Drivers’ hours, records and tachographs

This chapter outlines EU hours rules, tachographs, domestic hours rules, written records and mixed driving rules and records.

Updates for 2023:

Smart Tachographs 2 (ST2).
Recording of activity away from the vehicle.

Download the Drivers' hours, records and tachographs chapter of the Yearbook of Road Transport Law

Which rules apply.
- International journeys
EU hours rules
- Goods vehicles covered.
- Exemptions.
- The rules.
- Driving limits.
- Breaks from driving.
- Daily driving.
- Weekly and fortnightly driving.
- Minimum rest.
- Daily rest.
- Multi-manning daily rest concession.
- Ferry/train daily rest concession.
- Weekly rest.
- International weekly rest concession.
- ‘Return home’ rule.
- Military reservists weekly rest concession.
- International passenger operations weekly rest derogation.
- Occasional drivers.
- Emergencies.
- Exceeding driving time to reach home.
- Travelling to or from a vehicle.
- Private driving of an in-scope vehicle.
- Drivers and work for other driving employers.
- Key obligations for transport undertakings.
- Consignor, freight forwarder, agency, etc liability.
- Training.
- Bonus payments.
- Penalties.
- Jurisdiction and evidence of penalties.
Tachographs.
- Vehicles covered.
- Who keeps a tachograph record.
- Type of tachograph required.
Analogue tachographs.
- Voluntary fitting.
- Operators’ responsibilities – analogue tachograph.
- Drivers’ responsibilities – analogue tachograph.
- Selection of charts.
- Analogue tachographs.
Digital tachographs.
- Tachograph itself.
- Vehicle unit.
- Output of data.
- Smart cards.
- Driver card.
- Workshop card.
- Company card.
- Control card.
- Drivers' responsibilities - digital tachograph.
- Operators’ responsibilities – digital tachograph.
- Centrefield data.
- UTC.
- Printer rolls.
- Mode selection and data input manual entries.
- Pictograms.
- Specific conditions.
- Printouts.
- Downloading data.
- Additional security for the digital tachograph unit.
Smart tachographs.
- Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).
- Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC).
- Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) interface.
- New pictograms events and faults.
- Smart Tachograph 2 (ST2).
- Printouts.
- Cards.
- Download equipment.
Recording other work.
International journeys and attestation forms.
Agency drivers.
Enforcement and calibration.
- Enforcement and inspection.
- Penalties.
- Admissibility of the record in evidence.
- Calibration, sealing and inspection.
- Repairs.
- Calibration procedure.
- Periodic recalibration - digital/smart tachographs.
- Periodic inspetion and recalibration - analogue tachographs.
- The two-yearly inspection due dates.
- Fees.
- Breakdown of equipment.
- Statutory defences.
Domestic hours rules.
- Legal obligations and penalties.
- Exemptions.
- Main provisions.
- Emergencies.
Written records.
- Format of the record book.
- Issue, use and retention of books.
- Enforcement and inspection.
Mixed driving – rules and records.
- Mixed driving rules.
- Mixed driving records.