Four years ago, Transport for London (TfL) announced the introduction of Direct Vision Standard (DVS), which came into effect on 26th October 2020. If you are a business with HGVs over 12 tonnes operating in (or travelling into) Greater London, you will have a responsibility to hold a safety permit to help reduce the risk of serious injury or death to pedestrians and cyclists in the capital. This permit is based on how much the driver can see from the cab.  

It is important to ensure you and your fleet are compliant, but what do you need to do to fulfil standards, but what do you need to do to fulfil the standards, and what is the difference between the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) and DVS?  Here we offer an overview of the two sets of requirements to ensure you fulfil the safety standards required.

Firstly, all fleet operators need to establish the Star Rating of their fleet.  This information isn’t readily available, so direct contact needs to be made with the vehicle’s manufacturer. Alternatively, you can use our free DVS Star Rating service. You will need to provide the registration and VIN numbers of the lorries. In return, they will provide the visibility rating which ranges from poor (0) to the best (5). If your vehicle is 0 rated you will have to comply with the Safe System. Brigade has created specially compiled DVS Safe System kits to help streamline the process for operators and to ensure your fleet is DVS compliant.

In 2024 the minimum DVS star rating requirements will be increased to 3.

FORS Silver vs DVS (Safe System)