended.

We do deviate from the guidelines - our systems track competitors by their name and, where an image appears on our web site or a CD, it is captioned with the driver's name. The guidelines suggest that, to stop persons making inappropriate contact with a child, names be withheld. We do not publish any information other than the name and it would be all but impossible for anyone to contact a child solely through the name. We are therefore satisfied that there is no risk. If a child or their parent/guardian disagrees and does wish the child's name withheld, they should Let us know and we will ensure that their wishes are respected.

We used to ask for the co-operation of parents & guardians by asking them to completing a consent form and to returning it to us in a prepaid envelope prior to the start of an event. If we sent out a consent form but didn't receive a completed copy, we assumed that consent was not given, and we made sure that no photographs of that child were published. Unfortunately, we found that event organisers were reluctant to give us contact details of parents / guardians so that we could send the consent forms. Generally, they attributed this to the Data Protection Act. Clearly there has to be a balance between privacy and child protection. We asked the MSA to assist, but they said it was a matter to be resolved between photographers and event organisers. We asked the Information Commissioner's Office for clarification about which law had precedence, but their advice was equally unhelpful. We therefore had to abandon attempts to gain consent. Nonetheless, we still strongly support the principle of child protection and will not knowingly act against the interests of any child.

If you wish to register your consent to our taking photographs of a child for whom you are responsible, a copy of our consent form is available HERE. Please complete it and return it to our office address.

We cannot guarantee not to actually take any photographs of the child outside of a competing car because, by the nature of the sport, rally controls, service areas and the like are a bit chaotic. In addition, unless we personally know a competitor, it is often difficult to keep track of who is who. But we can and will undertake not to publish any such photos.

It is our over-riding commitment that all of our images will be used in context and for the purpose that they were originally take. If you find that any of our images have been used inappropriately or in any way that can be interpreted as abusive or detrimental to the welfare of a child, please Let us know. We will do all we can to follow up the report and, wherever possible, enforce the withdrawal of the image.

If you have any questions regarding our child protection policy, please Let us know.

Details of the Motor Sports Association Child Protection Policy can be found HERE. The Guidelines for Use of Photographic Filming Equipment at Sporting Events can be found at paragraph 18, near the bottom of the page. This page also provides the contact details of the MSA's Child Protection Coordinator who is the MSA's first point of contact for anyone with concerns regarding child protection in motorsport.