New laws related to working hours could lead to big fines for drivers
Drivers could be fined £1500 per day as Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) rolls out new rules designed to reduce tiredness on the roads.
The new laws, which came into force on 5th March this year, mean that drivers can be fined £300 per offence, with a maximum of 5 fines issuable on a single day. Whereas previously, fines could only be meted during the day the offence occurred, the new rules mean the fines can be issued up to 28 days after the infringement.
The new rules state that every fortnight, lorry, bus and coach drivers must take a 45-hour rest break. DVSA says the tougher rules are necessary to improve safety. More than 40% of sleep-related traffic incidents involve commercial vehicles while statistics from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) state that as many as a quarter of all fatal crashes involve tiredness.
Drivers who persistently break rules restricting working hours and enforcing rest could also face prosecution or see their vehicle immobilised.
The full list of regulations can be found here.