Driver hours, rest periods, tachograph and working time
Driver hours, rest periods, tachograph and working time
This domain tests the limits that keep a bus driver alert and the records that prove compliance. For international or regulated journeys, expect AETR/EU-style driving, break and rest rules, and tachograph use.
Core rules
- Daily driving is normally at most 9 hours, extendable to 10 hours no more than twice a week. Weekly driving is at most 56 hours, and driving in any two consecutive weeks at most 90 hours.
- After 4.5 hours of driving take a break of at least 45 minutes, which may be split into 15 minutes followed by 30 minutes. The break must be used for rest, not other work.
- Daily rest is normally 11 hours; it may be reduced to 9 hours no more than three times between weekly rests. Weekly rest is normally 45 hours, with limited reduction and compensation rules.
- Use the tachograph correctly: insert the driver card, select the right mode, make manual entries for work, availability and rest, and carry printouts and records for the required period.
- Working time includes driving, loading, cleaning, paperwork and other duties. Mobile workers have maximum weekly averages and limits on night work.
- Plan the day around the rules, not around the timetable. A late ferry or traffic queue does not create a legal extension.
Worked example
A driver drives 2 hours, takes 15 minutes' break, then drives 2 hours 45 minutes. Total driving is 4 hours 45 minutes, so the 15-minute break alone is not enough. The driver must take another 30 minutes before any further driving. The first 15 minutes counts towards the split break, but the second part must be at least 30 minutes.
Traps
Candidates confuse break with rest, count 'other work' as availability, forget manual entries after a card failure, and assume a 15-minute stop resets 4.5 hours. Another trap is exceeding daily driving because the return journey is 'only short'.