Driver fines have been hitting the headlines lately.
Confusion's reigned, drivers have asked: will they fine me for taking my weekly rest at, say, a truck-stop?
The RHA's echoed these concerns. And it challenged DVSA to clarify the situation.
In response, DVSA's shed some light.
It will impose enforcement only when driver rest breaks have been taken outside formal rest areas i.e. truck-stops and motorway service stations.
From November 1, DVSA began targeting drivers taking their full weekly rest in places near public roads, on motorway slip-roads and public laybys. The Agency confirmed it will ignore those drivers bedding down in formal rest areas.
As for enforcement itself - DVSA's recently upped the ante, as we know.
Penalties for drivers caught snoozing outside the designated areas include:
- Fixed penalty notices of £300
- Financial penalty deposits (for non-UK drivers)
- Prohibitions on the driver until the full weekly rest is taken
- Reporting the operator to their licensing authority
This is yet another small win for the road haulage industry. In closing, the RHA chief executive, Mark Burnett, declared:
"It would be totally inappropriate to ban all in-cab weekly rests; the impact on UK international and long-distance operators would have been catastrophic.
"The real solution is more lorry parking. For 30 years we have failed to provide decent and safe parking for drivers to rest in. It is time we started to provide drivers with the respect and facilities they they need."
As a final point, the RHA advises HGV drivers taking their weekend rest in paid-for lorry parking facilities, to keep their receipts to show that they're remaining lawful.
Want to continue the crusade against legal-speak, confusion and red tape? Take a look at our upcoming WTD webinar - providing answers to your questions in plain, straightforward English.
