New EU rules for truckers

Dublin- Truckers across the EU’s 27 member states are being hit with new regulations from today. Drivers will have to produce manual or digital driving records for the past 29 days if stopped by a Garda or other roadside enforcement officers.
Digital tachograph technology replaced the existing analogue recording devices in lorries and buses across the EU last May. Tachographs are instruments fitted in the cab of commercial vehicles to record the driving times, breaks and rest periods of individual drivers. The vehicle’s speed and distance travelled is also logged. Tachograph information is also stored on Smart Cards which the driver must present for inspection. Drivers will be penalised under new legislation in each EU member state if they fail to comply with the inspection regulations. The Road Safety Authority said the new EU regulations were introduced to harmonise existing legislation on long-distance commercial transport.