The Agency was created from the merger of the Vehicle Inspectorate (VI) and the Traffic Area Network (TAN).

The public are most aware of its activities through its regulation of the MOT vehicle inspection test in Great Britain.

Alastair Peoples took over from Tetlow as Chief Executive in 2008 until 2014 when VOSA and DSA merged to form DVSA Its examiners have been granted the ability to issue fixed penalty tickets from 1 April 2009.

These cover a range of offences including breaches of drivers hours legislation, overloaded vehicles and also mechanical defects.

[6] Following a consultation in July 2010,[7] the law was overhauled in 2011 to grant VOSA officers the power to stop vehicles without relying on police approval through Community Safety Accreditation Schemes as above.