Tired and Illegally in Germany: Trucker Caught Behind the Wheel for Nearly 55 Hours
Excessive Driving Hours: Truck Operators Work for 55 Straight Hours - Excessive driving hours: truck operators working for 55 consecutive hours
This week, law enforcement on the A3 motorway in Middle Franconia cracked down on a weary trucker who'd been on the road for an astonishing 55 hours with scarcely any rest. During a check on Thursday evening near Schwaig bei Nürnberg, it was discovered that the 28-year-old behind the wheel lacked his driver's card in the control device. However, police confirmed he kept the card in his wallet. To add to the complications, the Eastern European was discovered to be illegally residing in Germany.
As per reports, the 28-year-old had driven for approximately 55 hours, with no more than a minimal 4-hour rest period. A review of driving and rest times revealed this data. His withering condition was evident during the stop: he was said to have dozed off numerous times. Both the driver and the company now face a legal repercussion and a fine amounting to thousands of euros.
Rules for Truck Drivers in Germany and EU
Commercial truck drivers in Germany and the EU are required to abide by rigorous regulations concerning driving hours and rest. These laws promote road safety and combat driver fatigue.
- Daily Driving Time Limit: Drivers can't drive beyond 9 hours a day, with a maximum of 56 hours a week. This limit can increase to 10 hours twice a week, but not more frequently than during two separate weekly rest periods.
- Rest Periods: Drivers must take regular respite, including a minimum of 11 hours of rest daily, divisible into two periods of at least 3 hours each. A weekly rest period of at least 45 hours is mandatory.
Penalties for Exceeding Limits
- Fines and Sanctions: Exceeding driving hours and neglecting breaks can result in fines for both the driver and the company. The EU Directive on Transport Infringements, to be enacted by February 14, 2025, designates specific violations as serious or extremely serious, leading to elevated penalties.
- Serious Violations: Neglecting rest periods or driving time restrictions can be considered serious infractions, resulting in higher fines and potential bans.
- Very Serious Violations: Repeated or egregious violations, including a failure to ensure drivers return home or to the company's base, are classified as extremely serious, warranting more severe penalties.
Upcoming EU Regulations and Updates
- EU Directive 2024/846: This directive modifies the table of infringements, introducing new offenses and alterations to existing ones. The EU requires member states to enact these changes by February 14, 2025.
- Health and Fitness: The EU is modernizing driving licence regulations, which could include more stringent checks of physical and mental fitness to drive.
New Penalty Tariff
The EU's revised penalty tariff includes increased fines for various infractions, such as improper utilization of ferry/train signage, failing to include country symbols in records, and not guaranteeing appropriate rest periods.
Germany's Advanced Policies
- Autonomous Driving: Germany has progressive regulations for autonomous driving, with projects like ATLAS-L4 developing fully automated electric trucks for motorway hub-to-hub transport.
- Environmental Regulations: Germany is implementing stricter environmental regulations, including CO2 emission limits for vehicle fleets, which will be significantly reduced starting in 2025.
- The employment policy regarding commercial truck drivers in Germany and the EU, aimed at ensuring road safety and combating driver fatigue, closely resembles the science behind health-and-wellness and fitness-and-exercise, both of which prioritize adequate rest for optimal performance.
- In light of the recent case involving a trucker who drove for nearly 55 hours, it's essential to highlight the science-backed importance of sleep for overall health, underscoring the implications of disregarding rest periods, as seen in the domain of general-news and crime-and-justice.
- EU's autonomous driving policies, such as the ATLAS-L4 project, align with the community policy trends, fostering smart and sustainable transportation systems that address the challenges stemming from human error, as exemplified by the 55-hour driving incident on the A3 motorway.
