driver safety
The Direct Vision Standard: Reducing incidents involving HGVs and vulnerable road users
In October this year, Transport for London will update its Direct Vision Standard in a bid to further reduce incidents involving heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and vulnerable road users within Greater London. Mark Pawsey, UK distribution manager at Air Products explains the revisions to the Standard and why Air Products has taken the decision to implement the changes across its entire UK fleet.
It’s no secret that, historically, HGVs have been involved in more fatal collisions with vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists, than any other motor vehicle*. Encouragingly, these figures are falling but there is more to do and it’s our firm belief that all safety incidents are avoidable.

Mark Pawsey, UK Distribution Manager at Air Products
For us, and any other fleet operator, the use of technology and artificial intelligence presents a growing opportunity to give professional drivers early warning of the presence of vulnerable road users, and in so doing, decrease accidents on our roads.
Transport for London has been particularly progressive in tackling fatal collisions from HGVs, introducing the world’s first Direct Vision Standard (DVS) in 2019 which was designed specifically to minimise the risk to vulnerable road users.
The DVS objectively measures a driver’s direct view through the windows of an HGV cab and uses this to define the level of risk to road users near the vehicle. This is expressed as a star rating from zero (poor) to five stars (good).
A new and updated standard is now expected in October this year and requires HGVs to meet a minimum three-star rating. The emphasis is on the use of technology and AI systems and sensors, to enhance existing in-cab systems.
While the Standard only relates to trucks operating within the M25, its recommendations and requirements can deliver very real benefits to HGV safety across the UK. Whether a truck is in a busy urban environment, or in a rural village, risks to vulnerable road users remain which is why we’ve taken the decision to introduce the requirements across our 300-strong fleet, UK-wide.
Over the last three months, we have been trialling a progressive safe system across our vehicles, with seven core components:
- Camera monitoring system, fitted to the nearside of the vehicle.
- Class V and V1 mirrors
- Blind Spot Sensors fitted to vehicle nearside
- Moving Off Sensors fitted to front of vehicle
- Side Under-run protection
- Audible warning alert when vehicle turns left
- Prominent visual warning signage
Both the Nearside Blind Spot Information System (BSIS) and the Moving Off Information Systems (MOIS) are particularly interesting and use the latest artificial intelligence (AI) technology to ensure that drivers are always in a position to detect and respond to vulnerable road users.
Employing the latest artificial intelligence
The use of sensors for slow-speed manoeuvring across both cars and commercial vehicles is pretty standard nowadays. What’s exciting about the Nearside Blind Spot Information System (BSIS) and the Moving Off Information Systems (MOIS) is that they use AI to specifically detect human form, as opposed to what, in the trade, we refer to as road furniture – in other words inanimate objects such as fences, lampposts and so on.
In our trucks, we are using AI technology via three cameras to deliver BSIS & MOIS requirements. This uses a graded warning system for our drivers.
For the BSIS system, AI detects human form up to 2.2 metres away, the camera then switches on and our drivers are given an in-cab amber warning. If that human form changes direction and moves closer to the vehicle, the alert flashes red and is accompanied by an audio sound. The driver can then take evasive action to prevent a collision.
This is a significant step forward from the more traditional vehicle sensors we are all used to, which bleep while traveling at low speeds, picking up ‘road furniture’. Instead, the AI technology provides specific warning support in a very dynamic urban environment where there are potentially multiple dangers nearby such as pedestrians and cyclists. This latest change will help to protect all parties – pedestrians, cyclists & drivers.
The Moving Off Information System (MOIS) works in a similar way to the BSIS but is focused on using AI to detect human form up to two metres in front of the vehicle. This is particularly important in scenarios where, for example, drivers may be stationary at traffic lights and a pedestrian or cyclist has potentially moved in front of the truck into the area known as the ‘blind-spot’, therefore out of the driver’s direct line of sight.
A belt and braces approach
We have developed and trialled these systems in close partnership with our drivers to ensure that the technology and systems we are introducing are user-friendly and enhance their ability to operate safely, rather than adding unnecessary complexity.
The feedback from our driver team has been overwhelmingly positive, and we were delighted when Dr Steve Summerskill, Senior Lecturer and Programme Director for Product Design & Technology at Loughborough University, confirmed that the MotorMax system developed in partnership with Air Products meets TfL’s Direct Vision Standard.
Steve and his team at Loughborough University designed the Standard, the minimum requirements for direct vision from HGVs cabs, and the Progressive Safer System (PSS), which defined the safety technology that must be fitted, so having this approval is particularly important.
For us, this is not about using AI and technology to replace the need for human checks and balances, but rather to enhance and support the extensive and ongoing training our drivers already receive, as part of our goal to be the safest industrial gas company out there. They understand that the need for good practice such as ‘GOAL’ (Get Out And Look), and mirror checks remains, but they are supported by an AI system they, as drivers, have been directly involved in trialling.
We’re on course to have all our trucks that operate within the M25 upgraded with these new systems by October and are targeting year end to have the systems installed UK-wide.
Any incident is one too many, resulting in a potential fatality for the road user, and lifelong trauma for our drivers. Our view is that where there is an opportunity such as this to further improve the safety of our operations, we have a moral duty to introduce it as extensively as possible. We’d encourage other truck operators to do the same.
The Direct Vision Standard: Reducing incidents involving HGVs and vulnerable road users
Mark Pawsey, UK Distribution Manager at Air Products explains the revisions to the Standard and why Air Products has taken the decision to implement the changes across its entire UK fleet.
Safety & Health Practitioner
SHP - Health and Safety News, Legislation, PPE, CPD and Resources Related Topics
DAY TWO: Matt Humby on the fire risks around lithium-ion batteries
A perfect storm? Personal safety in the intolerance epidemic
Making a difference around PPE – Debbie Janson