As of March 1, 2021, the Direct Vision Standard (DVS) came into effect in Greater London. This is a "safety permit" that all heavy vehicles over 12 tons must comply with. If a vehicle does not have this permit, a driver will not be allowed access to the entire Greater London area. Good driver visibility is the most important requirement within the DVS.

Every day, large vehicles such as trucks move through the narrow streets of London. This regularly leads to accidents that also involve vulnerable road users such as cyclists. On average, accidents involving both trucks and cyclists are more than twice as high in London as in the rest of Britain.

Star rating

Therefore, the city government has set a goal of no traffic deaths or serious accidents by 2041. The Direct Vision Standard is one of the measures to ensure that this goal is achieved.

A rating based on 1 to 5 stars is used to determine whether and to what extent a vehicle meets the DVS. A minimum of one star is required to apply for the safety permit. The star rating is given based on the driver's direct view of the environment.

 

A vehicle in which the driver can overlook much of the surrounding area receives a high score.

Vehicles with limited driver visibility are no longer allowed in Greater London.
 

Apply for Direct Vision Standard license

Applying for a permit for the DVS involves a number of steps:

Step 1: Do I need a permit?

Only heavy vehicles over 12 tons operating in Greater London require a DVS permit.

Step 2: How do I determine my safety score?

Contact the manufacturer to find out a vehicle's safety score. The manufacturer provides the vehicle's license plate number to Transport for London at the same time. This makes the safety score known to the authorities and allows the DVS application process to proceed.

Step 3: apply for authorization (for safety score 1 - 5)

If the vehicle has a safety score higher than 0, the permit can be applied to Transport for London. All that is required for the application is the registration number and the safety score provided by the manufacturer.

What if my score is 0?

Vehicles with a score of 0, according to the directive, have inadequate direct vision and are therefore not eligible for a permit.

To still obtain a permit, it is necessary to equip the vehicle with additional safety systems that improve indirect vision. This so-called Safe System increases the vehicle's star rating, making it possible to still apply for the permit.

A vehicle must meet the following Safe System requirements to receive a star rating:

1. A Class V mirror on the side of the vehicle;

2. A Class VI mirror on the front of the vehicle;

3. Protective bars on the sides of the vehicle, except where impractical or impossible;

4. Exterior warning decals and markings alerting vulnerable road users to the danger around the vehicle;

5. A sensor system on the side of the vehicle that alerts the driver to the presence of vulnerable road users; 5;

6. Audible maneuvering warning that alerts vulnerable road users as soon as the vehicle turns;

7. A fully operational camera system on the side of a vehicle.

 

With our special DVS kit, trucks meet all Safe System requirements!
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These requirements apply to both left-hand drive and right-hand drive vehicles. The mirrors, cameras and sensors must be mounted to take into account the blind spots next to the vehicle.

 

Until when is the permit valid?

The period of validity of the permit depends on the vehicle's safety score.

For vehicles with a score of 0, the permit is valid until 2024. This is because additional regulations will go into effect from then on. Exactly what the additional regulations, called Progressive Safe System, will entail will be known in 2022.

Vehicles with a safety score of 1 or 2 will also be licensed until 2024. It is expected that even these vehicles will have to meet Progressive Safe System requirements from then on.

Vehicles with a score of 3 - 5 will be licensed for 10 years.