Ask the MAC – 16 Apr 2026

Q. We had a driver work on Saturday 21 March 2026, meaning their weekly rest was reduced to 40 hours. The driver commenced work on Monday 23 March and began their next weekly rest on Saturday 28 March. The driver then commenced work on Monday 30 March.

Under normal circumstances the drivers’ weekly rest would have been 45.5 hours, but as the clocks went forward that weekend, has this affected the weekly rest total?

A. Despite the clocks moving forward, the key is that a regular weekly rest is one which has been at least 45 continuous hours.

For example, if the driver started their weekly rest on 28 March 2026 at 10:00 and commenced work on Monday 30 March at 07:00, only 44 actual hours would have passed, despite the clocks changing and showing otherwise, meaning a reduced weekly rest had been taken.

With the clocks going forward, in this scenario the earliest a driver could start work following a regular weekly rest would have been 08:00 as 45 consecutive hours have passed.

When the clocks go back in the autumn, operators must consider that there needs to be 45 hours of rest taken. So, when the clocks go back on Sunday 25 October 2026, if the driver started their weekly rest at 10:00 on Saturday 24 October, they could start work at 06:00 on Monday 26 October because there will have been 45 consecutive hours of uninterrupted rest, despite, on face value, it only being 44 hours (as there is an actual extra hour when the clocks go back).

What you waiting for?

Q. We have conducted a driver licence check on a candidate and it shows as “unclaimed”. What does this mean?

A. Once a driver passes their test, they must exchange their pass certificate as soon as possible. They will be able to drive a vehicle in the category they passed the test in, holding their pass certificate as proof. However, the exchange must be made within two years of the pass, or the entitlement gained will be lost, and a further practical and theory test must then be taken.