Did You Purchase Your HGV / PSV Brake Testing System Before June 2024?
If YES – then you may need to take action.
Has your brake testing software been up-graded since you purchased your system?
If NO, “our brake testing software is what came with the system”, then you have until the 31st December 2025 to update it.
Latest ATF Software updates
The DVSA has reminded all ATF sites that HGV and PSV brake testers need to be updated by 31 December 2025.
Help Updating Your Brake Testing Software
At RS Garage Equipment, we can carry out this update for you. Lead times may vary depending on demand, so arranging it in advance will help ensure everything is ready for 2026 without disruption.
Why these changes are being introduced
- To enhance road safety by ensuring brake testing is more accurate and better reflects real-world driving conditions.
- To provide vehicle operators with clearer, more informative test reports — not just pass or fail, but also helpful warnings and advisories so potential issues can be resolved early.
- To standardise performance and calibration, making results more consistent and comparable across all ATF sites.
1. Timeline and Deadlines
- From June 2024, all new ATF roller brake testers must be supplied with the updated software.
- All existing testers must have the software updated by 31 December 2025.
- Some deadlines have been extended to give ATFs additional time to plan and budget.
- Note: Even if your brake tester is not installed at an ATF site, it is still recommended to carry out this software update to ensure accuracy and alignment with current standards.
2. Updated Software Requirements
All ATF roller brake testers must operate on the new software that meets revised DVSA specifications. This includes updated algorithms, revised limits, and improved reporting features.
3. Key Features and Improvements
The updated software introduces several enhancements to make brake testing more consistent, transparent, and safer:
- Improved reports and printouts: Clearer details of brake performance, including advisories for items close to limits, helping operators understand why a test passed or failed.
- Real-time alerts and warnings: Identifies issues such as binding brakes or marginal performance during testing, allowing immediate action.
- Drawbar trailer testing routines: Adds capabilities that older software versions did not cover.
- Standardised split tests: Ensures consistent application across different Brake-Testers.
- Enhanced calibration and accuracy: Flags when testers are out of calibration and applies stricter requirements for weighing system traceability to national standards.
4. Consequences of Non-Compliance
ATFs that do not update their software by the deadline may find their brake testers non-compliant with DVSA standards, potentially preventing them from legally conducting tests or exposing them to regulatory action.
