Mexico gets smartcard driving licences

Digital security firm Gemalto has announced the successful delivery of Mexico's first smartcard driving licence in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon state, Mexico. 

The contract includes 900,000 driving licences over a period of three years. The new card also acts as a reliable ID document, and opens up the potential for additional schemes like healthcare for all citizens.

The cards use Gemalto's smartcard platform that securely stores the driver's information, and a sophisticated card body with specific security features that make it difficult to copy and counterfeit.

The driving licence is a chip-based ID document that entitles a specific person to drive a certain category of vehicle.

A microprocessor securely stores a high-resolution picture of the holder, his/her blood type and the credentials to enable digital signatures.

The chip also contains a history of fines, allowing transit authorities to monitor behaviour on the roads, and could be used for insurance companies to calculate policy costs.

"Thanks to this new scheme, we are now sure to have the fines and sanctions apply to the driver and not the vehicle," said Jorge Domene, director of the Instituto de Control Vehicular. 

"The other major benefit of this smartcard programme lies in the information sharing capability, since the chip allows for the collecting and sharing of information about the driver with other public Mexican institutions.

"We now can compare the fingerprint and photos with the Justice Department, for example, making the licence an efficient tool for public security."