Bridging the LGV Safety Gap in 2025
The DVSA has recognised LGV safety as a pressing concern and announced plans to address it – with the construction and vehicle transportation sectors identified as priorities. Here’s why van operators must take the lead in improving vehicle safety.
Why van operators must take the lead in improving vehicle safety as the DVSA tightens regulations.
Van safety standards are under growing government scrutiny. The DVSA has recognised LGV safety as a pressing concern and announced plans to address it – with the construction and vehicle transportation sectors identified as priorities. The numbers speak for themselves: in 2023–24, over 3,000 incidents involving vans (LGVs) led to fatalities or serious injuries. Change is needed to make our roads safer and to ensure all van operators understand their responsibilities.
The scale of the problem
There are ten times more vans than HGVs on UK roads, meaning risks are far more widespread. Used across every industry, vans often cover high mileage with heavy loads. Many also double as personal vehicles, which adds to wear and tear, complicates maintenance schedules, and can even affect insurance cover.
Unlike HGVs, vans are not subject to the same strict regulatory standards. This gap can lead to operators overlooking basic safety measures, and there are serious consequences.
- Of the 20,000 vans inspected by the DVSA each year, over 50% are found with major defects, insecure loads, or significant overloading.
- Annual MOT failure rates for vans are higher than cars and four times higher than HGVs.
The scale of the issue makes it clear why van fleets are coming under closer regulatory focus.
Industry Perspectives: Are Stricter Van Safety Regulations Needed?
While larger and more complex vehicles demand a rigorous focus on roadworthiness and driver compliance, LCV fleets have far more relaxed regulations. But does that need to change?
Mark Cartwright, Head of Commercial Vehicle Incident Prevention at National Highways explains:
“The truth is that HGVs don’t crash that often, but when they do, it tends to be big and horrible because of the laws of physics. But vans crash a lot and present a significant risk to the drivers and other road users”.
Jason Fitzgerald, Commercial Director, at Praiso highlights the disparity between van and HGV regulation:
“Larger vehicles have so much legislation in place for the driver – their CPCs, driver hours – and the vehicle itself undergoes strict checks. The vehicle can do more damage in a collision, but the safety measures are far greater. There isn’t as much legislation involved for company cars, vans and grey fleet drivers, so this is actually where the highest risk lies.”
Paul Mullins, Transport Manager, urges managers of van fleets to learn from the HGV world, and through championing safety, this can raise their professional profile:
“HGV fleets involve a great deal of regulation and everyone in the business is bought into those rules. In the ‘van world’ people are less sure of the rules, but this is changing with the help of FORS, Van Excellence and Driving for Better Business. You can truly be the subject matter expert working in an LCV fleet, and really make a difference by championing things like road safety.”
Key Risk Areas
Three core safety areas that van operators can address:
- Vehicle safety inspections: Without a regular inspection schedule, small defects quickly become serious issues.
- Tyre safety: While tread depth gets attention, tyre pressure is often overlooked – yet underinflated tyres significantly reduce stability and stopping distances.
- Load distribution: Poorly secured or uneven loads make vans harder to control, especially in emergency manoeuvres or wet weather.
Taking Proactive Steps
Paul Mullins advises anyone managing commercial vehicles to: “Become familiar with DVSA guidance, so that you can be proactive and anticipate issues. And gain a good understanding of the essentials of maintaining roadworthiness for both HGVs and LCVs.”
There are excellent resources available to help operators take control:
- DVSA advice on running a fleet of vans
- Driving for Better Business: Van Driver Toolkit
- New rules on securing vehicle loads
- Employer guidance on managing road risk and tyre safety
- Example safety check schedules
And to make safety checks consistent and easy to manage for company fleets, the Quartix Check app offers a simple solution. Drivers can carry out inspections from their mobile device, while managers access reports directly in the fleet tracking dashboard – ensuring issues are flagged and addressed quickly.
Champion Van Safety in Your Business
Stricter regulation is on the horizon, but fleet operators don’t need to wait. Proactive vehicle safety should already be part of every van operator’s responsibilities.
Don’t let your vans out on the road without simple safety checks – especially if they’re carrying loads. Equip your drivers with Quartix Check today, and take the lead in closing the LGV safety gap.
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