Driving and Rest Times, Tachograph and Professional Driver Rules
The core limits
EU Regulation 561/2006 sets the daily driving limit at 9 hours, extendable to 10 hours twice per week. The weekly limit is 56 hours, and the two-week limit is 90 hours. A break of at least 45 minutes is required after 4.5 hours of driving, and it may be split into 15 minutes followed by 30 minutes, in that order. Daily rest is normally 11 hours, reducible to 9 hours no more than three times between weekly rests. Weekly rest is 45 hours, reducible to 24 hours with compensation taken en bloc before the end of the third week.
The tachograph
Since 2019, new lorries over 3.5 tonnes must be fitted with a smart tachograph. Drivers must insert their card at the start of the shift, record manual entries for other work, availability and breaks, and use the correct mode. A frequent trap is leaving the tachograph on 'other work' during a break, or failing to record a period of availability. The card must be produced on request, and data must be retained by the operator for at least one year.
Professional rules
Drivers need a Certificate of Professional Competence (code 95) and a valid medical certificate. Traffic offences can lead to a driving ban and affect the operator's licence.
Worked example
A driver starts at 06:00, drives 2 hours, does 1 hour of loading, drives 2.5 hours, then wants a break. The 4.5-hour driving limit is reached after the second driving block, so the 45-minute break must be taken before driving further. Loading counts as other work and does not count as a break.