Your drivers must check their vehicle every day before they drive off. This is called a walkaround check and covers several parts of the vehicle, including:

• tyres
• lights 
• brakes
• vehicle height 

We don’t expect them to do a full mechanical inspection, but they do need to be thorough.

Guidance

Take a look at DVSA’s guidance on walkaround checks. We strongly suggest you and your drivers read this guidance.  

You should also take a look at:  

• this video guide to alkaround checks for goods vehicles 
• this video guide to walkaround checks for buses and coaches

The guidance also comes with a:  

• goods vehicle walkaround check poster 

• bus and coach walkaround check poster  

 You should print the poster relevant to you off and put it somewhere your drivers can see it. 

Check they’re being done

You should check walkaround checks are being carried out. One way of doing this is looking at tachograph records to see if there’s a gap between inserting the card and starting driving. This should indicate time taken to carry out a walkaround check.

You can also carry out gate checks and check CCTV. Whatever the method, you should make sure they are being done.

More information

For the all the information you need to maintain your vehicles, you should read the guide to maintaining roadworthiness.