Departing from the rules in unforeseen circumstances
When you may exceed the driving times to reach a suitable stopping place or your home, and how to record it.
Reaching a suitable stopping place
Provided road safety is not compromised, you may depart from the rules in unforeseen circumstances in order to reach a suitable stopping place. These are situations you could not have foreseen: an accident, a traffic jam caused by a road closure, a full parking area, extreme weather. Poor planning is not an unforeseen circumstance.
Going home or to the operational centre for the weekly rest period
Since the Mobility Package, in exceptional circumstances and provided road safety is not compromised, you may:
| Situation | Additional driving time |
|---|---|
| You want to reach your employer's operational centre or your place of residence to take a weekly rest period | Up to 1 hour additional daily and weekly driving time |
| Same, for a regular weekly rest period, and you take a 30-minute break immediately beforehand | Up to 2 hours additional |
You must compensate for the additional driving time en bloc, attached to a rest period, before the end of the third week following the week in question.
Always record it
You must enter the reason for the departure manually: on a tachograph printout, on the back of the record sheet, or in your duty roster. Do this at the latest when you reach the stopping place. Without this entry, an inspector will assume an ordinary infringement.
In practice: make a printout at the start of the departure and one on arrival, and write on them the reason, date, place, your name and your signature.