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Changes to fines for commercial drivers in the UK: Tachogram can help you avoid them
Published: 12.10.2017

Changes to fines for commercial drivers in the UK: Tachogram can help you avoid them

Rules in the UK will be changed, so lorry, bus and coach drivers who drive tired will be fined for every time they've done it in the last 28 days. From 1 November, The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) can fine drivers up to £300 if they spend their full weekly rest break in their vehicle in places where it causes a problem, such as suburban areas. They can also be prosecuted or have their vehicle immobilised. At the moment, DVSA can only fine drivers for:
  • offences committed that day;
  • ongoing offences, like manipulating tachograph records, which record drivers’ hours.
However, DVSA traffic examiners will be given new powers to issue on-the-spot fines for any drivers’ hours offences committed in the last 28 days. So it can get quite tricky... In a single roadside check, DVSA traffic examiners will be able to issue fines for up to 5 drivers’ hours offences. It means the driver could be fined up to £1,500 in a single check if he’s consistently broken the rules. It won’t matter if the offences took place in Great Britain or elsewhere. The rules will also apply to drivers who don’t live in Great Britain. However, they’ll need to pay any fines immediately, before being allowed to continue their journey. DVSA will immobilise their vehicle until they pay. The exact date the rules will change will be confirmed nearer the time. Sounds quite scary, right? Thankfully, Tachogram offers solutions that can help you and your drivers avoid unnecessary risks. With the Tachogram app you can download tachograph data remotely and automatically. It will help your company and drivers to keep track of daily and weekly driving times, as well as daily and weekly minimum rest periods: this will minimize the possibility of getting heavy penalties for violating these regulations. Furthermore, you’ll see your drivers risk rating and violation trends, and you can debrief them if you feel something is ajar or there’s a risk he might be violating a directive. But it’s equally useful for drivers themselves. With the simple use of our convenient and affordable card reader and our Tachogram App (available at Google Play), the drivers can download their card data any time, any place – avoiding the need to stop at a gas station, for example. Afterwards, they can use the same App to easily follow their remaining driving time, daily and weekly rest times and other useful information about remaining limits in one simple dashboard. Furthermore, the driver will be able to see infringements, download periods and the aforementioned remaining driving time in one simple application screen. Driver’s are the lifeblood of your business. Tachogram is there to keep your drivers safe, healthy and efficient.
Sintija Segleniece
Sintija Segleniece