Vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists, accounted for 80% of people killed or seriously injured on London’s roads in 2023. The Direct Vision Standard (DVS) updated by Transport for London (TfL) in October 2024 aims to change this and eliminate all serious injuries and deaths from the city’s transport network by 2041.
Learn more about the changes and find out how to ensure your fleet’s heavy goods vehicles over 12 tonnes are DVS-compliant.
Updated DVS Star Rating
The star rating at the heart of the DVS measures how much the driver can see directly from the cab of an HGV. It ranges from zero (limited vision) to five (excellent).
Before 28 October 2024, HGVs needed at least one star to obtain a TfL safety permit, allowing them to drive into or through or operate in most of Greater London. Now, HGVs require a three-star rating or must be fitted with a high-quality TfL-approved Progressive Safety System (PSS), such as Crystal Ball’s DVS solutions, to be eligible to apply for a safety permit. Non-compliance risks severe penalties, such as stiff fines and potential bans on driving your HGVs in Greater London.
The DVS PSS Explained
The PSS you must install in HGVs with a zero, one-, or two-star rating to eliminate blind spots and achieve DVS compliance must include:
- CMS: A Camera Monitoring System (CMS) must be fitted to the vehicle’s nearside.
- Mirrors: Class V and VI mirrors must be fitted to the nearside, unless replaced by a CMS.
- BSIS: A Blind Spot Information System (BSIS) must also cover the vehicle’s nearside.
- MOIS: A Moving Off Information System (MOIS) must be fitted at the front of the vehicle.
- Audio warnings: A system that produces audible warnings to alert road users when the vehicle turns left (or right in left-hand drive models) must be fitted.
- External warning signs: The vehicle must feature external warning signs.
- Side under-run protection: Unless not practicable, the vehicle must have side under-run protection on both sides.
Importance of DVS PSS and Compliance
The various elements of an approved, top-quality DVS kit PSS work together to make drivers and road users aware of one another’s presence to reduce the chances of accidents, injury, or death. Systems inside the cab warn the driver about vulnerable road users, while signage and systems outside the vehicle alert road users to vehicle movements.
DVS compliance helps save lives. It also helps safeguard your business from legal action, insurance claims, operational disruptions, and reputational damage.
Quality Solutions for Your HGVs
Ensure that you comply with the updated DVS if your HGVs have anything less than a three-star rating. Choose Crystal Ball’s TfL-approved DVS solutions for your vehicles and make a difference on London’s roads.
