What are the most common tachograph infringements?

The most common are: driving more than 4.5 hours without a 45-minute break, not taking enough daily rest (11 hours, or a reduced 9 hours no more than three times between weekly rests), exceeding 9 hours daily driving (10 hours is allowed twice a week), going over the 56-hour weekly or 90-hour fortnightly driving limit, missing weekly rest, and card or mode-switch errors such as failing to record other work.

What is the 4.5 hour driving rule?

After 4.5 hours of driving a driver must take a break of at least 45 minutes, unless they are taking a rest period. The 45 minutes can be split into a 15-minute break followed by a 30-minute break, in that order. Going over 4.5 hours without the break is one of the most frequent infringements.

How can I reduce tacho infringements in my fleet?

Download driver cards and vehicle units on time, analyse them regularly so patterns show early, brief drivers on the rules and mode switching, plan routes and delivery windows that allow proper breaks, and make sure manual entries are done for other work. Catching a drift early prevents it becoming a repeat infringement at a DVSA check.

Compliance guide

Tacho infringements: the common ones & how to avoid them

Q: Are working time rules the same as drivers' hours?

No. Drivers' hours rules cover driving, breaks and rest. The Working Time rules for mobile workers are separate and cover total working time, including an average weekly limit and a rule that you cannot work more than six hours without a break. A driver has to comply with both.

Updated September 2026 · ~6 min read

Short answer: Most tacho infringements come down to a handful of repeat offenders — driving over 4.5 hours without a 45-minute break, not enough daily rest, over the 9-hour daily or 56-hour weekly driving limit, and card or mode-switch mistakes. You avoid them by downloading and analysing tacho data regularly so a drift shows up early — not when DVSA finds it.

The infringements that come up most

Almost all tacho infringements fall into a few groups. Know these and you've covered the bulk of the risk:

Break rule (the big one) — driving more than 4.5 hours without a 45-minute break. The 45 can be split as 15 then 30, in that order.
Daily driving limit — more than 9 hours a day (10 hours is allowed no more than twice a week).
Daily rest — less than 11 hours rest (a reduced 9-hour rest is allowed, but only three times between weekly rests).
Weekly limits — more than 56 hours driving in a week, or 90 hours across any two weeks.
Weekly rest — missing or short weekly rest (45 hours, or a reduced 24-hour rest that must be compensated).
Card & mode errors — driving without inserting the card, or leaving the mode switch wrong so other work isn't recorded.
Missing manual entries — not recording activity the tacho didn't capture (start/end of a shift, other work).

Drivers' hours vs working time — don't mix them up

Two separate rulebooks apply at once. Drivers' hours govern driving, breaks and rest (above). The Working Time rules for mobile workers are separate and cover total working time — an average weekly limit and a rule that you can't work more than six hours without a break. A driver has to stay inside both, which is why a day that looks fine on driving can still breach working time.

Passing the driving-hours check isn't the whole picture — working time is a second limit that trips people up.

Why they become a problem

A single edge-of-the-limit day isn't usually the issue. The problem is a pattern — the same driver drifting over the break by a few minutes week after week, or reduced rests that never get compensated. By the time a roadside or desk-based check picks it up, it's a repeat infringement with a history, which is exactly what damages an operator at a public inquiry.

How to actually avoid them

Download on time. Driver cards on the 28-day cycle, vehicle units on the 90-day cycle — see our tacho download deadlines guide. You can't spot a pattern in data you don't have.
Analyse regularly. Review the downloads and act on infringements while they're small. A weekly glance beats a quarterly shock.
Brief drivers on the break and mode switch. The 4.5-hour break and correct mode selection prevent most infringements on their own.
Plan realistic windows. Delivery slots and routes that don't leave room for a break are how good drivers end up in breach.
Do the manual entries. Record other work and shift start/end so the record is complete.

See infringements early, not at the audit

Raahi pulls your tacho data and flags infringements automatically, alerting the office as soon as a driver goes over — so you fix a pattern while it's small, and walk into a DVSA check with clean records.

See fleet compliance software →

The mindset that keeps you clean

Treat infringements as early warnings, not paperwork. Every one is telling you something about a route, a slot or a driver's habits. Act on the small ones and the serious ones never build up. Getting the operator basics right — see operator licence basics for tipper operators — is the foundation the whole system sits on.

What are the most common tacho infringements?

Driving over 4.5 hours without a 45-minute break, too little daily rest, over the 9-hour daily or 56-hour weekly driving limit, missed weekly rest, and card or mode-switch errors.

What is the 4.5 hour rule?

After 4.5 hours driving you must take a 45-minute break (or 15 then 30, in that order) unless you're taking a rest period.

How do I reduce infringements?

Download cards and units on time, analyse regularly, brief drivers on breaks and mode switching, plan realistic windows, and complete manual entries.

Are working time rules the same as drivers' hours?

No — working time is a separate limit on total working time, including no more than six hours' work without a break. Drivers must meet both.

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