Britain’s DVSA trials new remote tachograph sensing equipment which will help crack down on dangerously tired drivers of commercial vehicles.
DVSA can use the new mobile equipment across the country – when travelling alongside commercial vehicles, or from the roadside – to pull data from vehicles fitted with smart tachographs as they are on the move.
It is hoped the latest weapon in DVSA’s arsenal will provide it with greater capabilities to identify potential drivers’ hours offences and target them on the roads. The mobile equipment enables greater agility and unpredictability in enforcement, as the tools can be fixed to a stand, attached to buildings or highway infrastructure or used on a vehicle.
Examiners will be able to identify tachograph violations including whether a tachograph card is not inserted, if a tachograph card has been tampered with or even if it is correctly calibrated.
While most of the commercial vehicle industry remain committed to safety and compliance DVSA are still identifying cases of serious and deliberate rule violations.
In the financial year 2021/22, DVSA issued 1,317 drivers’ hours prohibitions for heavy goods vehicles, public service vehicles and applicable light goods vehicles.
Due to the speed and weight involved, crashes involving tired truck drivers can be devastating. Almost a quarter of injuries caused by accidents involving lorries are fatal or serious.
DVSA’s Head of Regulatory Services & Transformation, Caroline Hicks said: “We are committed to exploring every available opportunity to help us prevent dangerously tired drivers putting themselves and the everyday road user at serious risk. The new technology is a potential game changer in identifying tachograph violations. We’re also excited to see where this leads in helping us identify operators who knowingly break all kinds of safety rules.”
Further Information:
If you drive a goods vehicle or a bus or coach, you must follow the rules on how many hours you can drive and the breaks that you need to take.
The rules you must follow depend on:
- the type of vehicle you’re driving
- which country you’re driving in
- Drivers’ hours information: https://www.gov.uk/drivers-hours
Tachographs record information about driving time, speed and distance. They’re used to make sure drivers and employers follow the rules on drivers’ hours. More information is available on: https://www.gov.uk/tachographs