Drivers’ working hours

Two sets of working time regulations and two sets of parallel regulations control working time on the roads. The Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations 2005 affect mobile workers – mainly drivers, crew and other travelling staff – who are travelling in vehicles subject to the EU Drivers’ Hours rules. These rules limit weekly working time, excluding breaks and periods of availability, and the amount of work that can be done at night. They also specify how much continuous work can be done before taking a break and set down daily and weekly rest limits for the crew and travelling staff. Under these rules, working time for mobile workers must not exceed:

• an average 48-hour week, normally calculated over a four-month reference period;

• 60 hours in any single week; or

• 10 hours in any 24-hour period, if working at night.

A reference period for the average 48-hour week may be extended from four to six months and the amount of night work can exceed 10 hours if a collective or workforce agreement is in place.

Alternatively, mobile workers may be covered by the WTR plus the domestic Drivers’ Hours rules. Self-employed drivers are covered by the Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations 2005.

The rules on drivers’ hours and tachograph recording device use in the UK are complex. Detailed guidance is available on the gov.uk website.