Every day, our Vehicle Standards Assessors (VSAs) put thousands of vehicles and trailers through their annual test.

They carry out this work to make sure vehicle operators can keep safe and moving during the pandemic.

Working together

Across the transport industry, we’ve worked together to put procedures in place to protect drivers, staff and other colleagues.

This includes a greater focus on making sure vehicles are regularly cleaned.

We’ve always had a standard for vehicle cleanliness at test. It’s a common sense approach which helps our VSAs to carry out their inspections without any restrictions.

Presenting at test

We do not expect your vehicle or trailer to have a full valet before its test.

But our staff do have to get into the cab as part of the inspection. So wiping down the interior of the vehicle beforehand is really important.

The government has issued guidance about how to keep transport clean and prevent the transmission of coronavirus from touching contaminated surfaces.

This should also be part of your procedures.

What we are asking operators/presenters to do?

Our VSAs need to be satisfied that the interior of the vehicle has recently been cleaned.

This includes:

• wiping down areas that the VSA needs to touch (eg. the dashboard, doors and vehicle controls)
• clearing away any items like food wrappers, bottles and tissues from areas that need to be accessed (eg. seats and footwells)
• storing essential items in their correct positions (eg. fire extinguisher, hard hat)
• tidying away any other items that could get in the VSA’s way

Below is an example of a vehicle presented for test where the standards were not met.

Refusing a test

There are a handful of occasions we refuse to test a vehicle because of issues with cleanliness.

VSAs know our policy on vehicle cleanliness and if there’s time, they will give the operator/presenter a chance to clean the cab before refusing to test.

If the standards cannot be met on the day, we’ll issue an official refusal. Trying to find another appointment could cause delays in getting the vehicle back on the road.

Clean vehicles and COVID-19

Refusing a test is something we do not want to do. But keeping DVSA staff and others safe remains our priority.

Vehicles which are cleaned in line with the guidance will avoid a refusal – and show our staff that you value their work and commitment as we continue to test during the pandemic.

Keeping vehicles clean will help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

We are grateful to the vast majority of operators and presenters who are taking time to adhere to these measures.