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. 2022 Sep 7;20(9):e07445. doi: 10.2903/j.efsa.2022.7445

Table 1.

A summary of the EU drivers’ hours rules and sector specific working time rules (Department for transport, 2014)

Drivers’ hours rules Regulation (EC) 561/2006 Working time rules Directive 2002/15/EC
Driving
  • 9 h daily driving limit (can be increased to 10 h twice a week)

  • Max 56 h weekly driving limit

  • Max 90 h fortnight driving limit

Working time (including driving)
  • Working time must not exceed average of 48 h a week (no opt out) 1

  • Max working time of 60 h in one week (provided average not exceeded)

  • Max working time of 10 h if night work performed. 2

Breaks
  • 45 min break after 4.5 h driving

  • A break can be split into two periods, the first being at least 15 min and the second at least 30 min (which must be completed after 4.5 h driving)

Breaks 3
  • A driver cannot work for more than 6 h without a break. A break should be at least 15 min long.

  • 30 min break if working between 6 and 9 h in total. 4

  • 45 min break if working more than 9 h in total.

Rest
  • 11 h regular daily rest 5 ; which can be reduced to 9 h no more than three times a week.
  • 45 h weekly rest, which can be reduced to 24 h, provided at least one full rest is taken in any fortnight. There should be no more than six consecutive 24 h periods between weekly rests.
Rest
  • Same rest requirements as EU’ drivers.
(1)

Normally calculated over a rolling 17‐week period, but can be extended to 26 weeks under a collective or workforce agreement.

(2)

Can be extended under a collective or workforce agreement.

(3)

EC Regulation 561/2006 is directly effective and takes precedence over EC Directive 2002/15 ‐ Article 2.4 Directive 2002/15. Therefore, EU drivers’ hours break requirements take precedence when driving.

(4)

After working for 6 h a mobile worker must take a break of at least 15 min. However, if working more than 6 and up to 9 h in a shift a mobile worker needs to take a break totalling at least 30 min ‐ this could be two breaks of 15 min. Where a shift will contain more than 9 h of working time, a total of 45 min of break is needed.

(5)

Alternatively, this regular daily rest period may be taken in two periods, the first of which must be an uninterrupted period of at least 3 h and the second an uninterrupted period of at least 9 h.