London Direct Vision Standard enforcement begins

The London Direct Vision Standard will be enforced from today (March 1), with fines of up to £550 for non-compliant vehicles.

Trucks weighing 12 tonnes or more are now required to hold a valid HGV safety permit when operating within Greater London.

The permits are free-of-charge but can only be obtained for vehicles that meet the Direct Vision requirements for visibility. The standards set out the area surrounding a truck cab the driver must be able to see without using mirrors or cameras, thus improving safety for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.

Transport for London (TfL) has developed a five-star rating system to determine the amount of direct vision of the environment around it an HGV provides.

Vehicles that are zero-star rated will need to prove that they meet the requirements of the new “safe system” to obtain a permit, which may include retrofitting additional mirrors or sensors.

There is a 90-day grace period to support operators who have ordered Safe System components ahead of the enforcement start date and have experienced delays in supply and fitting.

Visiontrack has launched a new solution on the Geotab marketplace to help operators achieve compliance. It offers a comprehensive range of hardware that has been specially-developed for HGVs, including side scans, audible left turn alarm, side view camera, in-cab monitor and blind-spot safety signage.

“There is an opportunity to make a genuine difference in London by minimising the dangers that are disproportionately faced by vulnerable road users. TfL’s initial estimation suggested that over half of vehicles over 12-tonnes entering the capital do not meet the one-star DVS rating, so if this is broadly accurate then many road transport fleets will be significantly impacted by the DVS legislation. Our class-leading DVS-compliant offering is suitable for all commercial vehicle models above 12 tonnes, which can be used as a standalone solution or as part of an integrated system that meets wider video telematics and fleet compliance requirements,” said Richard Lane, Commercial Director of VisionTrack.