World Leading HGV Direct Vision Standards in London

TfL has strengthened its scheme to protect vulnerable road users in London from the most dangerous heavy goods vehicles.

Under the Direct Vision Standard, HGVs are given a rating between ‘zero-star’ (lowest) and ‘five-star’ (highest) – based on how much the driver can see directly through their cab windows.

Only vehicles with a valid safety permit – those rated ‘one-star’ and above – have been able to operate in London since March 2021.

A Prince Michael Award winner in 2023 TfL is now strengthening the minimum safety requirements to reduce the level of risk that HGVs can pose to all road users, especially people walking and cycling.

HGVs over 12 tonnes will now require a minimum three-star DVS rating or to fit an updated system of enhanced safety features – the Progressive Safe System (PSS) – to operate in Greater London.

The system has already shown promising results, with a 62% reduction in the number of vulnerable road users killed by HGVs in 2023 compared to the 2017-19 baseline.