DVSA updates vehicle defects guidance

The Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has announced updates to its ‘Categorisation of defects guide’, which it says can help aid operators in ensuring compliance with roadworthiness standards.

The guide is primarily for the reference of DVSA enforcement teams and police, in order to help them determine the action to take on discovering roadworthiness defects during roadside inspections and annual tests – but the agency recommends that operators and drivers also use the guide to improve their knowledge of inspection standards and possible defects.

While the document is said to provide useful guidance on a wide range of issues, DVSA warns that it must not be treated as an interpretation of relevant laws, which can only be decided in courts.

Changes in the latest edition include clearer guidance on the identification of antilock and electronic braking system defects, and action to be taken; new guidelines on drawbar trailer attachments; advice on identifying road speed limiter faults; and an increased selection of advisory defects, to improve the clarity for drivers and operators of DVSA documentation issued after a roadside check.

The updated guide can be accessed here.