If you drive big lorries for a living you have probably heard people talking about DVS. It is a massive topic in the haulage industry right now and it is causing a bit of a headache for owners and drivers who need to go anywhere near Greater London. Even if your daily routes are nowhere near the capital it is still something you need to understand because the rules are strict and the fines are heavy.
Here at Commercial Transport Training we get a lot of drivers asking us about these rules during our HGV training and CPC courses. There is plenty of confusion out there about what you actually need to do to keep your lorry legal.
What is DVS
To put it plainly, the Direct Vision Standard is a safety scheme run by Transport for London. It looks at how much a lorry driver can see directly out of their cab windows without using mirrors or cameras. They use a star rating from zero to five stars to measure this. If your cab has big blind spots and you cannot see a cyclist standing next to your passenger door you will get a low star rating.
The whole point of the scheme is to protect vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists. London wants to eliminate serious injuries on their roads and this is how they are forcing hauliers to improve visibility. It applies to all goods vehicles over 12 tonnes gross vehicle weight. If you operate a vehicle over this weight and it enters Greater London you must have a valid HGV safety permit. It does not matter if the lorry is registered in the UK or abroad because the rules apply to everyone equally. The scheme runs 24 hours a day every single day of the year.
Our base at Commercial Transport Training is in Leighton Buzzard so we are outside the enforcement zone. But we know plenty of drivers from Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire head down into London every day. You cannot just ignore it because you live outside the M25 boundary. If you drive inside the zone without a permit you can face a penalty charge notice of up to 550 pounds.
What is DVS Rating System
The star rating for your lorry is set by the manufacturer when the vehicle is built. As a driver or an operator you cannot change the physical star rating of the cab itself. If you want to know where your vehicle stands you can use the online permit checker on the TfL website. You enter your registration number and it tells you the rating or asks for more documents if the vehicle is new.
- Five stars means excellent direct vision where the driver can see almost everything around the cab base.
- Zero stars means poor direct vision where the driver relies heavily on mirrors to spot people near the vehicle sides.
The minimum star rating required to enter London without extra kit changed in 2024. It used to be that one star was enough to get a permit. Now you need a minimum of three stars to get a permit automatically. If your lorry is rated zero, one or two stars you cannot get a permit unless you fit extra safety equipment to make up for the lack of direct vision.
The Progressive Safe System Requirements
If your vehicle is rated zero to two stars you have to install what is called the Progressive Safe System. People in the industry call it the PSS. This is an updated set of kit that replaced the older safe system rules. If you had the old safety kit fitted before it is no longer valid on its own and you need to upgrade to get a new permit.
Here is how it works if you need to upgrade your lorry. You must fit specific electronic systems to help you spot people in your blind spots. The main bits of kit include a blind spot information system that warns you if a cyclist is riding alongside your near side. You also need a moving off information system at the front of the lorry to warn you if someone is walking right in front of your bumper when you start to pull away.
Along with these sensors you need a camera monitoring system fitted to the side of the vehicle and an audible warning that plays a sound when you turn left to warn people nearby. Left hand drive vehicles need a similar kit fitted to cover their specific blind spots on the right side. TfL actually recommends turning off or removing your old 2019 sensors when you install the new PSS kit because having too many different buzzers and lights going off can cause cognitive overload for the driver. You do not want a cab full of alarms screaming at you when you are trying to navigate a tight London junction.
Getting Your Safety Permit
Applying for the permit itself is free on the TfL website but you have to do the legwork first. If your lorry needs the PSS upgrades you have to upload photos and statements to prove the equipment has been fitted correctly and works as intended. If you are waiting for a new vehicle registration from the DVLA you should start this process early so you do not get caught out.
We always tell our students at Commercial Transport Training that keeping your skills sharp is just as important as upgrading the lorry. Technology like cameras and sensors can help but nothing replaces a well trained driver who knows how to manage blind spots and stay alert in heavy traffic. Whether you are upgrading your licence from a Category C to a Category C+E or doing your periodic CPC hours it pays to stay on top of these industry changes.
If you need to sort out your driver training or want to talk about upgrading your licence you can check out our courses on our website and contact us to see how we can help you stay compliant and safe on the road.
