Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency

{{distinguish|text= the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency or the Driver and Vehicle Agency in Northern Ireland}}

{{Infobox government agency

| name = Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency

| native_name =

| agency_type = Executive agency

| logo = Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency logo.svg

| logo_size = 200px

| logo_caption = Logo of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency

| seal =

| seal_size =

| seal_caption =

| headquarters = Croydon Street, Bristol, BS5 0DA, United Kingdom

| coordinates =

| formed = {{start date and age|df=yes|paren=yes|2014|04|01}}

| preceding1 = Driving Standards Agency, Vehicle and Operator Services Agency

| dissolved =

| superseding =

| jurisdiction = Government of the United Kingdom

| motto = Keeping Britain moving, safely and sustainably

| employees = 4,600{{cite web |title=Working for DVSA |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/driver-and-vehicle-standards-agency/about/recruitment |website=Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency |access-date=27 December 2024}}

| budget =

| minister1_name =

| minister1_pfo =

| chief1_name = Loveday Ryder

| chief1_position = Chief executive

| chief2_name =

| chief2_position =

| parent_department = Department for Transport

| parent_agency =

| child1_agency =

| child2_agency =

| keydocument1 = [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dvsa-vision-to-2030 DVSA vision to 2030]

| keydocument2 = [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dvsa-strategic-plan-to-2025 DVSA strategic plan to 2025]

| website = {{URL|https://gov.uk/dvsa}}

| footnotes =

| map =

| map_size =

| map_caption =

}}

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is an executive agency of the UK Department for Transport (DfT).

It carries out driving tests, approves people to be driving instructors and MOT testers, carries out tests to make sure lorries and buses are safe to drive,{{Cite web |title=About us |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/driver-and-vehicle-standards-agency/about |access-date=2023-09-25 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}} carries out roadside checks on drivers and vehicles, and monitors vehicle recalls. It is a separate organisation from the similarly named Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

The responsibilities of DVSA only cover Great Britain. In Northern Ireland, the same role is carried out by the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA).

History

It was announced on 20 June 2013 that the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) and Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) would merge into a single agency in 2014.{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/improving-services-for-motorists |title=Improving services for motorists |publisher=GOV.UK |date=20 June 2013 |access-date=23 May 2017}} The name of the new agency was confirmed as the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) on 28 November 2013.{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/driver-and-vehicle-standards-agency-named |title=Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency named

|publisher=GOV.UK |date=28 November 2013 |access-date=23 May 2017}}

DSA and VOSA closed on 31 March 2014, and DVSA took over their responsibilities on 1 April 2014.

DVSA was a trading fund from its creation until 31 March 2021.{{cite web|url= https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/96/made |title= The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Trading Fund (Revocation) Order 2021

|publisher=Legislation.gov.uk |date=28 January 2021 |access-date=1 April 2021}}

Purpose and aims

Between 30 March 2017 and 3 April 2023, DVSA’s stated purpose was “helping you stay safe on Britain’s roads”.{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dvsa-strategy-2017-to-2022 |title=DVSA strategy, 2017 to 2022 |publisher=GOV.UK |date=30 March 2017 |access-date=23 May 2017}}

On 4 April 2023, DVSA announced its purpose was changing to "keeping Britain moving, safely and sustainably". It does this by:

helping people through a lifetime of safe and sustainable journeys
helping people keep their vehicles safe to drive
protecting people from unsafe drivers and vehicles

On 4 April 2023, DVSA published a vision to 2030{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dvsa-vision-to-2030 |title=DVSA vision to 2030 |publisher=GOV.UK |date=4 April 2023 |access-date=4 April 2023}} setting out how it will deal with challenges including making roads safer, making road transport greener and harnessing new technologies such as self-driving cars.

Responsibilities

DVSA is responsible for:

setting the standard for safe and responsible driving and riding
carrying out theory and practical driving tests for all types of motor vehicles
maintaining the register of approved driving instructors
approving training bodies and instructors to provide compulsory basic training and direct access scheme courses for motorcyclists
running the tests that allow people to join and stay on the voluntary register of driver trainers who train drivers of car and van fleets
setting the standards for the drink-drive rehabilitation scheme, running the scheme and approving the courses that offenders can take
conducting annual testing of lorries, buses and trailers through authorised testing facilities (ATFs) and goods vehicle testing stations (GVTS)
conducting routine and targeted checks on vehicles, drivers and operators ensuring compliance with road safety legislation and environmental standards
supervising the MOT scheme so that over 20,000 authorised garages carry out MOT tests to the correct standards
providing administrative support to the Traffic commissioners in considering and processing applications for licenses to operate lorries, buses, coaches and registered bus services
conducting post-collision investigations
monitoring products for manufacturing or design defects, highlighting safety concerns and monitoring safety recalls
providing a range of educational and advisory activities to promote road safety

Enforcement examiners

The DVSA appoints vehicle examiners to stop and check vehicles for defects and compliance.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/become-a-traffic-examiner/become-a-traffic-examiner|title=Become a traffic examiner|website=GOV.UK}} They wear a uniform, which consists of a shirt and tie/polo shirt, high visibility coat, trousers, boots, and a white-topped cap with a green and white chequered cap band (similar to police traffic officers).{{Cite web |title=The Highway Code - Signals by authorised persons - Guidance |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/better-co-ordination-to-stop-illegal-waste-carriers |website=GOV.UK}}

=Powers=

Under the Police Reform Act 2002, section 41 and Schedule 5,{{Cite legislation UK|type=act|year=2002|chapter=30|act=Police Reform Act 2002}} Chief Constables could grant powers (under a Community Safety Accreditation Scheme) to DVSA (originally VOSA) officers to stop vehicles for checks on vehicle and driver compliance without the need for police support (later expanded to stop any vehicle, although mainly goods and passenger carrying vehicles). At that time, only police officers had the power to stop vehicles and therefore had to be present. The powers were piloted in 2003, and brought more widely into force in 2004.{{Cite web |url=http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosacorp/newsandevents/pressreleases/2004pressreleases/29-07-04ministerlaunchesvosaspowertostop.htm |title=29-07-04 Minister launches VOSA's Power to Stop |access-date=13 February 2020 |archive-date=8 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090108014052/http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosacorp/newsandevents/pressreleases/2004pressreleases/29-07-04ministerlaunchesvosaspowertostop.htm |url-status=dead }}

Following a consultation in July 2010,{{Cite web |url=http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/closed/2010-27/consultation.pdf |title=Consultations |access-date=13 February 2020 |archive-date=21 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101121221037/http://dft.gov.uk/consultations/closed/2010-27/consultation.pdf |url-status=dead }} the law was overhauled in 2011 to grant VOSA/DVSA officers the power to stop vehicles without relying on police approval through Community Safety Accreditation Schemes as above. This also allowed VOSA/DVSA officers to stop vehicles in Scotland, as well as in England and Wales as previously. The amendment, which was made by the Road Vehicles (Powers to Stop) Regulations 2011, allows "stopping officers" approved by the Department for Transport to stop vehicles for certain reasons.{{Cite legislation UK|type=si|year=2011|number=996|si=The Road Vehicles (Powers to Stop) Regulations 2011}}

To be appointed as a stopping officer, a person must: