To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to introduce a mandatory element to the driving test on driving safely in the presence of heavy goods vehicles.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is confident that the training and testing of practical test candidates adequately covers the ability to interact safely with all road users, including heavy goods vehicles (HGV).

In addition, the National Standards for Driving, the Highway Code and ‘The Official DVSA Guide to Driving: the essential skills’ make specific reference to large vehicles, highlighting that HGVs:

• need for more room to manoeuvre;
• travel at slower speeds; and
• can block the view of other drivers.

They also highlight that drivers of large vehicles might not be able to see other road users in their mirrors and give guidance on how to overtake a large vehicle safely.