DVSA bodycams now mandatory

By Categories: NewsPublished On: Wednesday 29 January 2025

The Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has announced that it is now mandating body-worn cameras for its traffic and vehicle examiners, enforcement support officers and enforcement managers.

Bodycams must now be worn by DVSA staff engaging in roadside checks, operator visits, MOT scheme visits and any other form of enforcement activity where safety could be at risk. The policy took effect from 27 January.

“Body-worn cameras are not new to roadside enforcement examiners as they have already been worn for several years,” said DVSA in an email bulletin.

“We’ve taken the decision to make the cameras a mandatory part of uniform for our examiners’ safety.

“The cameras will only be switched on to capture inappropriate behaviour or if the examiner feels threatened.

“The footage, where appropriate, will be used to prosecute offenders if abuse occurs.”

DVSA completed an initial trial of bodycams in 2019 and, following further trials, the technology was rolled out more widely by the agency. But the cameras are now a requirement while performing the specified activities, as part of officers’ uniforms.

Explaining the rationale behind the introduction of bodycams in 2019, the agency’s enforcement delivery manager said that, while the majority of those encountered at the roadside were “polite and considerate”, a small number were “aggressive and threatening” towards examiners, and gave “lorry drivers a bad name”.

Using the bodycams had allowed DVSA to capture and deter abuse against its staff, he said, whether physical violence or verbal aggression.