All you need to know about the DVS Progressive Safe System review

The Direct Vision Standard (DVS), which came into effect in 2020, was the first legislation to require safety permits for HGVs in Greater London. Its aim is to reduce fatal collisions where vision is cited as a contributing factor, and its enforcement has made a dramatic contribution to the safety of vulnerable road users.  

A review of the DVS Safe System was undertaken by Transport for London (TfL) earlier this year, and the final specification was published in September. The resulting changes will be implemented in October 2024.

Why are the DVS regulations so important?

When DVS came into effect in 2020, operators with vehicles which fell short of the safety star rating system were obligated to fit additional safety equipment to gain a safe permit.

In October 2024 this will change, and the safe permit will become known as the Progressive Safe System (PSS). The minimum star rating needed for compliance will increase to three stars and new technologies will need to be fitted to achieve this, as some current systems won’t be sufficient. For example, the old-style ultrasonic sensor systems will need to be replaced.

If your vehicle is GSR (General Safety Regulation) compliant then you should meet most elements of the DVS, but it’s very important to stress that this means the vehicle as a whole and not individual components. If you have an aftermarket component that meets the requirements of GSR, it is less relevant at aftermarket and may not meet DVS requirements.

What are the things that a fleet manager needs to know about?

The new technologies are a lot more intelligent. The specification requires blind spot information on the side (BSIS) of the vehicle, which can predict collisions based on the trajectories of the vehicle and the vulnerable road user and calculate if a collision is imminent. In addition, it mustn’t provide false alerts – if a driver and a cyclist are on the same road travelling in parallel, a collision would be less likely and this shouldn’t flag up an alert to the driver unless the cyclist begins to veer closer.

An alarm strategy is also specified, so the more likely a collision is, the more urgent the warning becomes. Also, the system needs to be capable of alerting the driver if it’s not working correctly. There’s quite a bit of re-education to do on these types of system because the older, more traditional side scan systems tended to pick up a lot more street furniture, so an alert could happen if there was a street sign or bollard right by the side of the road, which could confuse drivers. The new systems will only deliver an alert when there is a genuine risk.

The MOIS (Moving Off Information System), which is a front detection system, doesn’t have to predict collisions in the same way, but must detect a very specific area at the front of the vehicle. It needs to provide two alerts, which must be different from each other – when the driver is preparing to move away and when the vehicle is actually moving.

There’s an important point on which GSR and DVS requirements differ, which fleet owners need to be aware of:

Who will be affected by the Progressive Safe System?

What’s your advice to fleet operators in terms of preparation?

The industry is currently advising that for operators to meet the deadline in time for next October, around 15,000 vehicles will need to be retrofitted every month. It’s a mammoth task, so we’re advising operators to start looking at their fleets as soon as possible. The final specification for compliance came out in September, and we now have independent external verification for two of our side products which will meet the BSIS requirements – Radar Predict and Sidescan®Predict, and our Front Radar solution for MOIS. It’s been a lot of work as specifications weren’t presented during the DVS consultation stage, so it’s been all hands-on deck to make these deadlines.

Operators should think about fitting equipment sooner, rather than later. Although the legislation does not come into effect until October, HGV safety permit open in June, which is when the pre-registration period for the Progressive Safe System opens.

What’s the benefit of Brigade products for Progressive Safe System compliance?

This time round, the specification has, quite rightly, put a lot more onus on manufacturers to provide quality products to safeguard operators, and we have put a huge number of resources into our systems. Buying something off eBay or Amazon won’t provide anywhere near that level of security, and there’s also a lot of onus on the fitter. It’s the manufacturer’s responsibility to test for compliance, but we don’t like to mark our own homework! Although the legislation does not come into effect until October, HGV safety permit open in June, which is when the pre-registration period for the Progressive Safe System opens.

Will the Progressive Safe System really benefit vulnerable road users?

The disparity between GSR and DVS is worth emphasising though; we’ve been informed, for example, that GSR-compliant vehicles won’t need a near side camera. Also, vehicles that have three stars and hold a ten-year permit won’t really need to fit any equipment at all. So, it’s as though there are three slightly different specifications and it’s a bit of a minefield for fleet operators. If anyone is in doubt, come to us and we can advise on the correct solution.

Do you see safe systems being rolled out in the future?

We know that systems are becoming more intelligent, and we know that driverless vehicles will become mainstream eventually. However, a vehicle can’t become fully autonomous without foolproof sensor systems, and we’re quite a long way from that at the moment.

How are drivers reacting to the new systems?

HGV drivers are some of the best on the roads. They do regular training, they have a lot of equipment, numerous procedures to follow, plenty of walk-round checks – these people are very good at what they do. This system gives them more peace of mind. Not so long ago there was a major shortage of drivers in the industry, so when you’re recruiting new drivers, they want to have the best equipment so they can do their job in the most safe and effective way.