Direct Vision Standard making lorries safer in London.
Direct Vision Standard making lorries safer in London.
4 June 2021
The Direct Vision Standard forms a key part to eliminating all deaths and serious injuries from London's roads Restrictions in an HGV driver’s field of vision, or ‘blind spots’ have been identified as a significant contributory factor in collisions.
TfL image of the Direct Vision Standard and how it improves restrictions in an HGV driver’s field of vision, or ‘blind spots’.
Three months on from the launch of Transport for London’s world-first Direct Vision Standard lorries across London are becoming safer.
- More than 136,000 safety permits have been issued to date.
- 70,000 heavy goods vehicles have been fitted with safety measures to protect people walking and cycling
The HGV Safety Permit is a holistic approach which aims to improve the overall safety of HGVs through blind spot elimination and minimisation, warning of intended manoeuvre, minimising the physical impact of a hazard and recommending driver safety training.
This is the first step in dramatically improving lorry safety in London, with standards set to tighten further in 2024.
Transport for London (TfL), working with the London boroughs, the freight industry and campaign groups, delivered a radical improvement to road safety in the UK in March with the introduction of the pioneering Direct Vision Standard (DVS). The Direct Vision Standard and HGV safety permit for HGVs is part of the Mayor of London's Vision Zero plan to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries on London's transport network by 2041.
Three months on data shows that the vital lorry safety scheme, which reduces lethal blind spots, is already helping to save lives and prevent life-changing injuries.
TfL's Direct Vision Standard scheme requires owners of Heavy Good Vehicles (HGVs) weighing more than 12 tonnes to apply for a free permit that assigns vehicles a star rating based on how much the driver can see directly through their cab windows in order to be able to drive in London.
It is now operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is enforced on all roads in London. The standards are set to tighten further in 2024, which will deliver even safer lorries across the country.
Read the full TfL press release
More information about TfL's Direct Vision Standard is available here.
TfL Image - Diagram showing the blind spots from HGVs, which the Direct Vision Standard addresses
Derek Rees, Programme Director for CLOCS, said:
“In the last five years, over 28,000 fatal and personal injury collisions occurred between Vulnerable Road Users and vehicles commonly used in construction on Britain’s roads. The Direct Vision Standard makes a massive contribution as it ensures direct eye contact between the driver and the pedestrians, cyclists and more – critical to prevent collisions and build community confidence in active travel.
“CLOCS (Construction Logistics and Community Safety) drives collaboration between regulators, construction clients, principal contractors and fleet operators to raise standards through planning and procurement; its “Clear Dash, Safe Cab” campaign further supports the DVS.”
Kate Cairns, Founder, See Me Save Me, said:
“The success of the DVS shows how hard work, collaboration and willingness to take action can change culture. We remember the thousand who have lost their lives over this decade of change, as we continue to build on the great work of TfL, industry and campaigners to ensure safe lorries are ubiquitous not just in London but across the UK and Europe.”
The See Me Save Me campaign was founded in 2009 by Kate Cairns following the death of her sister, Eilidh, at Notting Hill Gate, London. See Me Save Me challenges industry, policymakers and the justice system to push for faster adoption of measures to reduce HGV danger.
Kate led the call for direct vision lorries at the European Parliament in Strasbourg in 2010, with the See Me Save Me (seemesaveme.org) campaign lobbying alongside MEP Fiona Hall for mandatory cameras and sensors.