HINTS & TIPS
VAN DRIVERS MUST FOLLOW HGV RULES
» » TRADESPEOPLE WHO USE
work vans to get to and from
jobs could be hit with a fine of
up to £300 if they exceed the
UK daily driving hours limit,
experts have warned.
Motoring specialists
from LeaseVan.co.uk have
highlighted the law which
states that drivers operating a
van for commercial purposes
must observe the same
working hour restrictions and
rest period requirements as
professional HGV drivers.
Drivers operating a work
van for more than four hours
per day are not permitted to
be behind the wheel for more
than ten hours and aren’t
allowed to be on duty for
more than 11 hours on any day
in which they drive. Working
drivers can only reach the
ten-hour limit twice per week.
For other days that week,
they are then restricted to
nine hours – or 56 hours in
a week and 90 hours in any
fortnight.
Van drivers on the roads
for business purposes must
also get at least 11 hours rest
daily, take breaks totalling
at least 45 minutes after a
maximum of four and a half
66
hours of driving and take an
unbroken rest period of 45
hours weekly.
Skipping breaks and
exceeding these limits could
see van drivers hit with a fine
of up to £300.
It could also prove
dangerous for both the
driver and other road users,
with tiredness and fatigue
among the leading causes
of road accidents and being
potentially as deadly as drink
or drug driving.
Some tradesmen and
women don’t currently track
their time on the roads
between jobs, but all have
now been urged to keep an
eye on their van driving hours.
Though vans don’t require a
tachograph to be fitted like
HGVs, written records should
still be kept.
The limits are suspended
for the duration of
emergencies, where
the driver needs to take
immediate preventative action
to avoid danger to someone
or an animal’s life or health, or
serious damage to property.
Restrictions are also relaxed
when a major interruption
to essential public service
must be avoided – examples
include gas, water and
electricity supply, drainage,
telecommunications or post,
and roads, railways, ports and
airports.
Drivers of military, police
and fire brigade vehicles
are also exempt from the UK
driving hours rules, as well
as those who never drive on
public roads, whilst separate
rules apply to Northern
Ireland.
Tim Alcock from LeaseVan.
co.uk said: “Some van
drivers might not realise
that if they’re using their
vehicle for business more
than four hours daily, they
have to follow the same
rules as lorry drivers. When
travelling from job to job or
making a long delivery, it
could be quite easy for a van
driver to rack up a few hours
behind the wheel in a day.
But exceeding the applicable
legal limit or not getting
enough rest in could see van
drivers hit hard in the pocket
and facing a much-increased
risk of crashing.
“In short, you should never
drive for business for more
than ten hours a day and you
shouldn’t work for more than
eleven hours a day in which
you drive. Van drivers also
need to take at least eleven
hours off between shifts on
the road, though this can be
reduced to nine on occasion.
They should take at least
45 minutes in breaks if they
drive for four and a half hours
and take consecutive days
off at least once a fortnight
too.
“It’s also important to
keep a written record of
driving hours if you expect
to exceed four hours behind
the wheel in a day, even
though a tachograph isn’t
required on light goods
vehicles. It’s essential that all
drivers remember, though,
that driving when tired or
fatigued can cause accidents
and prove as dangerous as
operating a vehicle while
intoxicated.”
Sources: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/driving-a-van; https://www.gov.uk/guidance/drivers-
hours-goods-vehicles/2-great-britain-domestic-rules; https://www.gov.uk/drivers-hours/eu-rules
JUL/AUG 2019
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