Tachograph limits, medication and ferry pressure
You are a professional driver of a 40-tonne combination. Your tachograph shows 4 h 10 min of driving since your last 45-minute break. You have accumulated 9 h 30 min of driving in the last 13 h of duty. You took a non-drowsy antihistamine 6 hours ago, but you feel sleepy and have already yawned repeatedly. The ferry terminal is 2 hours away; if you miss it, the next crossing is in 8 hours. Your employer sends a message: “Push on, we will pay the fine.” The weather is clear and the road is dry. You have 20 minutes of driving left before a break is required under the usual 4.5-hour rule, but you are not sure you can stay alert even for that.
1. What do the tachograph figures mean and what is the legal position?
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At 4 h 10 min since the last 45-min break, you are close to the usual 4.5-hour driving limit; you have about 20 minutes before a break is required. With 9 h 30 min driving in 13 h duty, you are also near daily limits-often 9 h, extendable to 10 h on limited occasions. The exact limits must be checked against the applicable Mozambique rules, but the pattern is already high-risk. The antihistamine, even a “non-drowsy” type, can add to fatigue. “Push on” is not a lawful instruction. You must not drive if you feel sleepy.
2. What should you do about the ferry and employer pressure?
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Stop at the first safe place-not the hard shoulder if avoidable-take the required break, and tell the dispatcher you cannot continue safely. A missed ferry costs time; a crash costs lives. Ask the employer to rebook or arrange relief. If pressured, record the instruction and report it. Do not falsify the tachograph. The professional driver's duty is to refuse an unsafe schedule.
3. What would make you fit to continue?
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You need a proper rest break, not just coffee; 45 minutes may satisfy the driving break but not cure significant sleepiness. If drowsiness persists after the break, you need a longer rest or a relief driver. Check the medicine leaflet and wait until any impairing effect has passed. Only resume if you can concentrate, your eyes are not heavy, and you have time to complete the next leg without exceeding limits. Otherwise, do not move.