Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency

Updated on Nov 04, 2023

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Abbreviation DVSA Region served Great Britain		Formation 1 April 2014 Chief Executive Gareth Llewellyn
Type Government agency (Trading fund) Purpose Setting driving and vehicle standards

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

The agency was formally launched on 1 April 2014, taking over the responsibilities of the Driving Standards Agency and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency.

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

Aims and objectives

DVSA sets the standards for drivers and vehicles in Great Britain. It tests and enforces those standards through the driving test and the MOT scheme.

It 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 large goods vehicle instructors

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

References

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Wikipedia

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