Drivers & hours
What is a driver infringement?
A driver infringement is a breach of the drivers' hours or working time rules identified from tachograph data. Operators are expected to identify them, raise them with the driver and keep a record of doing so.
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<img src="https://fleetoptix.co.uk/glossary/driver-infringement/diagram.svg" alt="driver infringement — diagram from FleetOptix" width="880" height="620" loading="lazy">
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<a href="https://fleetoptix.co.uk/glossary/driver-infringement">What is a driver infringement?</a> — diagram by
<a href="https://fleetoptix.co.uk">FleetOptix</a>
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</figure>Finding infringements is not the failure; not acting on them is. An operator who identifies breaches, discusses them and can show a downward trend is in a stronger position than one whose analysis shows nothing.
The record needs three parts: what the infringement was, that it was put to the driver, and what was said or done. A signed counselling note is the usual form, and it is what evidences that the operator responded.
Patterns matter more than instances. Repeated infringements by one driver is a training or conduct question; the same infringement across many drivers on one route is a scheduling question and belongs with whoever plans the work.
What goes wrong in practice
- Infringement reports produced monthly and filed without anyone reading them.
- Drivers signing a stack of infringements at once, months after the events.
- No escalation route, so the same driver receives the same note repeatedly with nothing changing.