Overview

If you drive a goods vehicle or a bus or coach you must follow the rules on how many hours you can drive and the breaks that you need to take.

The rules you must follow depend on:

  • the type of vehicle you’re driving
  • which country you’re driving in

Find out which rules apply to you if you drive:

There are different drivers’ hours rules in Northern Ireland.

You will also need to follow:

If you do not follow the rules

If you break the drivers’ hours rules, you may be prosecuted or fined.

Penalties for serious or dangerous offences include:

  • a prohibition notice - for serious or dangerous offences
  • a fine or points on your licence (‘fixed penalty’) - the amount depends on how serious the offence is
  • your vehicle being immobilised if it’s a danger to road safety - you’ll have to fix the problem and pay a release charge

Other penalties include things like:

  • an offence rectification notice - for offences that are not a risk to road safety
  • a verbal warning - for minor offences

If you’re an employer of drivers or mobile workers

If you employ drivers or mobile workers you must follow extra rules for employers.