Ask the MAC – 04 Feb 2026

In a jam

Q: One of our drivers was caught in a traffic jam as a result of a road closure from an incident, resulting in a drivers’ hours infringement. Would we as an operator, or the driver need to evidence this in some way, and what would be required?

A: While it wouldn’t be a requirement for the infringement records, it may be best practice to note down the location of the incident and the time the driver was stuck in the traffic to explain the infringement, and this can include tracking information or a traffic report. The driver would also be advised to have a signed printout with the appropriate information so that it could be produced if stopped roadside.

It would be worth mentioning that a driver caught in traffic early in their shift would not be an acceptable reason for the infringement, as it would be reasonable that the operator was made aware and had alternative arrangements in place to assist the driver before they ran out of time to do so.

Stand and deliver

Q: Our driver was stopped roadside and asked to produce their records. Once they handed them over, the driver was told one of their printouts was not legal. What does this mean, as they were printed from the same vehicle they were driving?

A: It sounds like in this instance the driver has created the wrong type of printout. In the menu, the driver has printed in local time instead of UTC. On a local time printout, it would state that it is not a legal printout across the top.