Tachograph Rules Flashcards

What must a driver do with their analogue tachograph charts after completing a journey?

Answer: Keep them for 28 days and produce them on demand by enforcement authorities

Drivers must retain analogue charts for 28 days. They must be able to produce the current day's chart and the charts for the previous 28 days at any roadside inspection.

What is a 'driver hours infringement' and what are the main types?

Answer: A breach of EU driver hours rules — including insufficient rest, exceeded driving limits, or missing break requirements

A driver hours infringement is a breach of EU Regulation 561/2006. Common types include: exceeding maximum daily or weekly driving time, insufficient daily or weekly rest, or missing the mandatory 45-minute break.

Which EU regulation sets the main rules for commercial vehicle driver hours?

Answer: EU Regulation 561/2006

EU Regulation 561/2006 is the primary legislation governing driver hours for commercial vehicle drivers in Europe. It sets maximum driving periods and minimum rest and break requirements.

What does 'driving time' mean under EU tachograph regulations?

Answer: The duration of the driving period as recorded automatically when the vehicle is in motion

Driving time under EU Regulation 561/2006 is the time the vehicle is actually in motion as recorded by the tachograph. Brief stops at traffic lights are included in the driving period, not as breaks.

A Garda stops a truck driver and finds the tachograph disc missing for a previous day. What offence has been committed?

Answer: Failure to keep records — an offence under road traffic legislation carrying fines and penalty points

Failure to keep or produce tachograph records is a specific offence under Irish road traffic legislation implementing EU Regulation 561/2006. Fines and penalty points apply.

What is the purpose of the vehicle unit (VU) memory in a digital tachograph system?

Answer: To store continuous vehicle and driver activity data independently of any driver card — providing a separate audit record

The vehicle unit memory is an independent record stored in the tachograph hardware. It records all activity for at least 365 days and cannot be easily deleted — providing an independent enforcement audit trail.