DRIVER and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) staff that conduct roadside checks and site visits are to wear body-worn cameras to help reduce the numbers of ‘physical and verbal assaults’.
The camera is a similar size to a credit card and usually worn on the chest; the devices record video and audio in the same way as a personal CCTV unit. A spokesperson said: ‘The move brings DVSA in line with many other enforcement bodies such as the police.
‘We take a zero tolerance approach to physical and verbal assaults and the bodycams will act as a deterrent. They will also enable us to manage, support and respond to any assaults that take place.
‘While the majority of people we come into contact with are courteous, we need to be able to protect the public without fear of violence or abuse.’