Kielin Transport Management Consulting will assist your company become compliant on Domestic Hours Rules.
Domestic Regulations for Van Drivers
These rules are pertinent to commercial vehicles with a gross weight up to 3.5 tonnes, imposing two primary restrictions:
Maximum Daily Driving: Limited to 10 hours starting from the commencement of driving. This encompasses off-road driving and instances where the driver is in control of an idling vehicle, whether stationary or in motion.
Daily Duty Cap: Defined as a 24-hour period from the start of the shift, with a maximum of 11 hours on duty. This cap is waived on days when no driving occurs. Essentially, the domestic rules permit up to 11 hours of work per day, with a maximum of 10 hours dedicated to driving.
Notable Exemptions
There are notable exceptions to these rules. For instance, if driving activities do not exceed four hours weekly, the ‘daily duty’ limit is not applicable. However, surpassing four hours of driving in a single day subjects the entire week to the daily duty limit.
Professionals such as doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives, veterinarians, individuals in inspection, maintenance, repair, installation, fitting, commercial sales, media production, AA, or RAC employees, or those driving off-road for specific industries, are only bound by the 10-hour daily driving rule.
Absolute Exemptions from Domestic Regulations
Individuals driving for the armed forces, law enforcement, fire services, coast guard, RNLI, those driving on private roads, and any driving unrelated to work are not subject to domestic regulations. Moreover, these restrictions may be exceeded in critical circumstances that necessitate a swift reaction to emergencies that threaten life.
Such circumstances encompass rescue missions, significant disruptions to essential public services like water and gas supply, substantial obstructions to transportation infrastructure including roads, railways, and ports, and situations that pose a severe risk of property damage.
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