In the transport industry, it's important to follow tachograph laws and regulations to meet safety and legal standards. However, there are many things Drivers must remember when it comes to tachographs, and one mistake we often hear about is a digi card left in overnight.
Our guide will discuss the consequences of this mistake, how to fix it, and how you can avoid it in future.
Table of Contents
The Impact of A Digi Card left in overnight
A digi card left in overnight can result in several issues:
- Inaccurate Recordings: Any vehicle movement, even minimal, will be recorded as active driving time. This could falsely reduce the recorded rest periods, leading to potential breaches of legal driving limits.
- Compliance Violations: Incorrect data can lead to violations of regulations concerning drivers' hours, possibly resulting in fines and legal action.
Immediate Steps to Take If a digi card is left in overnight:
- Data Review: Immediately check the recorded data to identify any unintended entries.
- Reporting: Notify the relevant compliance or fleet management personnel of the incident.
- Record Adjustment: Correct the records to reflect the accurate status of driving and rest periods. This is typically done using handwritten records, since manual entries cannot overwrite existing data.
Preventative Strategies
To avoid the mistake of leaving a digi card in overnight, there are some preventative steps you can take.
- End-of-Day Checklist: Implement a checklist that includes removing the digi card as a mandatory item.
- Reminders and Alerts: Use solutions like alarms or mobile apps to remind drivers to remove their digi cards at the end of a shift or .
- Training and Awareness: Regular training sessions can help reinforce the importance of proper tachograph management.
Addressing Related Tachograph Management Issues
Several related issues can also affect tachograph management:
- Forgot to Press Break on Tacho: Educate drivers on the importance of correctly setting the tachograph to break or rest mode to avoid misreporting work hours and receive possible infringements.
- Removing Tacho Card During Shift: Ensure drivers understand the correct protocol for temporarily removing their digi card, which should be logged accurately to prevent data discrepancies.
- Tacho Card in Slot 2: In multi-driver scenarios, the second driver’s card must be correctly placed in slot 2 to accurately record their driving time.
Case Study: Digi Card Left in Overnight
Scenario: A commercial truck driver finishes a long haul and parks the truck at a designated rest stop. Exhausted, he forgets to remove his digi card from the tachograph and goes to sleep. Overnight, a colleague moves the truck to a different parking spot but does not change the digi card.
Issue: The movement of the truck is recorded on the original driver's digi card as driving time. This unintentional recording falsely reduces his mandatory rest period records, potentially leading to regulatory non-compliance and fatigue-related safety issues.
Resolution: The driver discovers the mistake upon waking and reviewing the tachograph data. He reports the issue to his fleet manager, explaining the situation. The fleet manager advises the driver to make a note of the true times and sign it with their name and driving licence number, that the records accurately reflect the true rest period. This must be held by the driver for the next 28 days. The manager also implements a new policy requiring drivers to set reminders on their phones to remove their digi cards after their shifts.
Summary: Digi Card Left In Overnight
In conclusion, this guide underscores the importance of diligent tachograph management in the transport industry, particularly emphasising the common error of leaving a digi card in the tachograph overnight.
This oversight can lead to possible infringements and misreported rest periods, resulting in possible fines and safety concerns. We've outlined essential steps for reporting of such errors, including reviewing data, notifying a manager, and keeping records manually.
To prevent these issues, we suggest some practical measures like establishing an end-of-day checklist, using technological reminders, and providing regular training on tachograph usage.
Implementing these strategies helps transport companies maintain regulatory compliance and ensure driver safety. Additionally, addressing related issues such as accurate break recording and proper digi card handling during shifts can further improve operational reliability.
About TachoMagic
TachoMagic is a tachograph analysis company, and supplier of automatic download devices for fleets across the UK. We've got decades of experience in the business, and we've decided to share a lot of it on our website!
If you or your company are interested in what we've got to offer, why not have a browse of our website?
Feel free to get in touch on 0113 877 0190 or use our contact details at the bottom of the page.
Further Reading - Digi Card Left In Overnight
If you have found our article about a digi card left in overnight useful, we have some further articles below that may be helpful.
DVSA Enforcement Sanctions Policy
How Long Is A Digital Tachograph Card Valid For?
About The Author
Simon Theaker
Simon has over 20 years of dealing with tachograph analysis, and the technologies involved.
His in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience have made him a key behind-the-scenes member of the TachoMagic team.
