Rules that all drivers should know

Drivers’ hours rules

Where you use analogue tachographs, you must also carry your driver smart card if you hold one, and all chart records (not photocopies), plus any legally required manual records for the current day and the previous 28 calendar days.

Where chart records have been made, they must be carried when driving, irrespective of whether the vehicle being used is equipped with a digital or analogue tachograph. You must return your charts to your employer within 30 days. If you do not have your driver smart card available during a roadside inspection, you will be committing an offence and you may be required to produce it at an address given by the officer at a later date, so that it can be inspected at that time.

Where you use digital tachographs, you must have your driver smart card available for inspection together with any charts and any legally required manual records for the current day and the previous 28 calendar days.

Rules

Breaks from driving

A break of no less than 45 minutes must be taken after no more than 4.5 hours of driving. The break can be divided into two periods – the first at least 15 minutes long and the second at least 30 minutes – taken over the 4.5 hours.

Daily driving

Maximum of 9 hours, extendable to 10 hours no more than twice a week.

Weekly driving

Maximum of 56 hours.

Fortnightly driving

Maximum of 90 hours in any two-week period.

Daily rest

Minimum of 11 hours, which can be reduced to a minimum of 9 hours no more than three times between weekly rests. May be taken in two periods, the first at least 3 hours long and the second at least 9 hours long. The rest must be completed within 24 hours of the end of the last daily or weekly rest period.

Multi-manning daily rest

A 9-hour daily rest must be taken within a period of 30 hours that starts from the end of the last daily or weekly rest period. For the first hour of multi-manning, the presence of another driver is optional, but for the remaining time it is compulsory.

Ferry/train daily rest

A regular daily rest period (of at least 11 hours) may be interrupted no more than twice by other activities of not more than 1 hour’s duration in total, provided that the driver is accompanying a vehicle that is travelling by ferry or train and has access to a bunk or couchette.

Weekly Rest

A regular weekly rest of at least 45 hours, or a reduced weekly rest of at least 24 hours, must be started by no later than the end of six consecutive 24-hour periods from the end of the last weekly rest. In any two consecutive weeks a driver must have at least two weekly rests – one of which must be at least 45 hours long. A weekly rest that falls across two weeks may be counted in either week but not in both. Any reductions must be compensated in one block by an equivalent rest added to another rest period of at least 9 hours before the end of the third week following the week in question.

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