While relatively small in overall physical size light goods vehicles (LGVs) are now a large part of the UK road transport industry. There are currently estimated to be over 5.1 million light goods vehicles on UK roads today, and the sector is experiencing strong growth driven in part by the increase in home delivery companies that now operate delivery van services.  The number of LGVs has increased by a third – over 1.1 million vehicles –  in the past decade, by far outpacing the growth of cars on UK roads.  In 2014 there was a year-on-year increase of 32% for LGVs against just 10% for cars. While other forms of goods vehicles including buses and coaches are in decline, with vehicle numbers dropping 16% over the last decade, LGVs are becoming an increasingly important part of the UK’s road transport industry with approximately ten times the number of LGVs on the road compared to HGVs.

Operating Standards

With the large increase in Light Goods Vehicles on the UK’s roads it is no surprise then that the DVSA has decided to turn its attention towards LGVs and is looking at an entirely new strategy for dealing with the operators of LGVs which “better serves both the industry and the wider aspects of public safety”. Statistics collated by the DVSA show that  LGV drivers and operators are currently rather “sloppy” in their adherence to the regulations that govern all operators of vehicles used for hire or reward on the UK’s roads.  A DVSA  report states that checks of around 20,000 LGVs each year saw over 50% of the vehicles checked resulted in enforcement action being taken due to serious defects in the vehicle being found, insecure loads being transported or the vehicle being significantly overloaded.

The annual MOT failure rate for LGVs is around 4 times higher than HGVs and much higher than the failure rate for personal cars which highlights the fact that clearly the current regulations are not being adhered to, and thereby adversely affecting road safety.  This unfortunately is reflected in the road accident statistics.  Road users are more likely to be seriously injured or killed by an LGV than an HGV. In 2023-24 there were 3,000 reported incidents involving LGVs which resulted in either a fatality or a serious injury, compared with less than 1,000 for HGV’s. The DVSA acknowledges the higher volume of LGVs on the UK’s roads lies behind this set of statistics, but goes on to note that primarily LGV operators do not adopt the same strict safety systems that an HGV O licence holder is subject to, and that these vehicles are often pushed to their limits with high mileage and/or heavy loads.

DVSA Action

With this in mind, the DVSA has adopted a new approach to LGV enforcement. The aim is to improve the current situation surrounding LGV operators, where while some operators do take great care to manage their vehicles in a similar way to HGV and PSV operators, other LGV operators simply disregard the guidance, which the DVSA believes is both “unfair to those following regulations properly and dangerous to the general public”. The DVSA states that it has co-ordinated with trade associations within the transport industry to ensure that the rules and guidance are both clear and achievable – but it also highlights the importance of enforcement in guaranteeing compliance with any new set of regulations, especially when considering the large number of LGVs on our roads today.

The DVSA has decided to move towards prioritising the types of LGV that are of special concern due to the high rate of prohibitions issued to certain types of LGV vehicles – such as construction vehicles and vehicles used for transporting cars – in order to better allocate their resources. Operators of these types of vehicles should be aware that they need to undertake stringent safety checks, as per the safety related requirements in the regulations in order to prevent unwanted and unnecessary prohibitions. The DVSA also makes clear its focus on construction LGVs and LGVs transporting cars for the moment  is not an invitation for other sectors who use LGVs to become more “laid back” with their safety precautions – lest their sector be marked as a ‘target’ for increased enforcement scrutiny in future.

Why do the Rules Matter?

Within the release about this new strategy of targeting LGVs, the DVSA includes a grim reminder of why maintenance and safety checks on vehicles are necessary. The tragic case involves Harry Dennis who was just 11 years old when he was killed in December 2022. Harry was sitting in the front seat of his family car, with his older sister behind him in the rear seats, when he was struck by an unsecured scaffolding board from an LGV scaffolding truck driven by Russel Le Beau.  The board had come loose from the vehicle as Mr. Le Beau drove  round a bend in the road which meant it was hanging out over the other lane of the road, giving Harry’s father who was driving at the time no chance to avoid it.

The board had come loose because Mr. Le Beau had “failed to properly secure the load on his vehicle”.  The subsequent investigation found that “there were no straps, no net, and no tarpaulin bag found anywhere on the vehicle” and it was this failure that had allowed the board to come loose and swing into oncoming traffic.  Russel Le Beau was sentenced to four years in prison and banned from driving for seven.

Tragic events such as this serve as a stark reminder for the need for proper safety checks on vehicles, both in terms of the actual vehicle maintenance but also with regard to  load safety. It is important that LGV Operators and their drivers follow the rules and regulations that relate to their operation of their vehicles.  After all, whilst the vehicles may be “light” in nature, the impact of accidents such as that which befell Harry Dennis are anything but light for the family and loved ones left to pick up the pieces.

If you have any questions or queries on this matter or if there is anything else that is affecting your transport operation, please do not hesitate to get in touch. call us on 01279 818280 or click here to send us an email.

© Richard Pelly, August 2025