Transport for London has announced that more than 7,000 penalty charge notices have been issued due to Direct Vision Standard compliance failure.
The Direct Vision Standard (DVS) was launched on March 1st 2021, after an 18-month delay to the original date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme was launched to reduce deaths and injuries on the roads of Greater London and requires vehicles over 12 tonnes to have a relevant ‘safe system’ fitted. The initiative to improve safety operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Applying for a permit is free and all vehicles, even those rated 5 stars, need to hold a valid permit.
Haulage companies who do not obtain a safe system and have the correct permit will receive a £550 penalty charge notice for every vehicle that enters Greater London. The fine will be subsequently halved if paid within 14 days. Not only will the company receive a penalty charge notice but drivers will be served with a £130 fine. Since the scheme launched in March, over 7,000 fines have been issued. The penalty charge notices issued, as a result of non-compliant vehicles, has resulted in a minimum of £1.9 million in fines – potentially rising to £3.8 million.
However, on a positive note, more than 136,000 safety permits have been issued. Christina Calderato, Transport for London’s head of transport strategy and planning, commented on the success of the scheme, “In just a few months our Direct Vision Standard has helped to dramatically improve the safety of lorries and save lives.”
She continued to add, “The safety permits are just the first step in our aim to ensure that families don’t experience the tragedy of preventable road collisions involving HGVs and we will be strengthening our life-saving Direct Vision Standards in 2024.”
If you have not already achieved a safety permit, it is imperative to do so to prevent receiving a fine. With the scheme set to evolve in 2024, now is the time to get a ‘safe system’ and become compliant. The following DVS approved cameras and safety warning equipment is available from HaulTech to help you acquire your DVS safety permit:
- A fully operational camera monitoring system fitted to the nearside of the vehicle
- Audible vehicle manoeuvring warning to warn vulnerable road users when a vehicle is turning left
- A sensor system that alerts the driver to the presence of a vulnerable road user
- External pictorial stickers and markings to warn vulnerable road users of the hazards around the vehicle
If you are still yet to install a ‘Safe System’ into your vehicles, HaulTech can help. Avoid the £550 company penalty charge notices and the £130 driver fines by contacting the team today by clicking here, calling 01782 662244 or saying hello@haultech.co.uk.
