Driver Vehicle Standards Agency
Other
Action Planned
The DVSA will add two questions to the driving theory test for new LGV drivers regarding class VI (cyclops) mirrors, planned for the next reprint in autumn 2020. They will also promote Safe Urban Driving/VRU awareness courses and highlight mirror adjustment on social media. (AI summary)
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Dear Ms Lake
I am writing following your Regulation 28 Report to Prevent Future Deaths, of 25 March. This follows your narrative verdict of the same date, about the death of Dudley Stanley Howe on 6 October 2017.
I have set out below the action we intend to take to address your concerns.
We will introduce two questions to the driving theory test for new drivers of large goods vehicles. These will be on the topic of class VI (cyclops) mirrors and will increase awareness of the positioning and use of the class VI mirror. We will add these to the theory test question bank for the next reprint in autumn 2020. Professional lorry drivers must complete 35 hours of periodic training every five years to maintain their driver certificate of professional competence (DCPC). We have worked with Transport for London (TfL) and other industry stakeholders to promote such training (often referred to as safe urban driving or vulnerable road user (VRU) awareness courses. These courses typically highlight the blind spots around a lorry’s cab and advise drivers to be extra vigilant, including how to use the latest mirrors and camera technologies. TfL has delivered its safe urban driving (SUD) course to more than 80,000 professional drivers over the last seven years. Although we cannot mandate which DCPC courses are taken by industry bodies and operators, we can increase our efforts to promote SUD and vulnerable road user awareness courses. We will recommend to industry bodies and operators that all drivers take some SUD/VRU training as part of their driver DCPC periodic training.
We will highlight the need for lorry drivers to make sure mirrors are properly adjusted on each journey. We will do this across our social media platforms, including on our Twitter and Facebook accounts. We will also look to issue blog posts to heavy vehicle operators and drivers. We will do this within the next six months when drivers and operators are less focussed on the COVID-19 effort and more receptive to other messages and advice.
I am happy for a copy of this response to be sent to all the interested parties as noted at section 8 of your report. You said you were under a duty to send a copy of our response to the Chief Coroner. I confirm I do not wish to make to you any representations about the release or publication of our response by the Chief Coroner.
I am writing following your Regulation 28 Report to Prevent Future Deaths, of 25 March. This follows your narrative verdict of the same date, about the death of Dudley Stanley Howe on 6 October 2017.
I have set out below the action we intend to take to address your concerns.
We will introduce two questions to the driving theory test for new drivers of large goods vehicles. These will be on the topic of class VI (cyclops) mirrors and will increase awareness of the positioning and use of the class VI mirror. We will add these to the theory test question bank for the next reprint in autumn 2020. Professional lorry drivers must complete 35 hours of periodic training every five years to maintain their driver certificate of professional competence (DCPC). We have worked with Transport for London (TfL) and other industry stakeholders to promote such training (often referred to as safe urban driving or vulnerable road user (VRU) awareness courses. These courses typically highlight the blind spots around a lorry’s cab and advise drivers to be extra vigilant, including how to use the latest mirrors and camera technologies. TfL has delivered its safe urban driving (SUD) course to more than 80,000 professional drivers over the last seven years. Although we cannot mandate which DCPC courses are taken by industry bodies and operators, we can increase our efforts to promote SUD and vulnerable road user awareness courses. We will recommend to industry bodies and operators that all drivers take some SUD/VRU training as part of their driver DCPC periodic training.
We will highlight the need for lorry drivers to make sure mirrors are properly adjusted on each journey. We will do this across our social media platforms, including on our Twitter and Facebook accounts. We will also look to issue blog posts to heavy vehicle operators and drivers. We will do this within the next six months when drivers and operators are less focussed on the COVID-19 effort and more receptive to other messages and advice.
I am happy for a copy of this response to be sent to all the interested parties as noted at section 8 of your report. You said you were under a duty to send a copy of our response to the Chief Coroner. I confirm I do not wish to make to you any representations about the release or publication of our response by the Chief Coroner.