Driving and rest time rules, tachograph and working conditions
What this domain tests
This section tests the EU/EEA driving-and-rest-time rules that apply to passenger transport, plus practical tachograph use and working conditions. A D1 bus carrying more than 9 people including the driver will often fall within these rules; national exemptions exist, so identify the operation type first.
Core rules
- Daily driving: 9 hours, extendable to 10 hours twice a week. Weekly driving: 56 hours. Two consecutive weeks: 90 hours.
- After 4.5 hours of driving, take a 45-minute break. It may be split into 15 minutes then 30 minutes, in that order.
- Daily rest: normally 11 hours, reducible to 9 hours up to three times between weekly rests. Weekly rest: normally 45 hours, reducible to 24 hours with compensation.
- Use the digital tachograph correctly: driver card inserted, correct mode for driving, other work, availability and rest. Make manual entries for work done away from the vehicle.
- Carry your driver card and any required printouts. Records must be available for inspection.
- Working time and night-work limits apply in addition to driving time; breaks must be real breaks, not paperwork.
Worked example
You start at 06:00 and drive 2 hours. You take a 15-minute break, then drive 2.5 hours. You have now driven 4.5 hours, so the 15-minute break is not enough. You must take another 30 minutes before driving again, completing the 45-minute break. Reason: the split break is 15 + 30, and the second part must be taken before the next driving period.
Traps that cost marks
Recording a break while loading; forgetting manual entries; exceeding 4.5 hours because the first break was only 15 minutes; and assuming a ferry crossing automatically counts as rest without recording it correctly.