Road Safety Concerns: 43% of Truck Drivers breach EU Regulations on Work and Rest Times

The Scope of the Roadside checks :

The Europe-wide control operation took place in May and involved 18 ROADPOL member countries. A staggering number of inspections were conducted during this week-long event, focusing on both commercial goods and passenger transport:

• Trucks Inspected: 228,389
• Buses Inspected: 136,335

Violations Found

The operation uncovered a total of 78,926 violations, broken down as follows:

• Trucks: 69,749 violations
• Buses: 9,177 violations

The overall complaint rate stood at 23.43% for freight transport and 6.43% for buses. This indicates that nearly 1 in 4 trucks inspected had some form of violation.

For truck drivers, the most common infractions included:

• Exceeding driving time limits
• Tachograph settings manipulation
• Speed and technical offences (such as overweight loads or insecure cargo)

For bus drivers, typical violations were related to:

• Seat belts and safety restraints
• Speeding
• Exceeding legal driving hours
• Improper vehicle documentation

Work and Rest Time Violations

A total of more than 8000 drivers were found to be violating EU social regulations. This means they drove for longer periods than allowed without taking the necessary breaks. The average violation rate for work and rest time regulations was 3.4% across all inspections. However, this rate varied significantly between EU member states:

• Belgium: 43% of drivers violated the regulations
• Austria: 31%
• Germany: 18%
• Bulgaria: 0.51%
• Slovakia: 0.45%
• Lithuania: 0.13%

These figures highlight a stark contrast in compliance levels across Europe, suggesting a need for more consistent enforcement and driver education in certain regions.

Tachograph Manipulation

The operation also revealed widespread issues with tachograph usage:

• 4,787 instances of improperly managed tachographs (4,236 trucks; 551 buses)
• 836 cases of digital tachograph manipulation (803 trucks; 33 buses)

Tachographs are crucial for monitoring driving hours and ensuring drivers take required rest breaks. Mismanagement or tampering with these devices not only breaches regulations but poses significant safety risks on the roads.

Substance Abuse Among Drivers

In addition to regulatory violations, the operation identified worrying cases of substance abuse:

• 175 drivers were caught driving under the influence of alcohol (150 truck drivers; 25 bus drivers)
• 35 truck drivers were found to be under the influence of drugs

These offenses represent serious safety concerns and underscore the necessity for ongoing vigilance and enforcement to deter such behaviour on the roads.

Future Actions

The findings from this ROADPOL operation highlight persistent challenges in enforcing EU regulations on work and rest times across Europe. The significant disparities in compliance rates among different countries suggest a need for targeted efforts to improve adherence to these crucial safety standards.

The ROADPOL operation serves as a reminder of the importance of cross-border cooperation in tackling road safety challenges. By sharing best practices and coordinating efforts, Member States can work towards achieving more consistent compliance and ultimately reducing the risk of accidents on Europe’s roads.

The next ROADPOL operation Truck & Bus will take place from 11th to 17th November 2024.