Direct Vision Standard: What Is DVS For HGV Fleets?
In October 2024, it became compulsory for HGVs to comply with the Direct Vision Standard (DVS) to drive in the Greater London area.
In October 2024, it became compulsory for HGVs to comply with the Direct Vision Standard (DVS) to drive in the Greater London area.
Simon Pavey
Website Marketing Manager
The DVS rates a driver’s ability to see and be aware of their surroundings.
However, what if one of your vehicles gets a DVS rating of two stars or lower? How do you continue to operate in London without replacing your entire fleet of vehicles with ones that comply with the standard?
The DVS protects other road users by minimising the number of blind spots in HGVs. It has been a major part of the Mayor of London’s Vision Zero for London plan, which aims to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries from London’s transport network. There were 125 deaths on London’s roads in 2019 – a 12% increase from the previous year.
HGV drivers need to obtain a permit before operating in the Greater London area. This permit is granted when the vehicle is proven to comply with the required safety standards.
Another important HGV test includes the HGV daily walk around check. Learn about why an HGV daily walk-around check is vital for commercial vehicle operators today.
The "Direct Vision Standard (DVS) map" outlines the area within Greater London where HGVs (heavy goods vehicles) over 12 tonnes are required to have a safety permit to operate, based on their DVS star rating or fitting a Progressive Safe System (PSS).
A three to five-star HGV rating is safe enough to drive in Greater London. If your vehicle is rated between one and five, you can apply for a permit on the Transport For London website without the need to submit any further information.
If your vehicle receives a zero, one, or two-star rating, it is not DVS compliant. Steps will have to be taken to ensure that the vehicle is permitted to be driven in Greater London. Otherwise, you will not be granted this compulsory permit.
The permit application process can be done through the Transport for London website. You’ll need the following information to apply for the license:
More information can be found on the TfL website, and the requirements could change depending on your vehicle.
A Direct Vision Standard (DVS) checker is a tool primarily used by Transport for London (TfL) to determine the star rating of a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) based on its direct visibility of other road users and to ensure compliance with the HGV Safety Permit Scheme.
The DVS checker assesses how much an HGV driver can see directly through their cab windows without relying on mirrors or cameras and assigns a star rating from zero to five, with five being the best.
If your vehicle gets a DVS below the required rating, action must be taken. Fitting a safe Direct Vision Standard kit can amend the issues that caused your vehicle to be rated so low.
A Safe System is a series of pieces of hardware that can be fitted to your vehicle after the point of manufacturing. This means they can be installed on any car, regardless of make and model and how it was manufactured. This is excellent news for owners of zero-star vehicles. If the Direct Vision Standard didn’t recognise the Safe System measures, the car would not be able to operate in Greater London.
According to the Transport For London website, the following safety equipment must be installed on zero-star vehicles:
Check out our guide to see how telematics ‘boost safety and efficiency’ for fleets.
These mirrors need to be fitted to reduce blind spots. The Class V mirror should be supplied to the nearside and give the driver a view of the blind spots on the side of the vehicle.
The Class VI is fitted to the front. Because HGVs are so tall, drivers can’t always see what is directly in front of them. This mirror, often referred to as a “Cyclops”, is fitted to the front of the cab. It gives drivers a view of the space ahead of them that they can’t always see.
These mirrors give a huge increase of awareness and could save the lives of pedestrians and cyclists who are in close proximity to the HGV.
Fleet dashcams are also useful for your HGV. Find out why fleet dashcams are a must-have here.
A camera system that feeds to a monitor inside the cab is another step towards eliminating blind spots. A 360° system is possible. This gives the driver a complete view of the outside of their HGV on one screen. This effectively removes all blind spots, especially when combined with the extra mirrors for extra safety and security.
Proximity sensors are a great way to improve driver awareness. When attached to the side of the vehicle, they will alert the driver when a pedestrian or cyclist is moving alongside the car. This alert will prompt drivers to check their mirrors and look at the monitor. Of course, drivers should check their mirrors regularly, but this extra prompt from the sensors might save someone’s life.
A telematics sensor is crucial for this HGV safety aspect. Find out why your business needs a telematics sensor.
When a HGV turns left, it can be risky as the driver sits on the right. Systems can be implemented so that when the driver indicates left, an audible alert will play to notify others. You’ll have probably heard an example of this. Many of you will have been awakened to the sound of “warning – vehicle reversing” from a bin lorry. It is recommended that the audible warning be a combination of speech and white noise. Anyone with hearing issues should still be alerted, even if the speech is unintelligible.
This dramatically improves safety around HGVs in congested areas. While It is essential to ensure the driver is always alert, assuring nearby pedestrians, drivers, and cyclists are also aware that the vehicle can save lives
You'll be familiar with such signage if you’ve ever driven behind a HGV. “Blind Spot – Take Care” or “If You Can’t See My Mirrors, I Can’t See You!” are typical warning signs on the back of HGVs.
These signs simply remind other road users of the dangers of driving near an HGV. As a result, they drive more carefully and stay alert to the fact that they should stay out of the driver’s blind spots.
Otherwise known as bicycle catchers, these contraptions are fitted to both sides of the HGV. They are designed to stop cyclists from being dragged beneath the vehicle during an accident. 36% of accidents between HGVs and cyclists result in fatalities. This figure could be massively reduced if all designed to prevent HGVs were fitted with side-underrun protection.
Keeping tools within your HGV in an emergency can be extremely useful to your safety and others. Here are 10 essential car tools to always keep in your fleet vehicle.
As of October 28th, 2024, the Direct Vision Standard requirements are changing to require HGVs of 12 tonnes or more to have a DVS rating of three stars or have a Progressive Safe System fitted in order to drive in the Greater London area.
This means that HGVs with a rating of zero, one, or two stars will have their DVS permit expire at midnight on October 27th. To continue operating in Greater London and avoid penalty, they should have a Progressive Safe System fitted before this date.
You can find further details of the Progressive Safe System on the TFL website.
We offered a grace period for operators needing more time to install the new safety measures required for the Progressive Safe System. The grace period was open for applications, including 27 October 2024, for specific vehicles and does not apply to cars where you have not received specific confirmation or to vehicle fleets.
Requesting a grace period is no longer possible if you don't already have one for your vehicle.
If you applied for a grace period before 28 October and were granted, you have an additional six months until 23:59 on 4 May 2025 to install the Progressive Safe System and obtain an HGV safety permit.
The DVS is just one part of the Vision Zero for London initiative. This initiative consists of a series of goals set out by the Mayor of London, which are part of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy.
The Mayor’s Transport Strategy has set ambitious goals. One of them is that, by 2041, nobody using London’s transport network will be killed or seriously injured.
To eliminate these deaths, the roads need to be made safer. Part of the problem is that many HGVs (especially older models) are not designed with optimal vision in mind. With the driver sitting very high up with many blind spots, they often can’t see what is in front of them. In a congested area such as Greater London, the dangers this problem presents cannot be overstated.
The DVS will reconcile this issue by demanding that changes be made to vehicles with a zero, one or two-star rating. These changes will reduce the number of accidents caused by a lack of driver awareness.
Another way to make HGVs safer for all road users is to install telematics in your vehicles. The technology allows you to monitor your drivers’ habits.
Looking to implement telematics into your business? Check out our telematics services today.
For example, you might notice through telematics that one of your drivers is prone to aggressive braking, sharp turning and consistent speeding. If you see this, you know this driver is putting themselves and others in danger.
With this knowledge, you can encourage the driver to amend these habits, which will make the routes they drive much safer.
Contact our telematics team today to learn more about what telematics can do for your fleet.
In addition to monitoring, Motia Telematics also offers cameras to reduce blind spots, helping you take steps towards DVS compliance.
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