What does this tachograph chart symbol mean? What is the ‘mode’ switch on a tachograph used to record? At the end of your working week, you've driven a total of 56 hours. Under EU rules, what's the maximum number of hours you can drive in the following week? Your vehicle is fitted with an analogue tachograph. What does this tachograph chart symbol mean? What is the ‘mode’ switch on a tachograph used to record? At the end of your working week, you've driven a total of 56 hours. Under EU rules, what's the maximum number of hours you can drive in the following week? Your vehicle is fitted with an analogue tachograph.

• Digital Tachograph
• Tachograph Chart Symbols Definition
• Tachograph Chart Symbols Copy
• Tachograph Chart Symbols Image

There are many different symbols that are used on digital tachographs to depict different driver statuses and help drivers prevent accidental infringements. The key symbols that everyone who uses a digital tachograph should ensure they know are Drive, Available, Rest/Break and Other Work.

Digital tachographs have become an indispensable tool for the purposes of fleet management, now widely used throughout the transport sector. Tachographs are devices fitted to vehicles that record and store various different types of data – including journey distance, speed and driving time.

They can help to provide evidence that drivers abide by EU Drivers’ Hours regulations, as they are obliged to. But getting to grips with tachograph devices isn’t always easy. In this FAQ, we will aim to answer key questions on what tacho software is about.

Q: What do tachograph symbols mean?

A: There are many different tachograph symbols, and remembering the meaning of all of them is far from simple. However, there are certain key symbols which everyone who uses tachographs should ensure they get to know. These include:

Drive – this means, as is no doubt obvious, that the driver is active. It is automatically recorded as such on most tachographs and hence there is no need for drivers to deliberately select this option.

Available – this indicates the driver’s availability. Periods of availability include waiting time, for example taking a vehicle via ferry or waiting for loading and unloading.

Rest/break – another self-explanatory one, this symbol denotes both in-work breaks and daily/weekly rest periods.

Other work – indicates that the driver is logged in and doing work other than driving. This may include work for more than one employer, and even work outside the transport and fleet sector.

Q: What do digital tachograph systems consist of?

A: There are three main components to digital tachograph systems. These are the vehicle unit, smart cards and motion sensor. Of these, the vehicle unit (located in the driver’s cab) is the most important. Among other things it includes card slots, a printer and a display screen. The motion sensor, meanwhile, is situated on the gearbox and transmits data to the vehicle unit on the speed of the vehicle and the distance it travels. There are various types of smart card which can be used with the card slots, with drivers’ cards being the most relevant for our purposes here. Drivers must have a driver card when driving a vehicle equipped with a digital tachograph – this is an EU requirement. Where such a vehicle is used without a driver’s card, this will be recorded by the vehicle unit although it will not immobilise the vehicle.

Q: What procedures are drivers using digital tachographs required to follow in order to comply with tachograph regulations?

A: Drivers must confirm their starting location when prompted by the device and continually ensure that their digital tacho is set to the correct mode throughout the course of their shift. If, however, the tachograph is faulty or they’re unsure of how to use it, they must inform the relevant operator – who they must also permit to download data from their card. If they can’t use their card for whatever reason, drivers must provide written manual entries for these periods. It is mandatory that drivers are able to produce relevant records at the roadside. Furthermore, drivers must check that their tachograph doesn’t need recalibrating and make sure that they have adequate supplies of print roll in the vehicle.

Q: What happens when the vehicle is manned by more than one driver (‘multi-manning’)?

A: In the case of multi-manning, the crew member tasked with driving should insert their card into one slot and their co-worker into a second. Each crew member should use the mode change button for their slot. This should ensure that once the journey commences, the driver’s status automatically changes to ‘driving’ while their colleague is recorded as ‘available’. When the two crew members change places, they should swap their respective cards around.

Q: What duties do fleet operators have in relation to digital tachograph data?

A: Operators have various responsibilities when it comes to digital tacho data. They are obliged to download and store data from drivers’ cards and vehicle units, as well as keeping a watchful eye on drivers’ records and printouts. They must report instances of non-compliance with drivers’ hours regulations, incidents of excess speeding, missing activities and missing start/end locations. In addition, operators are responsible for training drivers to use tachograph systems, ensure proper use of drivers’ cards, and making sure that tachograph devices are properly calibrated and in full working order.

What is a Tachograph
Analogue or Digital Tachograph
What are the Rules for Drivers Hours?
What Are The Daily Rest Period Requirements?
How can I be Sanctioned for Tachograph Offences?
What are the Tachograph Offences and Related Punishments?
Punishments for Falsifying a Tachograph
How can we Help With Tachograph Offences

What is a Tachograph?

Tachographs are mandatory recording devices for drivers of heavy good vehicles, public service vehicles and vehicles carrying 12 or more people.

Tachograph devices record information about the distance; speed and driving time undertaken with the primary purpose of ensure drivers stay within the regulations set out by the Vehicle & Operator Services Agency.

Analogue or Digital Tachograph?

Digital Tachograph

Vehicles registered on or after 1^st May 2006 must be fitted with a digital Tachograph. Vehicles registered before can be fitted with digital or analogue equipment.

Tachograph Chart Symbols Definition

What Are The Rules For Drivers Hours?

A maximum of 9 hours driving a day can be completed with a mandatory 45 minute break every 4.5 hours. Twice weekly the 9 hour limit can be increased to 10 hours.

The maximum weekly driving limit is 56 hours within a fixed week. A fixed week starts at 00.00 on Monday and ends at 24.00 on the following Sunday

Tachograph Chart Symbols Copy

The maximum driving limit over a 2 weekly period is 90 hours e.g week 1: 56 hours / week 2: 34 hours

What Are The Daily Rest Period Requirements?

Maximum Daily Rest: a daily rest period of 11 hours (or more) must be taken in each 24 hour period, during which the driver does no type of work for an employer or on a self-employed basis.

Reduced daily rest: You can reduce the 11 hour rate to 9 hours upto 3 times per week, providing the time is made up the following week.

Split Daily rest: You can split the rest period but it has to be taken as 12 hours; first period must be 3 hours and the second period must be 9 hours.

Any of the above daily rest periods can be taken in the vehicle providing there is sufficient sleeping accommodation. The vehicle must not be moving including with another person driving the vehicle.

How can I be Sanctioned for Tachograph Offences?

Verbal Warnings
Minor infringements committed accidentally, due to inexperience or due to isolated instances may be dealt with by verbal warning, this will consist of a clarification of the infringement and consequences of continued infringement.

Offence rectification notice
May be issued for a variety of infringements that do not pose immediate threat but must be rectified within a 21 day period, failure to do so could lead to further action including prosecution.

Prohibition
Drivers’ hours and Tachograph rule breaches often lead to prohibition. This is an enforcement tool to remove any threat to road safety and when issued, prohibits driving of the vehicle for a specified or unspecified period, until the conditions stated on the prohibition note have been met.

Prosecution
Serious infringements considered to be in the interest of the public will be considered for prosecution, against the driver, operator or other undertakings, or against all.

Referral to the Traffic Commissioner
Drivers holding a vocational licence and/or Operators holding an Operator’s Licence may be reported to the traffic commissioner instead of or in addition to prosecution, to decide whether any administrative action should be taken against their licences.

What are the Tachograph Offences and Related Punishments?

Maximum fines and Penalties for infringements of the drivers’ hours rules in Great Britain include:

• Failure to observe driving time, break of rest period rules: Fine upto £2,500 (level 4)
• Failure to make or keep records under the GB domestic rules: Fine upto £2500 (level 4)
• Failure to install a tachograph: Fine upto £5000 (level 5)
• Failure to use a tachograph: Fine upto £5000 (level 5)
• Failure to hand over records relating to recording equipment as requested by an enforcement officer: Fine upto £5000 (level 5)

Punishments for Falsifying a Tachograph:

• False entry or alteration of a record with the intent to deceive: On summary conviction fine £5000, on indictment two years’ imprisonment;
• Altering or forging the seal on a tachograph with the intent to deceive: on summary conviction fine of £5000, on indictment two years’ imprisonment and
• Failure to take all reasonable steps to ensure contractually agreed transport time schedules respect the EU rules: fine of up to £2500 (level 4)

How can we help with tachograph offences?

Tachograph Chart Symbols Image

• We can advise on whether offences are made out
• We can request the Tachograph data from prosecutor and if necessary we can arrange for it to be independently analysed
• We can liaise with the prosecutor, be it the police or the DVSA (formerly VOSA) because It may be that certain offences can be withdrawn on the basis of pleas to others
• We can make written representations to the prosecutor if there are live issues.
• We can Defend through to trial if elements of the offence are not made out.
• We can advise on reporting convictions to the office of the Traffic Commissioner and we can represent at any driver conduct hearing into your LGV entitlement.

For advice on DVSA and their powers, or assistance with a DVSA prosecution or at an Operator Licensing Public Inquiry, call now and speak to one of our solicitors on 0115 910 6239. We have offices in Nottingham but offer a Nationwide Service.