Drivers’ Hours Rules Guide – EU Drivers’ Hours Rules & Working Time (Directive) Rules

The hours a driver can drive in the UK are strictly controlled by regulations known as EU drivers’ hours rules and apply to both goods and passenger vehicles. These rules are to ensure a minimum safety standard and maximum driving time, along with the time and length of breaks and rest stops.

For goods vehicles the rules apply to all journeys made entirely within the UK, in whole or in part, on roads open to the public and where the maximum permitted weight (including any trailer or semi-trailer) exceeds 3.5 tonnes.

The EU Working Time Directive was introduced in the UK in 1998 to regulate the amount of time spent at work in order to protect the health and safety of the European workforce.

Impact of Brexit on EU Drivers’ Hours & Working Time (Directive) Rules

The UK will remain a full member of the EU until 2 years from the date the UK invoked ‘Article 50’. Until that date all EU laws will remain in place and apply in full, including any changes made to the rules in Brussels before we leave. However, at the point of the UK leaving the EU there may be opportunities to make changes to laws which originally derive from the EU.

What are the maximum driving times under EU Drivers’ Hours rules?

• Daily driving must not exceed 9 hours, although this may be extended to 10 hours twice a week
• Weekly driving must not exceed 56 hours
• Fortnightly driving must not exceed 90 hours during any two consecutive weeks
• Night work driving must not exceed 9 hours
• What breaks and rest must drivers take under EU Drivers’ Hours rules?
• Breaks – Drivers must take a break or breaks totalling at least 45 minutes after no more than 4.5 hours driving.  Breaks can be subdivided into 2 periods taken during 4.5 hours driving, the first at least 15 minutes, the second at least 30 minutes
• Daily rest – Drivers must take at least 11 hours rest within 24 hours – this can be reduced by up to 2 hours (to 9 hours) on 3 occasions between weekly rests
• Weekly rest – Drivers must take an unbroken break of 45 hours every week after a maximum of 6 days. This may be reduced to 24 hours every other week. Reductions in rest must be compensated en bloc by end of third week following reduction.  2 weekly rests must be taken in any 2 week period and 1 of those rests must be at least 45 hours long
• EU drivers’ hours rules require that all work and rest time is recorded on a tachograph
   

What are the maximum working hours and what breaks must you take under the Working Time Directive? 

The Working Time Directive Regulations work in conjunction with the EU Drivers Hours Rules (EC561/2006) and limit the amount of time worked rather than just the time spent driving.

Weekly working time – Must not exceed an average of 48 hours per week (over 17 weeks or up to 26 weeks if agreed) and a maximum of 60 hours can be worked in a single week

Night work – Any worker entering a shift between 00:00 and 04:00 is classed as a night worker and their working time must not exceed 10 hours* (*Note: There is a provision in the Working Time regulations for temporary workers engaged as self-employed workers on contracts to adopt flexibility in respect of night work and these workers can work beyond the 10 hour night work limit set out in the regulations, but only to the extent that this would not breach any of the other provisions of the regulations of the GB/EU drivers’ hours).

Breaks – Working between 6 and 9 hours per day requires breaks totalling 30 minutes. If more than 9 hours is worked then breaks must total 45 minutes. Breaks must be of at least 15 minutes duration. If necessary, you can always take a longer break if you need it. There is no maximum break. It is important to take breaks in accordance with the Working Time Directive and EU rules and for safety reasons – driving tired is dangerous.

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Sources
HSE
GOV UK
GOV UK
EC Europa
Telegraph