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UK and European Driving Rules
Introduction and Employers' Duties
The time that may be spent driving a goods vehicle and the rest periods that
must be taken are fixed by law.
Most goods Vehicles used for the commercial carriage of goods, whether laden
or unladen will be subject to European Community rules as laid down in EC Directive
3820/85.
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| There are exemptions to these rules but
any goods vehicle excluded has to conform
to UK domestic rules. |
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New rules came into effect on 11 April 2007.
There are many minor changes.
Download
outline of changes, (Word doc; 75 Kb)
Download
Official European parliament publication, (Adobe PDF; 416
Kb)
Text below is from pre-April 2007 publications: There may have been changes. |
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Vehicles engaged in
international journeys to other countries beyond EC external borders
have to conform to the AETR rules which have been amended to bring
them virtually into line with EC rules.
There is a specific requirements in the EC directive that employers must
make periodic checks to ensure that the drivers' hours rules are observed.
Employers must also organise drivers' work in such a way that the requirements
of the regulations are not broken.
A Department of Transport book: "A Guide to Goods Vehicle Drivers'
Hours, Tachographs and Records" (GV 262) can be obtained free of charge
from Traffic Area Offices.
The RHA has produced cab stickers, A4 size, setting out the main EC rules.
Supplies are available from RHA Regional Offices.
There is a maximum fine of £2,500 for offences against drivers' hours
and records rules.
This applies to drivers and to anyone whose orders the driver was following,
i.e. employers.
These offences are not endorsable on driving licences but convictions may
be taken into account by Traffic Commissioners in determining the grant
of an operator's licence or an LGV driver's licence. |
| Compensation for Reduction in
Rest Periods |
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Any rest taken as compensation for the reduction
of the daily and/or weekly rest period must be attached to another
rest of at least eight hours.
The driver may choose to take it either at the vehicle's parking place
or his base.
When taking compensation for daily and/or weekly rest, the driver should
mark his tachograph chart for that day accordingly e.g. "Compensation
for DR/WR for (date) (number of hours/minutes)".
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| Transport by Ferry Boat or Train |
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When the daily rest period includes time spent on
a ferry boat or train it may be interrupted once only.
Thus part may be taken on board the ferry boat or train and part elsewhere.
The period of interruption must be as short as possible and must not exceed
one hour before getting on or after getting off including going through
customs.
During both portions of the rest period the driver must have access to
a bunk or couchette.
A rest period thus interrupted must be extended by 2 hours.
Time spent on a ferryboat or train which is not treated as daily rest may
be regarded as a break.
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| Emergencies |
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Provided that road safety is not jeopardised, and
to enable him to reach a suitable stopping place, the driver may
depart from the driving limits and rest requirements to extend
necessary to ensure the safety of persons, of the vehicle or of
its load.
A note of the occurrence and the reason why the requirements were disregarded
must be made on the back of the tachograph chart.
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| AETR RULES |
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Journeys to, or through, some European countries
outside the EC are subject to an international agreement on drivers'
hours known as AETR.
The AETR rules apply to the whole of a journey instead of EC Rules.
The AETR rules apply to the former Czechoslovakia, Norway, The Commonwealth
of Independent States (Russia), Yugoslavia and the independent states within
former Yugoslavia.
For all practical purposes AETR rules have been harmonised with EC rules.
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| Non-EC and Non-AETR Countries |
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When driving in a country which is neither in membership
of the EC nor a party to the AETR agreement, for example Switzerland,
drivers must observe the drivers' hours requirement of that country.
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| Domestic Rules |
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Domestic drivers hours rules apply to the drivers'
of Vehicles on journeys within the United Kingdom which are exempt
from the EC rules.
The rules do not apply to drivers who always drive off the public road
(i.e. driving in connection with road improvements or road maintenance,
quarrying or other construction work or civil engineering works)
.A driver who drives for less than 4 hours in any day in any fixed week
(24:00 hrs Sunday to 24:00 hrs Sunday) does not have to observe the drivers
hours requirement during that week.
Daily Driving Limit - Domestic
A driver must not drive for more than 10 hours in a day. The
daily driving limit applies to time spent at the wheel actually
driving on a public road. Off-road driving counts as duty time.
Daily Duty Limit -
Domestic A driver must not be on duty for more
that 11 hours on any working day. A driver is exempt
from the daily duty limit on any working day when
he does not drive.
Emergencies
The domestic rules are relaxed for events needing immediate action to
avoid danger to life of health; serious interruption of essential public
services (gas, water, electricity, or drainage); or of telecommunications
and postal services; or in the use of roads, railways, ports, airports;
or serious damage to property. In these cases the driving and duty limits
are suspended for the duration of the emergency.
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| MIXED DRIVING (DOMESTIC and EC) |
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Where a driver uses a vehicle which is subject to
the EC rules during a day or week in which he also drives a vehicle
subject to Domestic rules he may either observe the EC hours rules
all the time, or a combination of both rules as long as the EC
limits are not exceeded when driving Vehicles on EC work.
The following points must be considered:
The time spent driving under EC rules cannot count as an off-duty period
under Domestic rules.
The time spent driving or on duty under Domestic rules cannot count as
a break or rest period under EC rules.
Driving under EC rules counts towards the driving and duty limits under
the Domestic rules.
Any EC driving in a week means that the driver must take EX daily and weekly
rest. Percy Pallet(tm) is a Trademark of the PSL Group. All Trademarks
and Registered Trademarks are the property of their respective owners
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| Exemptions |
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Exemptions are given to the EC drivers' hours
rules and, additionally, national governments may make additional
exemptions.
The international and national exemptions under EC regulations are: Vehicles
used for the carriage of goods where the maximum permissible weight of
the vehicle, including any trailer or semi-trailer, does not exceed 3.5
tonnes.
Vehicles with a maximum authorised speed not exceeding 30 kilometres
per hour.
Vehicles used by or under the control of the armed services, civil defence,
fire services, and forces responsible for maintaining public order.
Vehicles used in connection with sewerage, flood protections, water,
gas and electricity services: highway maintenance and control: refuse
collections and disposal: telegraph and telephone services: carriage
of postal articles: radio and television broadcasting and the detection
of radio or television transmitters or receivers.
Vehicles used in emergencies or rescue operations.
Specialised
Vehicles used for medical purposes.
Vehicles transporting circus and fun-fair equipment.
Specialised breakdown Vehicles.
Vehicles undergoing road tests for technical development, repair or maintenance
purposes, and new or rebuilt
Vehicles which have not yet been put into service.
Vehicles used for non-commercial carriage of goods for personal use.
Vehicles used for milk collection from farms and the return to farms
of milk containers or milk products intended for animal feed.
National Exemptions under British Law
Vehicles used by agricultural, horticultural, forestry or fishery undertakings
for carrying goods within a 50 kilometre radius of the place where the
vehicle is normally based, including local administrative areas the centres
of which are situated within that radius. (In the case of fishery undertakings
the exemption applies only to the movement of fish from landing to first
processing on land and of live fish between fish farms).
Vehicles used for carrying animal waste or carcasses which are not intended
for human consumption.
Vehicles used for carrying live animals for farms to local markets and
vice versa or from markets to local slaughterhouses
Vehicles used as shops at local markets or for door-to-door selling,
or used for mobile banking, exchange or saving transactions, for worship,
for the lending of books, records or cassettes, for cultural events or
exhibitions, and specially fitted for such uses.
Vehicles with a maximum permissible weight of not more than 7.5 tonnes
carrying material or equipment for the drivers' use in the course of
his work within a 50 kilometre radius of the place where the vehicle
is normally based, provided that driving the Vehicles does not constitute
the driver's main activity.
Vehicles operating exclusively on islands not exceeding 2,300 square
kilometres in area, which are not linked to the rest of Great Britain
by a bridge, ford or tunnel open for use by motor
Vehicles.
Vehicles with a gross vehicle weight (including batteries) of not more
than 7.5 tonnes used for the carriage of goods and propelled by means
of gas or electricity.
Vehicles used for driving instructions with a view to obtaining a driving
licence, but excluding instructions on a journey connected with carrying
a commercial load.
Vehicles operated by The Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
Vehicles manufactured before 1st January 1947.
Vehicles propelled by steam.
Vehicles used by Health authorities as ambulances or to carry staff,
patients, medical supplies or equipment.
Vehicles used by Local Authority social service departments to provide
services for the elderly or physically or mentally handicapped.
Vehicles used by HM Coastguard and Lighthouse services.
Vehicles used by harbour or airport authorities if the vehicle remain
wholly within the confined of ports or airports.
Vehicles used by British Rail and other transport authorities when engaged
in maintaining railways.
Vehicles used by British Waterways Board when engaged in maintaining
navigable waterways.
Tractors used exclusively for agricultural and forestry work.
Certain Vehicles operating under STGO. (Drivers of Vehicles operating
under STGO Regulations are exempted from the provisions of EC Drivers
Hours Regulations (3820/85) and Recording Equipment Regulations (3821/85).
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